A little encouragment goes a long way...

This last week has been full of very unexpected and encouraging surprises.  Being home has been amazing, but presents its own set of life’s challenges.  Between text messages, phone calls, letters, reminders, emails, and even a surprise visit, God showed me just how important encouragement is for the Body of Christ.

I am reminded of Paul, and what he writes in Colossians about why he struggles for them to know the mystery that is Christ:

…that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.  For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Colossians 2:2-5

In Paul’s absence he writes to fellow believers for a few reasons.  Yet the first of these reasons is so that their hearts may be encouraged, and I strongly believe that the other reasons come as a result of his encouragement. 

The result of encouragement connects people in love, and directs them towards the riches of full assurance and understanding of who God is and who Christ is. Why do I believe Paul is writing out of encouragement?  Because faith is tough… There is no hiding the fact, life in Christ will be difficult.  We are told that we will face trials, persecution, and possibly death for what we believe.  Additionally, it is crucial for the message of Christ to withstand plausible arguments, feel good philosophy, and unhealthy human traditions.

Friends, this is why encouragement so important for the body of believers.  For anyone who walks in faith, we need encouragement.

So here is my request. Take ten minutes out of your day this week to encourage someone.  Not just Monday, but every day this week.  Here is the catch, do not fabricate the encouragement.  Even though encouragement should be based on truth, I believe you can always find something encouraging to say to everyone.

Be creative, send a text message, write a thank you note, make a video, draw a picture, or write a poem, there are more ways than one to offer encouragement.  I promise you, you will be amazed at what a little bit of encouragement does to those receiving it, but don’t forget to make note of what it does to you.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for build up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)

By this we may know...

Preface:

There may be a time when someone who you’ve only truly known for two hours might say; “There is someone in D.C. that I think you should meet.”

I have just recently returned from a very spontaneous trip to the Northeast, hopping from Washington D.C. up to New Jersey, down to Delaware, then back up to Pennsylvania in just six days before returning to beautiful Colorado.  It is trips like this one that remind me to stop questioning God’s plans and just let Him be.  While I am pretty tired, the encouragement I received while on this trip will last a lifetime.  Of this, I am sure.  

There has been a lot occupying my mind since returning from this trip, and even though these memories are still fresh in my head, I will probably need a few more weeks to fully digest all that I have experienced.  But there is one thing from this trip that I do know: God is using ordinary people, to do extraordinary things...  still, in all of my not knowing, scattered thoughts, and attempts to understand, there has been one verse that has truly caught my attention in the midst of my new experiences and new found friendships.

By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

I John 2:5b-6 (ESV)

Here is the truth, as believers we can imitate Christ’s faith, love, devotion, and selflessness… and we should, because that is how we are known.

It isn’t about how you advertise your cause for your Jesus, but that Jesus is advertised through our actions, our relationships, and our conversations.  It isn’t about the cause itself, and it isn’t about you or me, it is about making Jesus known.  That is the standard, that is how we know Jesus abides in us.

Too often I find myself preparing to do what appears right, and even though conceived out of the purest intentions it is never compared with the ministry, actions, and footsteps of Christ.  So I am very grateful for my new friends, for pointing me towards this verse, and for giving me new perspective as to what it looks like to walk as Christ walked.

By this we may know that we are in him: that we walk in the same way in which he walked. 

That He may put sin to death...

It only seems right to journal about the season of thanks…  I love the sentiment, and the opportunities to tell others just how grateful you are for them, but I feel the most thankful when I see others using this season to slow down enough to remember that which they are thankful for.  This “slowing down” from the busyness of our day-to-day lives has to be the greatest thing about Thanksgiving.  Let us not forget how important it is to slow down, reflect, and give thanks.

I finally found my time to do a bit of reflecting after a very busy few weeks, and it would take much more than one blog post to write all that I am thankful for in this moment.  The lengths that my friends have gone to encourage me in this last week have been humbling: letters, “goodbye” gifts, hugs, prayers, emails, beard jokes, and free coffee and food.  While I will miss my home in Nashville, I was encouraged to see God at work when I left and am excited to see how much more at work He will be when I return.  Words truly cannot express how encouraged I have been by you all.

After all of the craziness of moving away from Nashville for a while, I spent about 24 hours, over the course of three days, in a car driving across the country with my new friend from Columbia.  It offered the perfect opportunity to think about all which God has done in my life in the last year, and what exactly I am grateful for this holiday season.

Here it is:

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. –I Peter 2:24

This verse has absolutely wrecked me.  While I am thankful for many other things… the joy that comes from a life in Christ, and the protection and provision that God has promised me, I cannot find anything more worthy of my thanks that Jesus bore my sins, so that sin may be put to death in my life!  Maybe this finds a few of your heart strings the way it has found mine, maybe not.  But as those created in God’s image who are in constant struggle with selfish desires, pride, hatred, and all other forms of immorality, Christ promises us freedom from this so we may live as true image bearers of God. 

I am not saying that from now on I will remain without sin, even though that is the goal.  It is my hope that in revisiting this promise we are reminded that with Christ, we can put sin to death; and when people see us they see a glimpse of who God really is and just how much He loves his image bearers.  Maybe, just maybe, if we focused a little more on this promise, and actively desiring to put sin to death and live for righteousness, people will understand that what they desire is not to be around us, but to be closer to the love that comes only from God.

Friends, in this holiday season may we remember this…

We no longer have to live in sin.

We are the image bearers of true, unfailing love; and God has given us His son, Jesus, not only to bear our sins, but also to show us how to live in righteousness.

We have been healed of our sin, by His wounds.

We have been given the honor and responsibility of sharing this love with everyone.

Grace, Love, and Thanks.

I Peter 2:24-25

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

It's the little things...

One of my many jobs includes giving private soccer instruction to a group of 7th and 8th graders once a week.  This Halloween they dressed up as "Coach Cy".  I love these kids. 

The contents of this costume include:

1. Beard
2. Bandanna

It truly is the little things, like this, that make life so amazing.


Movie Cast:
Coach Cy- Cyrus Eaton
Coach Cy 2- Taylor Vincent
Coach Cy 3- Chance Wiginton
Coach Cy 4- Ethan Wilson 

I want you...

I wish I could understand all that has happened in my life the last two weeks.  Between trying to figure out this pilgrimage in January, and watching life happen whether I want it to or not, I believe myself unable to put organized thought around its meaning.  Either way, it usually isn’t until weeks or months later that things begin to make sense. 

Just like every “season”, there are themes or lessons that stand out in all of the disorganization, the distractions, and the excitement and adventure.  This week’s, or season’s, lesson:  I want you.

If you are like me, you find yourself desiring to understand how to live life in accordance with the gospel.  Trying to be intentional with time spent with others and wrestling with so many questions.  How am I called to live?  In what ways is my life reflecting God?  How do I challenge other people to better know Jesus?  Ironically, I usually forget to seek Jesus on these issues, and in my pursuit of others, I often find Jesus pursuing me. 

Yes, it is soooo important to pursue lasting relationships with others, both like-minded Christians and those who don’t share your spiritual convictions.  That was Jesus’ ministry, but he also found significant time to spend with the Father.  I often find myself forgetting to pursue Christ, and fill it pursuing others.  That’s where He usually speaks, “I want you,” in some form or fashion.  Side-note: I do need to give credit to Chris for this beautiful reminder. 

A good friend shared a message from John 15:1-8 last night, such wisdom.  To be useful servants of Christ we need to remain connected to the core of our faith, Jesus.  Can we be Jesus, without be connected to him?  Verse five is very clear, “I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  If our goal is to live the gospel and bear fruit, it is impossible to do it without first pursuing Jesus.  We cannot do anything for Christ, without Christ.  Not only must He be our source, He should be our focus. 

So in the middle of the busyness, disorganization, distractions, adventure, and even the pure intentions… remember this, Jesus wants us to pursue intentional time with others, but don’t forget His very important message, “I want you.”

John 15:5

I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Risk is Right

“Risk is right.”- John Piper

I usually don’t encourage others to read a book until I have finished it, but I feel fairly confident about this one.  So if you are looking for a book with challenging theology and convicting arguments about life and purpose, you need to pick up Don’t Waste Your Life, by John Piper.  I’ll probably wait to finish the book to give my complete list of thoughts, but there has been one chapter that I just have to write about.  Now.

Throughout the book, John Piper has been speaking to many of my current convictions and feelings about American culture and American church culture.   He has encouraged the many questions I have been asking about my own life and their need to be asked, by everyone.  Am I pursuing a prosperous life that God wishes for me, or am I imposing what my own beliefs of what it means to be prosperous?  Am I grasping the magnitude of what God has purposed me for, or am I distracted by a comfortable life or this “enchantment of security” that John Piper says so many of us fall into?  Do I truly believe that God will prepare and provide for me, or do I need to be constantly worrying about my immediate needs?  Do I think my constant preparation for the future is to glorify God, or am I trying to minimize risk of living uncomfortably? 

That is just the short list…  I have had so many questions running through my head this last year that I don’t feel this list does it justice, but that’s not the focus.  The commonality among all these questions is asking on some level if I am living life in accordance with the Gospel?  For me I feel like my life is too safe, to easy, lacking too man relationships with hurting and broken people, and too risk free to “fit” into the pages of the New Testament.  This is why John Piper’s simple statement struck such a chord in my life.

Friends, “Risk is right”. 

“On the far side of every risk–even if it results in death—the love of God triumphs.  This is the faith that frees us to risk for the cause of God.  It is not heroism, or lust for adventure, or courageous self-reliance, or efforts to earn God’s favor.  It is childlike faith in the triumph of God’s love—that on the other side of all our risks, for the sake of righteousness, God will still be holding us.  We will be eternally satisfied in Him.  Nothing will have been wasted.” [emphasis added]

(Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper)

This may just be me, but I believe my call to follow Christ has been distracted by my comfort bubble too long, avoiding risk like we avoid that awkward admirer… the knowing that they are there but hoping that if you ignore them long enough maybe they’ll just go away, kind of thing.   If I truly let the God of the Bible prepare and provide for me, as he constantly promises, I think I would be willing to risk a little more for His sake and making His glory known. 

Friends, it is my hope that we can help each other learn to risk it all for the sake of Christ, sooner rather than later.  Today I ask you to consider the things that are keeping us from living the Gospel; only we can answer these questions for ourselves.  We have been given only one life; let’s not waste it. 

Romans 8:35-39

Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

Gun Collectors

I listened to an incredible lecture by Pastor Mark Driscoll about the Spirit-filled ministry of Jesus.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Pastor Mark, I offer a word of caution.  He cuts right to the chase, and goes straight for your heart.  Do not plan on listening to a sermon or lecture by him and anticipate leaving with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.  He has an incredible ability to make people truly examine their heart, their actions, their faith, and how too often we are missing the big picture all together. 

In this message Pastor Mark makes a very convincing, and convicting, analogy about our faith and gun collectors.  Gun collectors spend a lot of time, polishing, cleaning, and protecting their guns.  They buy safes and vaults for them, because these guns are important to them.  They do everything required to maintain their beautiful weapons, including not using them for their intended use…  shooting. 

How are we any different?  When looking at our spiritual lives we do the same thing.  We polish our beliefs.  We do the things that make us look good, and are vital to a life of a Christ follower.  Yet often times we lose sight of what we were intended for.  We, like guns, were created to be powerful, life-changing, and useful tools that can give and take life.  We were not created to brush up on our theology, read the Bible, join a church, invest in a community group, pursue Truth, and then be put in a safe to be kept from harm.  No, we are intended to be cleaned, polished, and prepared for our intended use, to be powerful and useful tools that can alter history, change lives, pursue the lost, and love without reserve.  

Friends, let us not be the "gun collectors" of faith... may we be used as God intended us to be used, in powerful and incredible ways. 

If you have an hour, I highly encourage you to listen to Pastor Mark’s lecture.  You can find it, and others like it at The Resurgence website, or you can go directly to the page by clicking here. 

Grace and love to you, friends. 

John 15:16,17

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.  Then the father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  This is my command: Love each other.

Tiny American Jesus

This week has humbled me.  God continually reminds me how little control I have, and that He will do what He wants if I just let Him.  Between meeting new friends, running into old friends and turning to the right page in the right book, I have been brought back to just how human we are and how much we limit what God can and will do through us… if we are willing.

Friends, be careful that we are not falling into the pattern that Paul warns Timothy about.  We are playing with a fine, and dangerous, line here in America.  We cannot be the church that turns Faith into religion by surrounding ourselves with people who tell us what we want to hear, all the while denying truth (II Timothy 4:3,4).  We cannot become the church that pursues a comfortable way of living if we neglect our brothers in need.  John even challenges those who do this, “How can the love of God be in him?” (I John 3:17).  We cannot become the compromised church culture that is okay with certain sins, but claim righteousness because we are still all around good people (II Timothy 3:1-4).  We cannot put on a form of godliness, but deny His power (II Timothy 3:5).  Brothers and sisters, we cannot remove faith from the equation.

A new friend of mine said it perfectly on Thursday night.  We cannot keep pursuing our “Tiny American Jesus”.  

Catherine Booth warns us how Satan works when we live this way, Many do not recognize the fact as they ought, that Satan has got men fast asleep in sin and that it is his great device to keep them so.  He does not care what we do if he can do that.  We may sing songs about the sweet by and by, preach sermons and say prayers until doomsday, and he will never concern himself about us, if we don't wake anybody up.  But if we awake the sleeping sinner he will gnash on us with his teeth.  This is our work- to wake people up.
(Much gratitude to Jana for this timely message)

Not only do we ourselves need an awakening, people, it is time we started waking others up!

Jesus is so much bigger than this.  Paul says, “Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life,” (I Timothy 2:15,16).  If Christ can take Paul, the worst of sinners, a mass murderer of men, women, and children, and use him for a greater glory, imagine how much more he wants to do with you!    

It’s amazing when God throws the same scripture (II Corinthians 12:9,10) at you day in and day out.  Especially when He is trying to remind me just how weak I am.  Then it turns into an incredible revelation when we realize that even in our weakness, God not only wants to use us, but He is made strong! He didn't design us perfectly that we might depend on our own strength, but that we might depend on Him.

Here is the bottom line, our Jesus is much bigger than the Tiny American Jesus that so many of us pursue.  He has incredible plans and adventures for every one of us, but until we are willing to bring faith back into the equation we will continue to struggle with poor theology, we will continue to surround ourselves with people who tell us what we want to hear, and we will continue to wear a form of godliness while denying His power. 

As Oswald Chambers reminds us, God has chosen you (John 15:16), let Him have His way!
(My Utmost for His Highest, October 25th)

Brothers and sisters, may we stop pursuing a Jesus that is limited to our own cultural values, but may we see Him fully, in His entirety.  May we realize how weak we are, and just how much we desperately need a savior to depend.  May we start waking people up to these truths, and may we let him have His way. 

II Corinthians 12:9,10

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Muscle Cars and Mexican Food

With only 5 days and $140 (could have easily been less if I had been 25 years old), I bopped around the Pacific Northwest meeting people, celebrating the wedding of my old roommate and his beautiful wife, and experiencing God around every corner.  I didn’t have much time to explore Seattle, Tri-cities, and Portland, but was there long enough to know that I want to go back. 

Grant and Laura’s wedding was beautiful.  Beautiful bride and bridesmaids, sharp groom and groomsmen, muscle cars, family, friends, and Mexican food…  all the secret ingredients to a perfect wedding.  Congratulations to the newly weds!  I am so glad was able to make it out there for the special occasion, and was grateful for the added bonus of doing a little traveling with my friend Ben Bosse (I saw some of the most interesting things while traveling with Ben) and being able to do a little exploring of my own. 

In all of this bouncing around Washington and Oregon, meeting new people and seeing old friends, I was reminded how much I love hearing people’s stories.  Where they are, how they got there, where they aspire to be, and how they feel God plays in to all of that.  Fortunately I met some pretty kind folks at the wedding, on the road and while visiting a friend at Portland Bible College (PBC), and everyone had a story.

Sarah was my ride to Portland.  She does interactive media for the Trailblazers, combines fashion and her love sports, and loves to tell it like it is… I learned a good bit sharing a ride with her, specifically that girls can know what they are talking about when it comes to sports.  Do not test her knowledge when it comes to Basketball, guys.

Dale helped me kill time at Safeway while waiting for my friend Ben to get off of work in Portland.  He recently turned 83 years old, enjoyed sharing prostate jokes, has been in Portland since 1953, is now currently on a diet per doctor’s orders, taught me the meaning of the word “tumescent”, and left me encouraged that one day I might be as young as him when I’m 83. 

While Dale and I didn’t share the same spiritual beliefs, I think his many years of living still left him with some wise words worth sharing.  Do everything that you can so you don’t miss anything you could have done.  Not bad advice for anyone, but could be greatly misleading if we only do things for ourselves.  I think he meant for this statement to be focused on both our own passions and love for others.  If any of my new friends in Portland are reading this, check in on my buddy Dale at the Safeway where NE Fremont runs into NE Sandy Blvd.  He likes to sit at the tables outside and watch for the moon between 5:30 and 7:00 pm. 

Solomon was a traveler we met with some friends from PBC on his way to Seattle. He reminded me that people aren’t always a product of their own decisions, and sometimes life is harder for some than it is for others.  Both of Solomon’s parents died by the time he was 13, was emancipated at 15, and has been traveling the country since 16.  He is 23 years old and loves to read.  Even though he seemed to have little, he was very content with what he did have.  I’m sure Solomon wouldn’t mind any extra prayers, if you remember it would be greatly appreciated. 

My friend Ben from high school introduced me to a ton of amazing people at PBC where he just started going not to long ago.  I didn’t get to spend as much time in conversation with many of them, but was incredibly encouraged by their faith, obedience, and pursuit of God.  What God did at PBC was truly amazing, and a total answer to prayer.  I am forever grateful for my short stay here and cannot wait until the next time I run into these friendly faces again.  Thanks to all of those who fed me, drove me around, prayed over me, and delivered some very prophetic words from the Lord.  God is certainly using you all for awesome, awesome things.  I will be thinking about you guys and praying for you often. 

As for now, back in Nashville… landscaping, cleaning pools, coaching soccer, teaching climbing, and just trusting in Jesus for whatever is next.  Adventure on, friends.

You have to live, you know?  If you want to go anywhere in the world, pick up a book and read it.

-Dale

Costly Grace

"Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. . . . It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life." - D. Bonhoeffer

I came across this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Facebook. Ironically, the pastor who posted this for his status is a distant cousin of mine.  If my Facebook research is correct (not sure how credible this would be in academia), Frederick Eaton is a cousin to my Uncle Nate… who knew, I have a relative in Canada, and he loves Jesus. 

While I have never met or spoken with my distant cousin, I am grateful for these powerful words.  How great the price that was paid for my sins.  This statement helps put into perspective the conviction that I pray this grace holds in all of our lives: It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. 

Friends, this grace is a gift; and as Bonhoeffer reminds us, it must be sought again and again.  We will never reach a point in which we no longer need grace.  Yes, Jesus promises us to put sin to death (Romans 8:13-14), but we can only do this when the Spirit lives in us, when we seek the truth of the gospel again and again, and when we let God’s word reign true in all parts of our lives… not just the little bit we take with us to Church on Sundays. 

I have yet to meet someone who reflects the humility and authority of the Spirit who is not constantly in the Word pursuing God’s will for their lives, or who is not seeking the gospel again and again.  It will not happen.  The grace we so desperately want does come through faith in God, but it does not stop there.  Faith should not stop in our home, it must change the way we look at, and live, the callings in our lives.  Let this cost of grace, that cost a man his life (the Son of God), send you in a passionate pursuit of an unimaginable adventure with our God.  When we just begin to understand the cost of grace and the power of God that is exactly what faith becomes… an adventure! 

Believe me, this adventure will not be confined to your church building or home…  this faith will take you places to seek out people you never thought you would.  It may not be to another country, but it will be to where there are lost people.  Brothers and sisters, may we never forget the cost of grace. 

I John 3:23-24

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.  Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.  And this is how we know that he lives in us:  We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Leadership Outline

To be brief, let’s just say it was a crazy few weeks, certainly ones that I will never forget.  I’m sure future journal entries will include a few of these simply unbelievable stories.  And still, in all the craziness I have been drawn back to the topic of discipleship, and developing spiritual leaders for this generation (myself included).  My heart for this past year has been to inspire male leaders to pursue the heart of God; something I wish was more prevalent today.  In looking at potential books of the Bible to study for the upcoming months I came across Paul’s letter to Titus.  I’ve read this before, but must have been preoccupied, because what I came across was pure gold, probably better than gold… how could I have possibly missed it the first time? 

In the first chapter (Titus 1), Paul outlines what a spiritual leader is not, how they should act, how to prepare for leadership, and why we need to be prepared.

What a spiritual leader is not.

Titus 1:7

Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 

Friends, leadership is not about the list of things we cannot do.  Yet Paul offers us clear warnings of things that will ruin us as leaders.  If we treat others in the manner that Paul clearly warns us not to, we will be presenting a human version of the gospel.  In order to avoid these things, we must surrender our human desires to the Lord.  It is not by our own power and will, that will be able to avoid these types of behavior. 

From personal experience, being an overbearing, quick-tempered leader has hurt a lot of people in my life.  Not to mention, there were not many (if any) who wanted to follow me…  Fortunately I was able to use soccer as an avenue for discovering that this is not how we were intended to treat others, let alone lead them.  Thankfully, Paul offers better options for us to strive for. 

How a spiritual leader should act.

Titus 1:8

Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 

Treat people kindly, respectfully, and with love. Additionally, lead by example.  The more in touch we are with God, the source of Pure Love, the better we will be able to share this love through us.  Leadership is not about telling people what to do or how to do it… it is instilling the desire deep within them, so they do it willingly and passionately, for the glory of the Lord. 

The second half of this is understanding that the life of a leader, especially a spiritual leader, will take self-control and discipline.  It is easy to let cultural and social pressures influence certain decisions you make, yet in leading others we cannot waver in our beliefs, we must be strive to be blameless, holy, and upright.   

How to prepare for leadership.

Titus 1:9

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Grab your sword, hold firmly to the Gospel!  Aspiring leaders, we must open our Bibles and take ownership of our faith.  We cannot depend solely on Church and/or Bible study on a weekly basis to prepare us for the trials of this world.  I could journal for days on this topic, but to prepare you must spend time in the word, in prayer, and in community with other Christ followers.  Without these three basic ingredients, we truly are “sheep among wolves”, but without an adequate understanding of our desperate need to depend on God. 

If we struggle to explain how greatly we are loved by God, the gospel message, our need for a savior, or simply what we believe… then we are in desperate need of increasing our time spent in the word and in prayer.  If we do give God our best (in terms of time) instead of our leftovers, it will be incredibly difficult to hold firmly to this trustworthy message when we are challenged. 

Why we need to be prepared

Titus 1:10-11

For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group.  They must be silenced because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 

The bottom line: Souls are at stake!  Friends, if we cannot defend our faith, then we are losing countless souls for God’s kingdom.  Not only are we not winning souls, will we even be able to keep our own from falling subject to the lies that so many believe?  Friends, when we come to a realization of what the stakes are, we can no longer mindlessly meander through life or faith.  There has to be initiation, and there has to be urgency.  Groups of people (entire households) are being lost, there is still countless people dying of preventable diseases and starvation, and we are comfortable reading our Bibles once a month and trying to give God an hour every Sunday… This is not leadership, it is not what we have been called to do, we are not pursuing souls, and we not being useful servants of Christ.    

I hope this little bit of scripture has convicted you as it has me.  We are in time that desperately needs committed followers of Christ to encourage others to join them in their pursuit of God’s will for their life.  My prayer is that His will is made clear as we pursue Him, together. 

Radical

I just finished reading the book, Radical, by David Platt.  In my digestion process I usually choose to write about things…  plus, I am still out of regular work, so this is what I do… journal. 

Did I enjoy the book?  I did, it was very thought provoking and convicting; at times it was also affirming of certain things that have been on my heart.  Yet, just like everything we read or see on television, I think we need to enter with the mindset that these are human thoughts and should be thoughtfully considered and even challenged.  Blind agreement can be dangerous, if we read something that parallels much of our own beliefs, we can often fall into believing the whole thing. 

I’m not writing this to say that I disagree with David in his book, yet there is much that I am still processing.  In fact, I would certainly recommend others to read it and would welcome their thoughts on this book and its message.  There are great arguments found in David's writing, and I think God has used this book to inspire many towards a radical pursuit of Jesus.  But at the end I am unsure if David missed something, I’m not even sure I can explain what it may be. 

Absolutely, I believe we are all called to a radical obedience of the gospel.  However, this may be very different for a lot of people, depending on their season of life.  Not only did Jesus call his disciples to give up everything and follow him, but I also believe that he entrusted others with large amounts of material possessions for His glory (just a few that come to mind are King David, Joseph, and Daniel).  God can use us where we are at, I fully believe this.  But, we must be soooo careful that we do not confuse where we are currently, with God’s will for us.  He has given us free will, that doesn’t mean that everything we decide, and do, is a part of God’s greater plan for us.  Only when we are walking in step with Jesus, will we more consistently make those decisions and choices that God wises for us as a part of His perfect plan (the whole draw near to God, and He will draw near to you idea). 

This is where my little disconnect with the book comes in.  I believe David, maybe unknowingly, has painted a picture that God has all called us all to go abroad, as soon as possible.  Yet it seems right though, "Go and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 26:19).  Honestly, I do not believe David intended for us to feel this, but I found it continually resonating in my mind the more I read.  Ironic enough, this is largely how I desire to live; but for myself, and for others who read this book, we felt that in order to be a committed Christ follower we must go abroad, and soon. 

I do believe God is calling many of us to give up everything and go.  Yet, I do not believe that God wills us to go with out preparation by studying the Bible, learning the language, or understanding the culture.  Nor do I believe he will ask many of us to walk away from all other responsibilities in our life. He has entrusted many of us with these responsibilities (families, finances, relationships, etc...) to be used for his Glory.  However, I do believe He can call any of us, at any moment, prepared or not, responsibilities or a lack there of, to go right now...  but I do not think this is how God calls everyone.  In fact, by Jesus’ example we see that he spent three years discipling twelve men before deploying them.  He prepared them, before sending them out.  If I can be certain of one thing it is this, God is preparing us, and He certainly desires to send us. 

It is quite likely that your time will come when you can, and should, give it all away.  I’ve been inspired by family friends who, after both of their kids left for college, sold everything to go work full time at an orphanage in Guatemala.  Still, before their kids went off to school they would make annual trips to this orphanage and give of themselves generously, as a family.  They raised their family in such a way as to prepare them to be deployed. 

So this is my take, where do we begin our radical obedience to God?  By getting on our knees, studying the Bible, and pursuing the heart of God with other Christ followers.  There is no cookie cutter way in which God works…  but He is working, and he will do crazy things in your life, and mine, when we radically pursue Him. 

II Corinthians 4:5
For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Freedom, Money, or Both?

Yesterday I shared a cup of coffee and good conversation with a complete stranger, but our conversation didn’t feel that way. Granted, this was an arranged get together...  but encouraging non the less.

We talked briefly about my upcoming pilgrimage to pursue deeper relationships with those from other cultures and my desire to connect people in America to greater needs around the world.  After a few encouraging words and a little advice, our conversation shifted to American culture.  Both of us agreed that we had a “secret” desire to see a less distracted culture, one where we do not constantly witness people acquiring stuff to make us happy or more comfortable. 

Then he said something that was so simple, yet so profound. I had to write it down. 
Freedom is what money creates in our society.

I was immediately brought back to my notes from last week’s sermon on Matthew 6.  There was so much truth behind these words that I actually became a little overwhelmed.  This idea that I have struggled with about American culture being a distracted culture, seems more accurately defined as a culture that is pursuing “freedom”.  The more “responsibilities” we have, the more money we need in order to receive freedom from those responsibilities… vacations, cars, clothes, and the like.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… …For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

The eye is a lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money.

Matthew 6:19-24

One of the reasons we are sooo distracted by a consumer market is because we desire freedom.  There is more to it, but I strongly believe this to be a large part of why we struggle with stuff.  If I could only have “this”, then “that” would be better.  We are looking for freedom in things and money, when really it can only come from God.  It is not only with money, though.  This is also true for many areas of life.  Work, relationships, and achievements are often pursuits of what only God can fulfill… security, love, and affirmation.   

Do we still need money?  Well, that is an interesting thought; and I want so badly to say, “No”.   Billions of people are living on much less per day than you or I ($2 roughly), but when examined closely it is all assigned a dollar value.  Yes, the world operates on the exchanging or trading of some form of currency, but Jesus is quick to warn us about what or whom we serve.

You cannot serve both God and Money.

The more we turn our focus [eyes] towards trusting in something [Someone] greater than ourselves, and our own power, we can find freedom.  Likely in the form of less stuff, and more sacrifice.  What was the model the Christ and his followers laid out for us?  They gave it all…  they trusted Him with everything they had...

I feel like I have had to say this on multiple postings, but please do not come to the conclusion that I believe possessions to be bad.  This is not that case.  I know that great good can come from those who God has given much.  I am not asking everyone reading this to sell everything (however, if God puts it on your heart I won’t stop you).  For me, I need constant accountability about where I spend my resources, because I have not been given much, and my desire to do “good” is much bigger than my bank account. 

So here is my question for all of us, how are we pursuing freedom? 

Are there needs, locally or globally, that we are ignoring in our own desire to be free?  Do we need to entrust our desires for freedom to Someone else?  Or, are we trying to serve both God and Money?

No one said it would be easy...

For what it is worth, I hope this post is encouraging, as discouraging as it may read.  It seems that the last few weeks of my life have been filled with a common theme that many of us struggle with in our pursuit of Christ.  I have been blessed with an opportunity to live in a close community of young men, who are passionately pursuing the heart of God, for the next few months…  and I could not be more grateful for this opportunity, especially now. 

Brothers and Sisters, followers of Christ, we have chosen a difficult journey.  The adventure that we have signed up for by following Christ is just that, an adventure. 

Will it be fun, exciting, and at times painful?  Yes. 

Will it be easy?  Absolutely not. 

Somewhere along the line we fell into this ideal that following Christ will mean an easy and prosperous life, free from hardship.  I do not know where we get such ideas.  When we study the Word, God never promises us an easy life for putting our faith, hope, and trust in him.  We have twisted God’s promise of a more fulfilling life to think that we will have a more prosperous, blessed, and easier way of life.

Friends, these are lies. 

No one said it would be easy. 

In fact, the Bible constantly reminds us of the difficulties that we will face (See: Matthew 6:34, John 16:33, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4).  The Bible constantly reminds us of our need to be actively pursuing Christ (Romans 8:1-2, II Corinthians 1:8-11) .  The Bible constantly reminds us to be ready to face opposition, because it will come (I came across this great sermon my Mark Driscoll from Nehemiah 4 on this, if you have an hour please watch it).

Why do you think it so important to be in community with those who share your heart?  Why do you think we desperately need to spend time in prayer and reading our Bible? 

Because it [passionately following Christ] is not easy, especially when we try to do it alone. 

It is not easy to live by faith, when culture is telling us to take control of our own lives.  It is not easy to love others, when culture tells us that love is a currency, to be used for our own self-gain.  It is not easy to surrender everything, when culture tells us that we are defined by our material possessions, relationships, successes, and even failures. 

I hope you see the picture that I am trying to paint, if our lives are becoming too easy for too long… maybe we need to examine our heart.  Do I think that every minute of every day must be difficult to prove that we are following Christ?  No.  Yet, if our hearts are to glorify God we must know that we will run into hardship. There will be people who oppose us. 

However, we do have hope.  We have been promised life, and life to the fullest.  Additionally, we have been granted the opportunity to see the world through our Savior’s eyes.  If we remain faithful in our struggle with sin, if we struggle well, He will elevate us.  Daniel was spared from the mouths’ of angry lions (Daniel 6).  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were spared from a fiery furnace (Daniel 3). Elijah brought fire from heaven, on multiple occasions (I and II Kings).  Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, placed in prison, and was then elevated to the second highest position in Egypt (Genesis 37-45).  Paul and Peter faced constant imprisonment; James and Stephen were killed for their faith (Acts and pretty much the whole New Testament).  Jesus was conspired against, betrayed, mocked, beaten, and crucified…  These are who we should aspire to model our faith after.

Do I think all of us will face such extreme persecution?  No, but if the value of our lives were the salvation of countless others like these men and Jesus, shouldn’t we live in a way that stirs the pot a little?  Maybe a lot (we can only hope)?  I truly believe that if we surrender to God’s will for us, he will use us for great things… just like all of these faithful followers. 

If you have made it this far into this post, thank you for sticking with me.  While I am not the first to tell you, or at least I hope not, being a Christ follower will not always be easy. But God has not left us to do it alone either, we have our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we have Him.  What more could we need?

II Corinthians 1:9-10

“Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.  But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.  On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,”

God, Here’s Your Reminder…

Let me just get right to it.

Today at ethos, my home church, Pastor Dave spoke on Matthew 6:19-34.  Now this is a scripture that I have read countless times, but have failed to reach many of the conclusions found in Dave’s message today.  Yet there was one in particular that really hit home. 

Our worrying is an open assault on God’s ability to care for us.

Think about your own prayer life, it is probably a lot like mine.  We go to God in our times of need.  Every little petty thing, the things we usually worry about, we remind God that we are in constant need.  Dave painted a great picture of a son asking/reminding his father of his every need.  It sounded insulting. 

I asked myself if I treated God that way... reminding Him of everything I need that week?  Instead of asking the Lord for wisdom, discernment, or a deeper intimacy and love for him, I find myself reminding the Lord of my need to eat and pay the rent.  Do not misunderstand me, I’m not convicted by my trusting in God’s provision.  He wants us to fully trust Him for providing, and sustaining.  Yet my heart wants to trust that God will provide, without spending my intimate prayer time reminding God of my “little” needs.  Instead, can I trust without reminding God that my rent is due in two weeks and ask God to bring me closer to Him, whatever it takes?  Maybe that just means really trusting for God’s provision down to the very last minute.  

Not only does our worrying keep us from intimacy with God, it keeps us from trusting that God’s plans for us.  They are exciting, adventurous, and BIG plans, but we cannot let our worrying to openly assault God’s ability to care for us.  If we are caring for that which God will provide, we are incapable of being used for other things, amazing and God glorifying things.

In all honesty, there is sooooo much more to second half of Matthew 6 than just trust.  I really encourage any of you who are reading to listen to this message by checking out the church’s podcast (Sermon Title: More Like Jesus : Part 2 posted August 21st).

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds then.  Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:26

In Grace and Love,

PBANDCY

A Perfect Story… With a Few Imperfections

Since reading Don Miller’s book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, I’ve continued to reference life as a story.  It makes sense.  Everyone loves a good story, why wouldn’t we desire to live one?

Over the last few months I’ve started this little project, I write/talk to all sorts of people about what it means to be human.  Friends, family, strangers, and many of my friends from camp.  It has been the single most rewarding thing I have taken on, partly because in my own story I feel that this idea of “being human” will play a very important part of where I go and what I end up doing.

So after collecting my letters and going through my notes of conversations, I have decided that (actually it was most of the people that I have talked with) an important part about being human is being imperfect.  Or more importantly, how we react or respond to our imperfectness expresses our beliefs about being human. 

The truth is, we are imperfect.  We struggle with sin, we will disappoint someone, somewhere, at some time in our life, probably on multiple occasions.   Good thing the gospel reminds us that we are imperfect, finite people that God still wants to use us for His better story.  Thank the Lord for the witness of Paul, a person who was responsible for the mass murder of Christians in the early Church, yet after His encounter with Christ he became one of the greatest ambassadors for His glory.  And the Disciples, people just like you and me… imperfect…  yet when asked to surrender everything, they said yes.  When asked to be a part of a better story, they said yes.

Friends, our story is not about being perfect, we must be made perfect.  It is about knowing we are imperfect and being used for God’s perfect story.  Still, we have decisions to make, and at times we may make the wrong one; but thankfully we have a loving Father who so desperately wants to make us perfect, through Him.  I wish I could say that our journeys towards better stories will be easy.  At times it may be, but there will be many times that we are opposed because of the perfect story that has been set on our heart. 

If anything, our imperfectness should remind us of how desperately we need grace and how much we must depend on God.  We need to know that we are imperfect so that through us we can better demonstrate Love.  We need to understand that we are not capable of much without Him, but if we will let Him, He will use us to do great things. 

So understand that being imperfect does not mean that we are not useful, or that we are not capable of doing great good.  If our story includes the grace of Christ, we are capable of doing even bigger things than we could have ever imagined. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf:  Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

II Corinthians 5:17-21

Without Excuse

Photo taken from the summit of Castle Peak, Elk Mountains, Colorado.  14,265 ft.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

Live a Better Story.

I love Donald Miller.  The first book of his I read, Blue Like Jazz, was the first book that challenged me to understand faith as my own.  As much as I loved that book, it has taken me over four years to pick up another of his works, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.  Sure enough, I came across this book while looking for another book by a different author.

God has a way with “perfect timing”.  I’ve wanted to read this book for awhile, but I don’t think I was ready for it until now.  These last few months God has occupied much of my thoughts with questions about life’s purpose and meaning, both for myself and for others.  Ironically, this is what Miller is writing about... at least that is what I believe I am reading about. 

Life (being human, purpose, meaning, whatever you want to call it) is very much like a story, it is our story.  Do we truly want our story to be simply about our pursuit of comfortable living?  Do we want our story to be simple at all?  I don’t. 

That’s where Miller’s challenge comes in.  Live a better story.  You and I, whether you believe our lives to be spoken into existence by God or not, have been given control of our own story.  The pages to our future are unwritten.  They are not written for me, and they are not written for you either.  You and I have the opportunity to write our futures, to write successes and failures, adventures and misadventures.  Or, we can write a simple story, of avoiding conflict, playing it safe, taking care of ourselves, not risking anything.  We can write a boring story, if that is what we want. 

Even though we have been called into existence for a purpose, our future is our own.  However, "writing" our story should still include learning to trust and depend fully on God’s plan for us, which I hardly doubt is a simple, comfortable, and meaningless life.  Still, He has created us for a purpose and given us the opportunity to live for something greater, live for something other than ourselves, live in faith.  This is the exciting part about being human, having the ability to make our own decisions, step out in faith, and live out the adventure that God has purposed us for.

So here is my question to you (and me).  When someone else tells our story, what will they say?  Will it be about comfortable living, free from risk?  Or will it be about struggle, conflict, and adventure?  Do you believe that God has written us into existence so that we can live comfortably, or for something more?  How will we live a better story?

Psalm 139:16

“All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be.”

Brown paper packages, tide up with strings… These are a few of my favorite things…

It has certainly been awhile since my last blog post, but camp has kept me far from my computer for most of the summer.  With that said, it’s been hard to capture my experiences as they happened.

While I met a lot of incredible people who I now consider amazing friend, the “theme” for this post was inspired by one, Sarah Daniel.  She was one of the first counselors I met at camp, and before camp even started she asked, “So Cy, do you love camp yet?”  I won’t lie, I initially thought Sarah was a bit crazy, but I was wrong…  She just loves camp, she loves when other people love camp, and now she loves that I love camp. 

So here are just a few reasons why I love camp:
(I'm sure I missed some important ones... so if you would like to add, please do)

The unforgettable things that kids say and do, they really do say the darndest things… I love camp.

·      Camper on our overnight, “If I snare a dear, can we eat him?”

·      Camper 1: “What was Jesus’ last name?”
Camper 2: “Christ, duh.”

·      Camper:  “Cy, have you finished reading A Brief History of Time (A Stephen Hawking book on the theory of relativity, time travel, and why we are on earth) yet?”
Me:  “Kenny, you gave it to me this morning.”

The pool, the diving board, Swim Olympics and Belly Flop competitions… I love camp. 

"FLYYYYIIINGGG FIIIISSSHHHH!

Suffering through the days when there was no coffee, but totally relying on each other to do so...  I love camp.

Counselor hunt, war paint, ninja outfits, hiding on top of the basketball hoop... I love camp. 

Mikie/Cy, Life/Death, Good/Evil...

Working rental camps, staying up late playing board games, sleeping through breakfast… I love camp. 

Thanks to camp, my brother and I have the satisfaction of knowing that two pairs of these pants exist... and we own them both...  I love camp.

Assist goes to Emily Sumners and Sarah Daniel

Talking to each other in our "Ms. Kim" voice, because it's so awesome... I love camp.

Dressing ridiculous for camp dances, and dancing so hard that your entire shirt is soaked in sweat…. I love camp

Hippy Dance with Jal, Myself, Mikie, and Shaun

Having a birthday at camp, and feeling incredibly loved… Camp birthdays are the best...  I love camp.

Co-counselors...  I love camp.

Ryan was my only co-counselor this summer.
So grateful for this guy.

Getting my chest waxed in front of camp during the two week session, all thanks to my brother…  I love camp. 

"Kelly Clarkson"

Waxing my brother's leg and armpit...  I love camp...  and I love my brother.

About to wax Mikie's armpit.

Storms in our little tin cans, also known as cabins… I love camp.

Playing Mafia, telling jokes, and sharing riddles with the campers till late, knowing how hard it is going to be to wake up for that breakfast bell and loving every minute of it… I love camp.

Getting to shave your facial hair in a way that is usually culturally unacceptable, but at camp is totally okay, arguably… I love camp.  

If that doesn't say "America", I don't know what does.

Prank night… I love camp.

Ropes Staff and talking about "our feelings"… I love camp. 

Sharing deep conversations, hearing the hearts of new friends,  and writing letters between cabins… I love camp. 

Making “True Life: I love camp” with Sarah… I love camp. 

Being able to spend this summer with my brother and Ben, couch surfing and generally just being up to no good… I love camp.

Ben, Mikie, and I at the Sounds Game on the 4th of July with
our friends from camp (Emily Sumners is the only one pictured)

Showering with ginormous spiders, and being perfectly fine with it… I love camp. 

Hearing where many of our campers come from, where they are going home to, and knowing that you’ve influenced them in a positive way in the short time they spend at camp…   I love camp.  

Some of the youngins' at trading post

Learning to play new songs on the guitar, thanks to Ben for the lessons and Sarah for her Guitar…  I love camp. 

Spending the whole summer getting to know and working with some amazing people, hoping that they learned just as much from you and you did from them…  I love camp.

Summer Staff and the magical Danger Ranger

.I LOVE CAMP.