Blog https://www.woodlawnchristian.org Fri, 29 Mar 2024 01:43:37 -0400 http://churchplantmedia.com/ We talking about Practice https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/we-talking-about-practice https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/we-talking-about-practice#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2022 20:00:00 -0400 https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/we-talking-about-practice In 2002, Allen Iverson (a famous basketball player for those wondering) famously said this after skipping a team practice: “We sitting in here -- I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we in here talking about practice. I mean, listen: We talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We talking about practice. Not a game. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last. Not the game. We talking about practice, man."

These words shocked many in the sports world.  Shouldn’t your best player and team captain lead by example?  It seems Allen Iverson misunderstood what practice was all about.

Practice is important to the Christian life as well.  Our practice (or spiritual disciplines) gets us ready to play in the game.  When Jesus says things like, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,” we must recognize this is impossible on our own.  We need to practice (pray, read our Bibles, fast, worship, memorize His word, etc.) so that God will begin to change and strengthen us from the inside out. 

This is the point of practice.  Allen Iverson seemed to miss this.  Practice for him was not important.  He had practiced his whole life…he felt he didn’t need to be as dedicated because he didn’t see the connection between practice and continued improvement.

One thought to consider:  The goal of the spiritual disciplines is not to get good at them.  You don’t pray to get good at praying, and you don’t fast to get good at fasting.  You and I perform the spiritual disciplines because it’s the practice that God created to fill us up with his Spirit and help us to become more Holy.  When you practice anything (let’s use basketball because it’s all I know) the goal is to do drills that prepare you for your performance.

One drill I did a lot as a kid was “figure 8, around the waist.”  Google it if you’re curious.  You know how many times I did that in a game?  None.  Did it better prepare me for games?  Absolutely.  It indirectly prepared me for handling and controlling the ball.  All the drills that you practice indirectly prepare you for the game.

The same is true with the Spiritual Disciplines.  The more you do what you can do, the more God will use those moments to do what only he can do (by changing you from the inside out). 

The Spiritual Disciplines have no direct benefits for our lives.  Prayer (and the others) is only special because of what God does through it.  Not all praying (to other gods in other religions) has an impact on a person’s life.  Prayer is not good in and of itself…it is only good because it connects us with God.

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day would rather be good at the disciplines than close to God.  This is why Jesus calls them “Sons of Hell.” Legalism can happen when you have the wrong focus in your spiritual life.

So don’t focus on how well you fast, pray, read, etc.  Just allow God to use these moments to grow you spiritually.  Put yourself before Him, and get ready to be changed.

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In 2002, Allen Iverson (a famous basketball player for those wondering) famously said this after skipping a team practice: “We sitting in here -- I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we in here talking about practice. I mean, listen: We talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We talking about practice. Not a game. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last. Not the game. We talking about practice, man."

These words shocked many in the sports world.  Shouldn’t your best player and team captain lead by example?  It seems Allen Iverson misunderstood what practice was all about.

Practice is important to the Christian life as well.  Our practice (or spiritual disciplines) gets us ready to play in the game.  When Jesus says things like, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,” we must recognize this is impossible on our own.  We need to practice (pray, read our Bibles, fast, worship, memorize His word, etc.) so that God will begin to change and strengthen us from the inside out. 

This is the point of practice.  Allen Iverson seemed to miss this.  Practice for him was not important.  He had practiced his whole life…he felt he didn’t need to be as dedicated because he didn’t see the connection between practice and continued improvement.

One thought to consider:  The goal of the spiritual disciplines is not to get good at them.  You don’t pray to get good at praying, and you don’t fast to get good at fasting.  You and I perform the spiritual disciplines because it’s the practice that God created to fill us up with his Spirit and help us to become more Holy.  When you practice anything (let’s use basketball because it’s all I know) the goal is to do drills that prepare you for your performance.

One drill I did a lot as a kid was “figure 8, around the waist.”  Google it if you’re curious.  You know how many times I did that in a game?  None.  Did it better prepare me for games?  Absolutely.  It indirectly prepared me for handling and controlling the ball.  All the drills that you practice indirectly prepare you for the game.

The same is true with the Spiritual Disciplines.  The more you do what you can do, the more God will use those moments to do what only he can do (by changing you from the inside out). 

The Spiritual Disciplines have no direct benefits for our lives.  Prayer (and the others) is only special because of what God does through it.  Not all praying (to other gods in other religions) has an impact on a person’s life.  Prayer is not good in and of itself…it is only good because it connects us with God.

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day would rather be good at the disciplines than close to God.  This is why Jesus calls them “Sons of Hell.” Legalism can happen when you have the wrong focus in your spiritual life.

So don’t focus on how well you fast, pray, read, etc.  Just allow God to use these moments to grow you spiritually.  Put yourself before Him, and get ready to be changed.

]]>
If I can be like Mike https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/if-i-can-be-like-mike https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/if-i-can-be-like-mike#comments Tue, 29 Mar 2022 10:00:00 -0400 https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/if-i-can-be-like-mike Jesus is not only our Lord and Savior, but also our example of how to live a life pleasing to God.  Think of Philippians 2:5, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”  Have the same mindset as God in the flesh…is that even realistic?! 

If God wants us to be like Jesus (who is divine), doesn’t it seem like he’s asking too much?  Would you go to a 5-year-old and say, “you should dunk like Michael Jordan,”?  Probably not (although there are some crazy dads out there…LaVar Ball probably said that to one of his young kids at one point).  And yet, the gap between Air Jordan and a Kindergarten kid is less than between us and God. 

So what gives?!

Continuing on in Philippians 2, however, reveals how Christ lived as God-man.  He was in very nature God, but did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing.  The Greek says that he emptied himself.  Emptied himself of what? His divinity?  No – he was 100% God and 100% man.  (If you say he emptied himself of his divinity and was no longer God, this makes you a heretic…let’s not be heretics).

He emptied himself of his divine rights and power.  He became a servant and was made in human likeness.  He not only came to die on the cross but also to show us how we are supposed to live. 

So how did Jesus live?  What can we learn from him?

When Jesus was on earth, he had great devotion to the Spiritual Disciplines.  He fasted (for 40 days…yikes!), He prayed (so much and so well that his disciples asked him how to do it), He practiced solitude (sending the disciples away to spend time with his father), and He read, studied and memorized scripture (it was how he fought temptation and taught the people). 

Think about that…God the Son getting away and praying to God the Father.  Why?  Did Jesus need to pray?  Short answer, yes.  Because he wanted us to see what a life with God looked like.  When he healed, when he taught, when preached the good news of the Kingdom he did so with the strength that the Spirit provides (Jesus performed no miracles before his baptism, at which point the Spirit came on him to equip him for ministry). Jesus did life and ministry the way we are supposed to do it…to show us how it’s done.

God wants to provide us with strength to do His will.  He wants to gift us supernaturally for ministry.  He wants to strengthen us to withstand temptation.  How does this power come to us?  Through the Spiritual Disciplines.  Follow the example of Christ.  Set aside time to be with God, and allow him to change you from the inside out (we will unpack this more in our next blog, entitled, “Practice…We Talking About Practice?!”).

For an intro on the Spiritual Disciplines, read Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline.

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Jesus is not only our Lord and Savior, but also our example of how to live a life pleasing to God.  Think of Philippians 2:5, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”  Have the same mindset as God in the flesh…is that even realistic?! 

If God wants us to be like Jesus (who is divine), doesn’t it seem like he’s asking too much?  Would you go to a 5-year-old and say, “you should dunk like Michael Jordan,”?  Probably not (although there are some crazy dads out there…LaVar Ball probably said that to one of his young kids at one point).  And yet, the gap between Air Jordan and a Kindergarten kid is less than between us and God. 

So what gives?!

Continuing on in Philippians 2, however, reveals how Christ lived as God-man.  He was in very nature God, but did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing.  The Greek says that he emptied himself.  Emptied himself of what? His divinity?  No – he was 100% God and 100% man.  (If you say he emptied himself of his divinity and was no longer God, this makes you a heretic…let’s not be heretics).

He emptied himself of his divine rights and power.  He became a servant and was made in human likeness.  He not only came to die on the cross but also to show us how we are supposed to live. 

So how did Jesus live?  What can we learn from him?

When Jesus was on earth, he had great devotion to the Spiritual Disciplines.  He fasted (for 40 days…yikes!), He prayed (so much and so well that his disciples asked him how to do it), He practiced solitude (sending the disciples away to spend time with his father), and He read, studied and memorized scripture (it was how he fought temptation and taught the people). 

Think about that…God the Son getting away and praying to God the Father.  Why?  Did Jesus need to pray?  Short answer, yes.  Because he wanted us to see what a life with God looked like.  When he healed, when he taught, when preached the good news of the Kingdom he did so with the strength that the Spirit provides (Jesus performed no miracles before his baptism, at which point the Spirit came on him to equip him for ministry). Jesus did life and ministry the way we are supposed to do it…to show us how it’s done.

God wants to provide us with strength to do His will.  He wants to gift us supernaturally for ministry.  He wants to strengthen us to withstand temptation.  How does this power come to us?  Through the Spiritual Disciplines.  Follow the example of Christ.  Set aside time to be with God, and allow him to change you from the inside out (we will unpack this more in our next blog, entitled, “Practice…We Talking About Practice?!”).

For an intro on the Spiritual Disciplines, read Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline.

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As Seen on TV https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/as-seen-on-tv https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/as-seen-on-tv#comments Tue, 12 May 2020 13:00:00 -0400 https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/as-seen-on-tv Have you ever been awake late at night and watched after hours television?  All the infomercials and advertisements seem comical to me.  

For example, they show someone trying to pour milk into cereal, but it’s too hard.  The milk goes everywhere like a tidal wave crashing into the shore, and they are left making a frowny face because of the disaster and necessary cleanup.  But you’re in luck!  They are selling a device that you can put on the opening of a milk carton and get perfect pours every time. But wait, if you act now you will get 2 for the price of one!  Now you’ll be able to pour anything from a bottle without spilling again. 

Tools, kitchen utensils, diet pills, exercise equipment, etc.  They all have something that they claim that we cannot live without.  Have you ever gotten one of those ‘As Seen on TV’ products?  They don’t always work like they do on TV.  Sometimes it’s a big letdown.  The actual product falls short of the claims. 

Apply this thinking to the Christian faith as it’s seen by those that stand on the outside looking in.  They are told by Christians of the wonderous grace of Jesus, what He has done for us, and how everything changes once we meet Him as our Lord and Savior.  Just like those infomercials, it sounds too good to be true.  So, they start looking for evidence…and what do they see?

Christians that go to church and may even wear Christian T-shirts, but their lives look too similar to those of the world.  We act the same at ballgames, get divorced just as often, seem just as insecure (by how self-promoting we are in conversations and our grandiose social media “look at me, I’m awesome” posts), struggle with debt and overspending, and the list goes on and on.  Just like the disappointment of receiving an overrated ‘As Seen on TV’ product, they look at us as an over exaggeration of the benefits of the Christian Life.  If we don’t look or live different than them, what’s the benefit for them in jumping in?

We must understand that our conduct matters.  The way we talk, act, approach life, discipline our children, cheer on our kids at games all matter in the great work that God has called us to: go and make disciples.  Take a moment to read Philippians 2:14-18.  Paul calls us, by our conduct, to shine like stars in the universe.  What did stars do in Paul’s time? They were used as a cosmic map that pointed the people of the ancient world to something else. 

In the same way, our lives are to be used by God to point people to Him.  As we wrap up, I want you to process through a couple of questions: What is your life pointing people to right now?  What needs to change to point people to Jesus?

 

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Have you ever been awake late at night and watched after hours television?  All the infomercials and advertisements seem comical to me.  

For example, they show someone trying to pour milk into cereal, but it’s too hard.  The milk goes everywhere like a tidal wave crashing into the shore, and they are left making a frowny face because of the disaster and necessary cleanup.  But you’re in luck!  They are selling a device that you can put on the opening of a milk carton and get perfect pours every time. But wait, if you act now you will get 2 for the price of one!  Now you’ll be able to pour anything from a bottle without spilling again. 

Tools, kitchen utensils, diet pills, exercise equipment, etc.  They all have something that they claim that we cannot live without.  Have you ever gotten one of those ‘As Seen on TV’ products?  They don’t always work like they do on TV.  Sometimes it’s a big letdown.  The actual product falls short of the claims. 

Apply this thinking to the Christian faith as it’s seen by those that stand on the outside looking in.  They are told by Christians of the wonderous grace of Jesus, what He has done for us, and how everything changes once we meet Him as our Lord and Savior.  Just like those infomercials, it sounds too good to be true.  So, they start looking for evidence…and what do they see?

Christians that go to church and may even wear Christian T-shirts, but their lives look too similar to those of the world.  We act the same at ballgames, get divorced just as often, seem just as insecure (by how self-promoting we are in conversations and our grandiose social media “look at me, I’m awesome” posts), struggle with debt and overspending, and the list goes on and on.  Just like the disappointment of receiving an overrated ‘As Seen on TV’ product, they look at us as an over exaggeration of the benefits of the Christian Life.  If we don’t look or live different than them, what’s the benefit for them in jumping in?

We must understand that our conduct matters.  The way we talk, act, approach life, discipline our children, cheer on our kids at games all matter in the great work that God has called us to: go and make disciples.  Take a moment to read Philippians 2:14-18.  Paul calls us, by our conduct, to shine like stars in the universe.  What did stars do in Paul’s time? They were used as a cosmic map that pointed the people of the ancient world to something else. 

In the same way, our lives are to be used by God to point people to Him.  As we wrap up, I want you to process through a couple of questions: What is your life pointing people to right now?  What needs to change to point people to Jesus?

 

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Extra-Ordinary People Doing The Extraordinary https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/extra-ordinary-people-doing-extraordinary- https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/extra-ordinary-people-doing-extraordinary-#comments Tue, 05 May 2020 12:00:00 -0400 https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/extra-ordinary-people-doing-extraordinary- As Christians, we believe that Jesus is the most important person in history (I know what you’re thinking, “Thanks, Captain Obvious,”).  Everything about Him was extraordinary from his birth, to His miracles and teaching, and eventually his death and resurrection.  And yet, at the same time, Jesus was also extra-ordinary.  He grew in a lower middle-class family (Mary and Joseph gave two doves as an offering at His birth, indicating they couldn’t afford a lamb (see Luke 2)) and had a blue-collar job (Joseph was a carpenter, probably a stone-builder.  This would have been a job that required a lot of skill and labor).  He was not the equivalent to an Ivy-league educated frat boy that was spoiled with opportunities.     

It reminds me of the words of Dallas Willard in his book, The Divine Conspiracy.  “If he (Jesus) were to come today he could very well do what you do.  He could very well live in your apartment or house, hold down your job, have your education and life prospects, and live within your family, surroundings, and time.  None of this would be the least hindrance to the eternal kind of life that was his by nature and becomes available to us through him.  Our human life, it turns out, is not destroyed by God’s life but is fulfilled in it and it alone.” –page 14

When you think about you, you (like Moses, Gideon and others) often compare yourself to others and think you’re not good enough to __________ for God (fill in the blank).  There are people more qualified, smarter, better suited, etc.  We forget that Jesus’ training and life were very ordinary.  The King of Kings came in the most humble way and did the most amazing things.

“Yes, but he’s God in the flesh,” you might say.

Think about who Jesus chose to be his disciples…normal dudes, just like the normal people of the day.  He did not pick the best and the brightest of His era.  In fact, this point is reiterated in the book of Acts.  The disciples were on trial before the Jewish leaders.  They just healed a crippled beggar and then used the opportunity to preach to the people.  They were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin (the high Jewish Court) and were questioned about their teaching and miraculous powers.  Acts 4:13 reads, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

Even the religious leaders of the day saw the Apostles as ordinary.  How then were they able to do such extraordinary things?  They had been with Jesus. 

I don’t know what God wants to use you to do or how He wants to work through you.  But I do know that he’s up to something.  No matter how “ordinary” you think you are, God saved you and intends to use you to help others find Him. He uses ordinary people, in ordinary moments, on ordinary days in extraordinary ways. 

Your job is to continue to walk with Jesus and respond in obedience when the time comes.

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As Christians, we believe that Jesus is the most important person in history (I know what you’re thinking, “Thanks, Captain Obvious,”).  Everything about Him was extraordinary from his birth, to His miracles and teaching, and eventually his death and resurrection.  And yet, at the same time, Jesus was also extra-ordinary.  He grew in a lower middle-class family (Mary and Joseph gave two doves as an offering at His birth, indicating they couldn’t afford a lamb (see Luke 2)) and had a blue-collar job (Joseph was a carpenter, probably a stone-builder.  This would have been a job that required a lot of skill and labor).  He was not the equivalent to an Ivy-league educated frat boy that was spoiled with opportunities.     

It reminds me of the words of Dallas Willard in his book, The Divine Conspiracy.  “If he (Jesus) were to come today he could very well do what you do.  He could very well live in your apartment or house, hold down your job, have your education and life prospects, and live within your family, surroundings, and time.  None of this would be the least hindrance to the eternal kind of life that was his by nature and becomes available to us through him.  Our human life, it turns out, is not destroyed by God’s life but is fulfilled in it and it alone.” –page 14

When you think about you, you (like Moses, Gideon and others) often compare yourself to others and think you’re not good enough to __________ for God (fill in the blank).  There are people more qualified, smarter, better suited, etc.  We forget that Jesus’ training and life were very ordinary.  The King of Kings came in the most humble way and did the most amazing things.

“Yes, but he’s God in the flesh,” you might say.

Think about who Jesus chose to be his disciples…normal dudes, just like the normal people of the day.  He did not pick the best and the brightest of His era.  In fact, this point is reiterated in the book of Acts.  The disciples were on trial before the Jewish leaders.  They just healed a crippled beggar and then used the opportunity to preach to the people.  They were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin (the high Jewish Court) and were questioned about their teaching and miraculous powers.  Acts 4:13 reads, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

Even the religious leaders of the day saw the Apostles as ordinary.  How then were they able to do such extraordinary things?  They had been with Jesus. 

I don’t know what God wants to use you to do or how He wants to work through you.  But I do know that he’s up to something.  No matter how “ordinary” you think you are, God saved you and intends to use you to help others find Him. He uses ordinary people, in ordinary moments, on ordinary days in extraordinary ways. 

Your job is to continue to walk with Jesus and respond in obedience when the time comes.

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May the Force be with You https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/may-the-force-be-with-you https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/may-the-force-be-with-you#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:00:00 -0400 https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/may-the-force-be-with-you The Star Wars franchise is probably the most successful movie series of all time.  Love it or hate it (and people usually fall into one of those two camps), you must admit that George Lucas has a pretty good idea.

Note: if you hate Star Wars, don’t just give up on reading this blog!  Skip down to the application.

In the first Star Wars movie (which was the fourth to be released) we are introduced to the idea of midi-chlorian.  Midi-chlorian is an organism that lives inside of the cells and gives Jedi their unique ability to use the force.  Not every Jedi has the same number.  In the Phantom Menace, we are told that Anakin Skywalker had a higher midi-chlorian than Yoda. The meaning: if he gives enough attention and effort to his training, he could become the most powerful Jedi.  But for some that have a much lower midi-chlorian count, there is a ceiling on how powerful you can become.  Your Jedi awesomeness is determined by it.

Note: if you skipped the Star Wars stuff, jump back in here.

As Christ followers, we have something more powerful than the force living inside us: The Holy Spirit, third person of the Trinity.  Unlike the Jedi, we all have the same amount of access to the same Spirit.  God does not give more Holy Spirit to some and hold back on others.  Everyone has the same dose.

I want you to pause and think about that for a minute…the God that created the Heavens and the Earth lives inside YOU!

But, even though we all have the same access to the Spirit, we don’t all pursue with the same fervor or intentionality.  We all have equal access to Him (yes, the Holy Spirit is a Him and not an it), but He doesn’t have equal access to us.  The Holy Spirit does many things in our lives: He convicts us of sin, empowers us to overcome sin, strengthens and gifts us to do God’s work, gives us the words to say in difficult situations, enlightens our minds to understanding scripture, etc. (there are many more things the Spirit does in our lives…too many to list in this blog).

How do we tap into this power source?  How do we have more of the Spirit in our lives? We must walk in the Spirit.  Start by reading Romans 8:1-17 and follow that up with Galatians 5:16-26 (these are good places to start the conversation, but keep in mind it’s just the start).

Richard Foster has famously said, “A Spiritual Discipline is an intentionally directed action by which we can do what we can in order to receive from God the ability (or power) to do what we cannot by directed effort.” He goes on: “…Spiritual Disciplines involve doing what we can do to receive from God the power to do what we cannot do.  And God graciously uses this process to produce in us the kind of person who automatically will do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.” –Richard Foster, Life with God, pgs. 16 and 18.

The more we pray, fast, study, meditate on scripture, worship, etc. the more we will pay attention to and be given the strength to follow the Spirit’s leading. 

If you haven’t prayed yet today, stop what you’re doing and do it…right now.  Pray and ask God to move and stir in your heart to be aware of the Spirit’s leading in your life.  If you haven’t read yet today, pull out your Bible or Bible App and read a chapter from Proverbs and process and reflect on one phrase to determine how you can apply it.  It’s in these moments that God’s Spirit works in our lives.  And if we give Him the opportunity, the Holy Spirit will do much bigger things in our lives than the force ever did for a Jedi.

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The Star Wars franchise is probably the most successful movie series of all time.  Love it or hate it (and people usually fall into one of those two camps), you must admit that George Lucas has a pretty good idea.

Note: if you hate Star Wars, don’t just give up on reading this blog!  Skip down to the application.

In the first Star Wars movie (which was the fourth to be released) we are introduced to the idea of midi-chlorian.  Midi-chlorian is an organism that lives inside of the cells and gives Jedi their unique ability to use the force.  Not every Jedi has the same number.  In the Phantom Menace, we are told that Anakin Skywalker had a higher midi-chlorian than Yoda. The meaning: if he gives enough attention and effort to his training, he could become the most powerful Jedi.  But for some that have a much lower midi-chlorian count, there is a ceiling on how powerful you can become.  Your Jedi awesomeness is determined by it.

Note: if you skipped the Star Wars stuff, jump back in here.

As Christ followers, we have something more powerful than the force living inside us: The Holy Spirit, third person of the Trinity.  Unlike the Jedi, we all have the same amount of access to the same Spirit.  God does not give more Holy Spirit to some and hold back on others.  Everyone has the same dose.

I want you to pause and think about that for a minute…the God that created the Heavens and the Earth lives inside YOU!

But, even though we all have the same access to the Spirit, we don’t all pursue with the same fervor or intentionality.  We all have equal access to Him (yes, the Holy Spirit is a Him and not an it), but He doesn’t have equal access to us.  The Holy Spirit does many things in our lives: He convicts us of sin, empowers us to overcome sin, strengthens and gifts us to do God’s work, gives us the words to say in difficult situations, enlightens our minds to understanding scripture, etc. (there are many more things the Spirit does in our lives…too many to list in this blog).

How do we tap into this power source?  How do we have more of the Spirit in our lives? We must walk in the Spirit.  Start by reading Romans 8:1-17 and follow that up with Galatians 5:16-26 (these are good places to start the conversation, but keep in mind it’s just the start).

Richard Foster has famously said, “A Spiritual Discipline is an intentionally directed action by which we can do what we can in order to receive from God the ability (or power) to do what we cannot by directed effort.” He goes on: “…Spiritual Disciplines involve doing what we can do to receive from God the power to do what we cannot do.  And God graciously uses this process to produce in us the kind of person who automatically will do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.” –Richard Foster, Life with God, pgs. 16 and 18.

The more we pray, fast, study, meditate on scripture, worship, etc. the more we will pay attention to and be given the strength to follow the Spirit’s leading. 

If you haven’t prayed yet today, stop what you’re doing and do it…right now.  Pray and ask God to move and stir in your heart to be aware of the Spirit’s leading in your life.  If you haven’t read yet today, pull out your Bible or Bible App and read a chapter from Proverbs and process and reflect on one phrase to determine how you can apply it.  It’s in these moments that God’s Spirit works in our lives.  And if we give Him the opportunity, the Holy Spirit will do much bigger things in our lives than the force ever did for a Jedi.

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Back in the Box https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/back-in-the-box https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/back-in-the-box#comments Tue, 21 Apr 2020 08:00:00 -0400 https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/back-in-the-box One of my favorite games is Monopoly.  Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved playing.  There is a good amount of strategy as well as luck, and every house plays with its own rules.  The more people you have playing the more fun it is.

I used to always play with my dad and brother.  Hours would go before a winner was decided.  When you were winning and taking everyone’s money, you didn’t want the game to end.  When you were down and having to mortgage your properties, the game couldn’t get over soon enough.  

I still love to play…only now I play with my oldest son, Titus.  Clayton does not have the attention span to make it through a game, and Shana does not have the patience (not that the game is too long, she just can’t stand the constant trash talking and antics employed by Titus…and sometimes me). 

The same thing happens when the game is done: the pieces, properties and cash all get put back in the box.  The empire that was built and the money that was acquired mean nothing moments after the game ends.  The anger and frustration, as well as the joy and jubilation all fade away.  The money you won in monopoly doesn’t translate to real life.  You cannot go out and buy anything with that colorful paper. 

The same can be said of this life.  We labor, toil, and work our tails off…for what?  For some green paper and our own miniature empire.  Once we move on from this life to the next, it all goes back in the box…it does not translate into the next life.

Hypothetically, can you imagine someone that wastes his or her life building a monopoly empire?  They don’t go to work, take care of themselves, pay their bills, etc. but they are really good at monopoly.  They’ve got hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place and a pile of cash stored away for anything that can come (it’s weird to think of…and tough to wrap our minds around.  If it helps, think of the 30-year-olds that live in someone’s basement, wear pajama pants all day, and play video games all the time.  Their lives revolve around what they can beat and build on the games; pathetic, right?  Of course, during the quarantine more people may fit into this category than normal!). 

We pity these people because they are not investing in what matters.  Don’t obsess over monopoly money…it doesn’t buy you anything real!

But American money doesn’t buy us anything real either…Jesus says it this way in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:19-21):

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Are you going to spend time chasing your tail and obsessing over monopoly money, or are you going to invest in what really matter?  Take a few minutes to pause and reflect on what this looks like in your life.

]]>
One of my favorite games is Monopoly.  Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved playing.  There is a good amount of strategy as well as luck, and every house plays with its own rules.  The more people you have playing the more fun it is.

I used to always play with my dad and brother.  Hours would go before a winner was decided.  When you were winning and taking everyone’s money, you didn’t want the game to end.  When you were down and having to mortgage your properties, the game couldn’t get over soon enough.  

I still love to play…only now I play with my oldest son, Titus.  Clayton does not have the attention span to make it through a game, and Shana does not have the patience (not that the game is too long, she just can’t stand the constant trash talking and antics employed by Titus…and sometimes me). 

The same thing happens when the game is done: the pieces, properties and cash all get put back in the box.  The empire that was built and the money that was acquired mean nothing moments after the game ends.  The anger and frustration, as well as the joy and jubilation all fade away.  The money you won in monopoly doesn’t translate to real life.  You cannot go out and buy anything with that colorful paper. 

The same can be said of this life.  We labor, toil, and work our tails off…for what?  For some green paper and our own miniature empire.  Once we move on from this life to the next, it all goes back in the box…it does not translate into the next life.

Hypothetically, can you imagine someone that wastes his or her life building a monopoly empire?  They don’t go to work, take care of themselves, pay their bills, etc. but they are really good at monopoly.  They’ve got hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place and a pile of cash stored away for anything that can come (it’s weird to think of…and tough to wrap our minds around.  If it helps, think of the 30-year-olds that live in someone’s basement, wear pajama pants all day, and play video games all the time.  Their lives revolve around what they can beat and build on the games; pathetic, right?  Of course, during the quarantine more people may fit into this category than normal!). 

We pity these people because they are not investing in what matters.  Don’t obsess over monopoly money…it doesn’t buy you anything real!

But American money doesn’t buy us anything real either…Jesus says it this way in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:19-21):

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Are you going to spend time chasing your tail and obsessing over monopoly money, or are you going to invest in what really matter?  Take a few minutes to pause and reflect on what this looks like in your life.

]]>
Turtle Power! https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/turtle-power https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/turtle-power#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2020 11:00:00 -0400 https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/turtle-power I was five years old when the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie hit the big screen. Like most kids, I obsessed over trying to become like the masked, amphibious heroes.  To my disappointment, my parents refused to give me real katana swords or sais – so I decided to use butter knives and forks instead.  I would play for hours, pretending to vanquish Shredder and the foot clan. 

One day, my imaginative mind developed an elaborate plot.  The Shredder had planted a bomb that would blow up the entire planet!  The only way for me to disarm the weapon was by jamming one of my sais (or forks) into the keyhole.  “What was the keyhole?” you ask. It was an outlet (yes, you read that right.  My grand plan was to jam a fork into an outlet…). 

Luckily, a mother’s intuition kicked in and I was commanded to NEVER put anything in the outlet.  It would kill me if I did, and I was made to promise NEVER to do it.  I submitted, but only for about 2 minutes.  As soon as my mother left the room to tend to her chores, I was back to saving the world…and disarming the bomb that would destroy all of human existence.

Looking to the left and to the right to make sure I wouldn’t be caught, I jammed the fork into the outlet with all the force I could muster.  To my surprise, there was a flash of sparks, the flickering of lights, and the smell of burning.  A mark went up the wall from the outlet caused by the wire surging and overheating.

Like the Flash, my mother was back in the room checking me and making sure I was okay.  Then, she made sure to give me a beating that I would remember (this is not a commentary on spanking your child, so don’t get caught up in this part of the story.  However, it was an effective deterrent in this instance.  In fact, it wasn’t until college that I could plug something into an outlet without being overcome with fear).

After the scene had calmed, she asked me the question that all parents ask in a situation like this, “What were you thinking?”  The key was, I really wasn’t.  But, in my estimation, a miracle had happened.  I jammed a fork in the outlet, and I lived to tell about it!  My mom told me that I would die, yet there I stood with my sore bottom and my tear stained face.  Maybe I had super-powers!  Maybe I was the exception to the rule, and I could get away with disobeying the laws of physics and the rules of electrical currents.

We’ve all been there (okay, maybe not there exactly, but in principle).  We were told not to go somewhere, or hang out with that person, or talk that way, etc.  If we did, we would suffer consequences.  ‘The disaster would be catastrophic,’ we were told.  And then we did it…and nothing happened.  We began to distrust the authority figures in our lives; convinced that they had it out for us and wanted to take away all chances of fun.

Just as I thought, we believe we are the exception to the rule.  We believe we can defy the laws of order and disobey God’s commandments with no harm or consequences.  Over time, though, this way of living will catch up to us.  Just as Adam and Eve were told in the Garden, we will eventually die (or suffer the consequences for our sins).

There is truth to this both before and after our relationship with Jesus begins.  Before our life in Christ, our sinful choices have both earthly and eternal consequences.  But, even after we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior, we will still suffer the earthly consequences of our sin (if a Christian robs a bank, they will still go to jail). 

Some consequences, however, do not come right away.  They slowly come into play (like the frog in the pot that doesn’t realize it’s being cooked alive if you turn up the water slow enough).  There are many sins that fit into this category:

Lust

Materialism

Hatred

Gossip

Laziness

Apathy

Lying

These are a few of the sins that we ignore and allow to flourish in our lives.  Over time, they will demand a reckoning.  There will be an explosion of consequences.  One so big and painful that we will wish we could have a “do over.” 

Take a moment to pause, reflect and pray.  Think of an area that you need to clean up and completely surrender to God and meditate on a verse from Galatians 6:7-8: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

]]>
I was five years old when the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie hit the big screen. Like most kids, I obsessed over trying to become like the masked, amphibious heroes.  To my disappointment, my parents refused to give me real katana swords or sais – so I decided to use butter knives and forks instead.  I would play for hours, pretending to vanquish Shredder and the foot clan. 

One day, my imaginative mind developed an elaborate plot.  The Shredder had planted a bomb that would blow up the entire planet!  The only way for me to disarm the weapon was by jamming one of my sais (or forks) into the keyhole.  “What was the keyhole?” you ask. It was an outlet (yes, you read that right.  My grand plan was to jam a fork into an outlet…). 

Luckily, a mother’s intuition kicked in and I was commanded to NEVER put anything in the outlet.  It would kill me if I did, and I was made to promise NEVER to do it.  I submitted, but only for about 2 minutes.  As soon as my mother left the room to tend to her chores, I was back to saving the world…and disarming the bomb that would destroy all of human existence.

Looking to the left and to the right to make sure I wouldn’t be caught, I jammed the fork into the outlet with all the force I could muster.  To my surprise, there was a flash of sparks, the flickering of lights, and the smell of burning.  A mark went up the wall from the outlet caused by the wire surging and overheating.

Like the Flash, my mother was back in the room checking me and making sure I was okay.  Then, she made sure to give me a beating that I would remember (this is not a commentary on spanking your child, so don’t get caught up in this part of the story.  However, it was an effective deterrent in this instance.  In fact, it wasn’t until college that I could plug something into an outlet without being overcome with fear).

After the scene had calmed, she asked me the question that all parents ask in a situation like this, “What were you thinking?”  The key was, I really wasn’t.  But, in my estimation, a miracle had happened.  I jammed a fork in the outlet, and I lived to tell about it!  My mom told me that I would die, yet there I stood with my sore bottom and my tear stained face.  Maybe I had super-powers!  Maybe I was the exception to the rule, and I could get away with disobeying the laws of physics and the rules of electrical currents.

We’ve all been there (okay, maybe not there exactly, but in principle).  We were told not to go somewhere, or hang out with that person, or talk that way, etc.  If we did, we would suffer consequences.  ‘The disaster would be catastrophic,’ we were told.  And then we did it…and nothing happened.  We began to distrust the authority figures in our lives; convinced that they had it out for us and wanted to take away all chances of fun.

Just as I thought, we believe we are the exception to the rule.  We believe we can defy the laws of order and disobey God’s commandments with no harm or consequences.  Over time, though, this way of living will catch up to us.  Just as Adam and Eve were told in the Garden, we will eventually die (or suffer the consequences for our sins).

There is truth to this both before and after our relationship with Jesus begins.  Before our life in Christ, our sinful choices have both earthly and eternal consequences.  But, even after we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior, we will still suffer the earthly consequences of our sin (if a Christian robs a bank, they will still go to jail). 

Some consequences, however, do not come right away.  They slowly come into play (like the frog in the pot that doesn’t realize it’s being cooked alive if you turn up the water slow enough).  There are many sins that fit into this category:

Lust

Materialism

Hatred

Gossip

Laziness

Apathy

Lying

These are a few of the sins that we ignore and allow to flourish in our lives.  Over time, they will demand a reckoning.  There will be an explosion of consequences.  One so big and painful that we will wish we could have a “do over.” 

Take a moment to pause, reflect and pray.  Think of an area that you need to clean up and completely surrender to God and meditate on a verse from Galatians 6:7-8: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

]]>
Remembering the Titans https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/remembering-the-titans https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/remembering-the-titans#comments Tue, 07 Apr 2020 14:00:00 -0400 https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/remembering-the-titans I love movies…and to be honest, I REALLY love sports movies.  One of my favorites is ‘Remember the Titans’ (not my #1…that title belongs to ‘Hoosiers.’  What?!  You haven’t seen it?  No worries, stop reading this right now, find it digitally and watch it!  Don’t worry, this will be here when you get done).

Coach Boone has been selected to coach the T.C. Williams High School football program, created after an all-white and all-black school were combined.  Tensions were high in Alexandria, VA in 1971, and a newly integrated institution did not help.  The players echoed the sentiment of their town…and at the first day of football camp a fight broke out. 

After breaking everything up, Coach Boone delivers an inspiring speech.  Here’s a snippet: “Some coaches cut a player because they think he’s hurting the team, or he’s not up to snuff.  But not me; this is a public-school program, I will never, ever cut a player that comes out to play for me.  But when you put that uniform on, that Titan uniform, you better come ready to work.

We will be perfect in every aspect of the game.  You drop a pass, you run a mile.  You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile.  You fumble the football, and I will break my foot off in your John Brown hind parts, and then you will run a mile.  Perfection…let’s go to work.”

And then the scene cuts to the players doing their conditioning workouts.

One thing I love about this scene is how well it illustrates a profound, Biblical truth found in Ephesians 2:8-10: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Just as Coach Boone would never cut a player, God never turns away a sinner.  “Though millions have come, there’s still room for one” as the old hymn says it.  And you are accepted not because of your awesomeness, but because of God’s love (you’re saved by grace). 

Now, one thing we need to remember is that not everyone is on God’s team, just as every high school kid at T.C. Williams High School was not on the football team.  In the movie, if you survived camp, you got a jersey.  In the Christian faith, it’s a little different, but there is something that we must do to be on the team.  There is a proper way to respond to God’s Grace.  For this, I always use two passages:

Romans 10:9

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts 2:38

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Here we see 4 things we are to do in order to receive this gift and be placed on God’s Team: Believe, Repent, Confess and Be Baptized.

Believe:

You have to believe that Jesus is who he claims to be.  He is God in the flesh, perfect in all things, and the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.  But don’t stop here, because “even the demons believe, and shudder.” – James 2:19 

Repent:

If you repent of your sins, it means you literally change your mind.  You change your mind and call wrong what God calls wrong.  You decide you will do your best to no longer live for yourself, but for God and His call.

Confess:

Whenever we baptize someone, we take their confession of faith: I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Loving God, and my Lord and Savior. This is our public declaration of Christ’s Lordship in our lives.

Be Baptized:

Lots of controversy over when and how someone should be baptized, as well as how important it really is.  Simply put, we want to do the things the Bible says to do the way the Bible says to do them.  With baptism, it is always after someone’s declaration of faith and it is always immersion.  This is what we believe and practice.

This is how you get on God’s Team.

Once you put that uniform on…that Christian uniform you better come ready to work.  When we declare our desire to follow Jesus, we have not reached a finish line.  It is the start of a new life in Christ.  One with many challenges, persecutions, self-denial and sacrifice.  Being a Christian is not easy, and you are asked to do unnatural things (like loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you, for example).

We are to be diligent in doing the good works that God prepared in advance for us to do.  Everyone has a different position, or role to play on God’s team.  Some throw, some catch, some block, etc. What good works is God calling you to?  What changes is he calling you to make in your life?  Now that he has the title Lord (or Coach, if you’d like) he gets to call the shots.  Though I might not always agree with the call, I’m confident that my coach knows what he’s doing!

Alright, team…let’s go to work!

]]>
I love movies…and to be honest, I REALLY love sports movies.  One of my favorites is ‘Remember the Titans’ (not my #1…that title belongs to ‘Hoosiers.’  What?!  You haven’t seen it?  No worries, stop reading this right now, find it digitally and watch it!  Don’t worry, this will be here when you get done).

Coach Boone has been selected to coach the T.C. Williams High School football program, created after an all-white and all-black school were combined.  Tensions were high in Alexandria, VA in 1971, and a newly integrated institution did not help.  The players echoed the sentiment of their town…and at the first day of football camp a fight broke out. 

After breaking everything up, Coach Boone delivers an inspiring speech.  Here’s a snippet: “Some coaches cut a player because they think he’s hurting the team, or he’s not up to snuff.  But not me; this is a public-school program, I will never, ever cut a player that comes out to play for me.  But when you put that uniform on, that Titan uniform, you better come ready to work.

We will be perfect in every aspect of the game.  You drop a pass, you run a mile.  You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile.  You fumble the football, and I will break my foot off in your John Brown hind parts, and then you will run a mile.  Perfection…let’s go to work.”

And then the scene cuts to the players doing their conditioning workouts.

One thing I love about this scene is how well it illustrates a profound, Biblical truth found in Ephesians 2:8-10: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Just as Coach Boone would never cut a player, God never turns away a sinner.  “Though millions have come, there’s still room for one” as the old hymn says it.  And you are accepted not because of your awesomeness, but because of God’s love (you’re saved by grace). 

Now, one thing we need to remember is that not everyone is on God’s team, just as every high school kid at T.C. Williams High School was not on the football team.  In the movie, if you survived camp, you got a jersey.  In the Christian faith, it’s a little different, but there is something that we must do to be on the team.  There is a proper way to respond to God’s Grace.  For this, I always use two passages:

Romans 10:9

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts 2:38

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Here we see 4 things we are to do in order to receive this gift and be placed on God’s Team: Believe, Repent, Confess and Be Baptized.

Believe:

You have to believe that Jesus is who he claims to be.  He is God in the flesh, perfect in all things, and the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.  But don’t stop here, because “even the demons believe, and shudder.” – James 2:19 

Repent:

If you repent of your sins, it means you literally change your mind.  You change your mind and call wrong what God calls wrong.  You decide you will do your best to no longer live for yourself, but for God and His call.

Confess:

Whenever we baptize someone, we take their confession of faith: I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Loving God, and my Lord and Savior. This is our public declaration of Christ’s Lordship in our lives.

Be Baptized:

Lots of controversy over when and how someone should be baptized, as well as how important it really is.  Simply put, we want to do the things the Bible says to do the way the Bible says to do them.  With baptism, it is always after someone’s declaration of faith and it is always immersion.  This is what we believe and practice.

This is how you get on God’s Team.

Once you put that uniform on…that Christian uniform you better come ready to work.  When we declare our desire to follow Jesus, we have not reached a finish line.  It is the start of a new life in Christ.  One with many challenges, persecutions, self-denial and sacrifice.  Being a Christian is not easy, and you are asked to do unnatural things (like loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you, for example).

We are to be diligent in doing the good works that God prepared in advance for us to do.  Everyone has a different position, or role to play on God’s team.  Some throw, some catch, some block, etc. What good works is God calling you to?  What changes is he calling you to make in your life?  Now that he has the title Lord (or Coach, if you’d like) he gets to call the shots.  Though I might not always agree with the call, I’m confident that my coach knows what he’s doing!

Alright, team…let’s go to work!

]]>
Don't Blink https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/dont-blink https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/dont-blink#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2020 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/dont-blink I can remember the day well. 

It was last year around this time.  We were in the car, leaving Bethel School and on our way to the Centralia Rec Center. Titus had just finished one game for his Rome 3rd grade team and we were on our way to another…and we were late.  Shana was frantically trying to hand out food to the boys, Clayton was trying to tell me a story, Titus was requesting his favorite song and I was trying to think of the most time efficient way to get to Centralia.

That week we had been on the run a lot.  Tons of practices, ministry stuff, teaching a class at Saint Louis Christian College.  I felt the pressure piling up.  I shouted in the car, “Everybody stop!”, and believe it or not, they did (I’ve got to be honest; I felt the power in that moment…and it was nice). They probably assumed someone was in trouble. 

“We are running around like crazy.  We’re always late and rushing, everyone is talking over everyone else, or whining about not having the right snack; but I want to go on record saying that I’m gonna miss this.  I’m gonna miss rushing you guys around to games.  I’m gonna miss a thousand things going on at once.  I’m gonna miss everyone competing for my attention. I’m gonna miss this stage tremendously.”  

(Not exactly the equivalent to ‘I have a dream’, but at least it was from the heart).  I meant it…every word.  I know that I’ll miss it all.  There are challenges that come to parenting.  The days are long and stressful, but the years are so short. Too many parents have warned me: it’ll go by too fast.  Be sure to soak it up; they won’t be young forever.  I know they’re right. 

That’s what I was trying to do on that day…I was taking a mental snapshot and acknowledging I was going to miss it all.

Every stage in life has its blessings and challenges (and not just with parenting, either).  We often are guilty of the sin of wanting what’s next.  Preschoolers can’t wait to get into real school.  Grade school kids long for junior high.  Junior Highers long for High School.  Underclassman want their license and to move onto upper classman status.  Seniors can’t wait for college.  Parents long for the freedom they had when they were just dating (I can go on, but I think you get the point). 

We need to be able to stop and smell the roses, because at some point it will be your ‘last’.  Your last time playing in a high school jersey…

Your last first day of school… 

Your last snuggle with your kids…

Your last conversation with a dear friend…

Your last day of work…

Before we know it, one stage ends and a new one begins and we look back on the ‘good ol’ days’ or ‘the way things were.’ 

One of my favorite TV shows is ‘The Office.’ In the last episode Andy Bernard says to the camera, “I wish someone would tell you that you were in the good ol’ days while you were still in them.”  I don’t know what stage of life you’re in, but let’s pretend for a moment you’re going to miss it when it’s gone.  Do your best to enjoy it, and take mental snapshots soaking in every moment.

 

Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

]]>
I can remember the day well. 

It was last year around this time.  We were in the car, leaving Bethel School and on our way to the Centralia Rec Center. Titus had just finished one game for his Rome 3rd grade team and we were on our way to another…and we were late.  Shana was frantically trying to hand out food to the boys, Clayton was trying to tell me a story, Titus was requesting his favorite song and I was trying to think of the most time efficient way to get to Centralia.

That week we had been on the run a lot.  Tons of practices, ministry stuff, teaching a class at Saint Louis Christian College.  I felt the pressure piling up.  I shouted in the car, “Everybody stop!”, and believe it or not, they did (I’ve got to be honest; I felt the power in that moment…and it was nice). They probably assumed someone was in trouble. 

“We are running around like crazy.  We’re always late and rushing, everyone is talking over everyone else, or whining about not having the right snack; but I want to go on record saying that I’m gonna miss this.  I’m gonna miss rushing you guys around to games.  I’m gonna miss a thousand things going on at once.  I’m gonna miss everyone competing for my attention. I’m gonna miss this stage tremendously.”  

(Not exactly the equivalent to ‘I have a dream’, but at least it was from the heart).  I meant it…every word.  I know that I’ll miss it all.  There are challenges that come to parenting.  The days are long and stressful, but the years are so short. Too many parents have warned me: it’ll go by too fast.  Be sure to soak it up; they won’t be young forever.  I know they’re right. 

That’s what I was trying to do on that day…I was taking a mental snapshot and acknowledging I was going to miss it all.

Every stage in life has its blessings and challenges (and not just with parenting, either).  We often are guilty of the sin of wanting what’s next.  Preschoolers can’t wait to get into real school.  Grade school kids long for junior high.  Junior Highers long for High School.  Underclassman want their license and to move onto upper classman status.  Seniors can’t wait for college.  Parents long for the freedom they had when they were just dating (I can go on, but I think you get the point). 

We need to be able to stop and smell the roses, because at some point it will be your ‘last’.  Your last time playing in a high school jersey…

Your last first day of school… 

Your last snuggle with your kids…

Your last conversation with a dear friend…

Your last day of work…

Before we know it, one stage ends and a new one begins and we look back on the ‘good ol’ days’ or ‘the way things were.’ 

One of my favorite TV shows is ‘The Office.’ In the last episode Andy Bernard says to the camera, “I wish someone would tell you that you were in the good ol’ days while you were still in them.”  I don’t know what stage of life you’re in, but let’s pretend for a moment you’re going to miss it when it’s gone.  Do your best to enjoy it, and take mental snapshots soaking in every moment.

 

Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

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7 Reasons Bible Study is Boring https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/7-reasons-bible-study-is-boring https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/7-reasons-bible-study-is-boring#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2020 13:00:00 -0400 https://www.woodlawnchristian.org/blog/post/7-reasons-bible-study-is-boring When you became a Christian, you were told about the importance of Bible Study.  So, with no idea what we are doing we begin to “study” the Bible.  You didn’t know where to start, how to read or what to do when you had questions.  Soon, and very soon, you got bored.  

 

This has happened to us all.  Unaware of where we can turn, most give up.  I assume that if you are reading this you are there...or on the verge of being there.  Possibly you find yourself coaching or encouraging someone that shares this sentiment. Let them know that they are not alone, and I hope to give you practical advice and a new perspective on how to address this problem.  So let’s dive into 7 Reasons Bible Study is Boring:

 

  1. You are Reading the Wrong Books

Remember we’ve got 1 Bible comprised of 66 books (39 in the Old and 27 in the New).  Many have the worthy goal of reading the Bible cover to cover in a year.  They begin January 1 with Genesis 1.  Getting through the first book of the Bible is pretty easy.  It contains a bunch of stories about the Israelite patriarchs, and everyone loves a story.  The trouble comes with the last half of Exodus and especially with Leviticus (with all the dietary and various laws, as well as the requirements for Jewish feasts and holidays).

 

By February people have abandoned the plan and they feel like failures.  But, January 1 of the next year they are back at Genesis 1.  They’ve read Genesis and Exodus a dozen times in their lives, but haven’t ventured past.

 

If I were to make a suggestion to you, start in Mark.  It’s the shortest of the four Gospels (coming in a modest 16 chapters) and it’s all about Jesus (I’ve read somewhere that He is the author and perfecter of our faith...the Alpha and Omega...etc.).  After Mark, hit James, Acts, and some of Paul’s Letters before circling back to John.  Remember that each book of the Bible was equally inspired by God, but they are not equally applicable and relevant to the Christian.  

 

  1. You Have a Bad Routine

I remember the first time I read about a Pastor that lived in the 1800s named Alexander Campbell.  He would wake up at 4AM to study his Bible for a couple of hours before starting his day.  Supposedly, he would keep a bowl of cold water to dump his face in when he started feeling tired (maybe the Bible was boring to him, too). After hearing the story, I copied it the best I could, even down to the bowl of cold water (which I’m sure I used more than he had to).  I was in college at the time, and I was waking up when my roommate was getting back into the room.  The routine lasted longer than it should have, and towards the end I didn’t get a lot out of it.

 

We need to be careful about how we imitate Christians who are further down the road.  Paul says that the Corinthians should imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Cor. 1:11).  Imitate passion, zeal, purity and holiness: sure.  But do exactly what they do without considering how God has wired you: unwise.   Most people cannot handle intense Bible studies, and especially not right away.  Stay away from the cookie cutter approach and find a routine that works best for you.

 

  1. You Rush Through

You don’t get anything out of Bible study because you don’t put in anything.  There is a slow, methodical nature to many things in life.  The goal is not to “finish it”, but to allow yourself to be shaped in the process.  Give God time to speak to you through words that He inspired thousands of years ago.  It may be a short verse that you feel compelled to process throughout the day.  Allow yourself to be in the moment when you read, and allow the Holy Spirit to work on your heart.

 

  1. You don’t like to read

Well, at least you’ve made it to point 4 on the article, so you at least peruse well.  I hear too much that people don’t like to read.  Get over it...this is why our culture is the least intelligent American generation to date.  We have more information than any group before us and we have less knowledge...how is that possible?

 

“Yeah,” you may say, “but I still don’t like to read.”  Get an audio Bible app.  Listen to the Bible while you run, mow, nap, whatever works for you (except for the nap part).

 

  1. You Don’t Think God’s Word has Anything for You

Well, it does.  But most people go expecting nothing.  No challenges, no convictions, and therefore, no change.  When you go to the text expecting nothing, the Bible has a phrase for this: a hard heart.  A hard heart is one that nothing penetrates.  When you read, nothing happens because you aren’t allowing it to.  Give God a chance to change you, and bathe your Bible reading with prayer.

 

  1. You Think It’s All About You Instead of God

Application of what the Bible says is important (James 2), but primarily you read and study because you love God.  I love watching home movies of my wife’s childhood because she is my wife.  They are not interesting to anyone else, but they certainly are to me.  I love her and want to know everything about her.  We should become more infatuated with God than we are anyone on earth.

 

  1. You Don’t Know Enough and are Overwhelmed

When you start out, it can be heavy lifting.  There are a lot of historical events that even the authors of the New Testament assume you know.  One practical tip I give is to buy a study Bible.  It will take time, but it will be time well spent.  Nothing should be more important to us than loving God...the more you know about Him the more you love Him...the more you study His word, the more you know about Him...Let’s get to work!

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When you became a Christian, you were told about the importance of Bible Study.  So, with no idea what we are doing we begin to “study” the Bible.  You didn’t know where to start, how to read or what to do when you had questions.  Soon, and very soon, you got bored.  

 

This has happened to us all.  Unaware of where we can turn, most give up.  I assume that if you are reading this you are there...or on the verge of being there.  Possibly you find yourself coaching or encouraging someone that shares this sentiment. Let them know that they are not alone, and I hope to give you practical advice and a new perspective on how to address this problem.  So let’s dive into 7 Reasons Bible Study is Boring:

 

  1. You are Reading the Wrong Books

Remember we’ve got 1 Bible comprised of 66 books (39 in the Old and 27 in the New).  Many have the worthy goal of reading the Bible cover to cover in a year.  They begin January 1 with Genesis 1.  Getting through the first book of the Bible is pretty easy.  It contains a bunch of stories about the Israelite patriarchs, and everyone loves a story.  The trouble comes with the last half of Exodus and especially with Leviticus (with all the dietary and various laws, as well as the requirements for Jewish feasts and holidays).

 

By February people have abandoned the plan and they feel like failures.  But, January 1 of the next year they are back at Genesis 1.  They’ve read Genesis and Exodus a dozen times in their lives, but haven’t ventured past.

 

If I were to make a suggestion to you, start in Mark.  It’s the shortest of the four Gospels (coming in a modest 16 chapters) and it’s all about Jesus (I’ve read somewhere that He is the author and perfecter of our faith...the Alpha and Omega...etc.).  After Mark, hit James, Acts, and some of Paul’s Letters before circling back to John.  Remember that each book of the Bible was equally inspired by God, but they are not equally applicable and relevant to the Christian.  

 

  1. You Have a Bad Routine

I remember the first time I read about a Pastor that lived in the 1800s named Alexander Campbell.  He would wake up at 4AM to study his Bible for a couple of hours before starting his day.  Supposedly, he would keep a bowl of cold water to dump his face in when he started feeling tired (maybe the Bible was boring to him, too). After hearing the story, I copied it the best I could, even down to the bowl of cold water (which I’m sure I used more than he had to).  I was in college at the time, and I was waking up when my roommate was getting back into the room.  The routine lasted longer than it should have, and towards the end I didn’t get a lot out of it.

 

We need to be careful about how we imitate Christians who are further down the road.  Paul says that the Corinthians should imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Cor. 1:11).  Imitate passion, zeal, purity and holiness: sure.  But do exactly what they do without considering how God has wired you: unwise.   Most people cannot handle intense Bible studies, and especially not right away.  Stay away from the cookie cutter approach and find a routine that works best for you.

 

  1. You Rush Through

You don’t get anything out of Bible study because you don’t put in anything.  There is a slow, methodical nature to many things in life.  The goal is not to “finish it”, but to allow yourself to be shaped in the process.  Give God time to speak to you through words that He inspired thousands of years ago.  It may be a short verse that you feel compelled to process throughout the day.  Allow yourself to be in the moment when you read, and allow the Holy Spirit to work on your heart.

 

  1. You don’t like to read

Well, at least you’ve made it to point 4 on the article, so you at least peruse well.  I hear too much that people don’t like to read.  Get over it...this is why our culture is the least intelligent American generation to date.  We have more information than any group before us and we have less knowledge...how is that possible?

 

“Yeah,” you may say, “but I still don’t like to read.”  Get an audio Bible app.  Listen to the Bible while you run, mow, nap, whatever works for you (except for the nap part).

 

  1. You Don’t Think God’s Word has Anything for You

Well, it does.  But most people go expecting nothing.  No challenges, no convictions, and therefore, no change.  When you go to the text expecting nothing, the Bible has a phrase for this: a hard heart.  A hard heart is one that nothing penetrates.  When you read, nothing happens because you aren’t allowing it to.  Give God a chance to change you, and bathe your Bible reading with prayer.

 

  1. You Think It’s All About You Instead of God

Application of what the Bible says is important (James 2), but primarily you read and study because you love God.  I love watching home movies of my wife’s childhood because she is my wife.  They are not interesting to anyone else, but they certainly are to me.  I love her and want to know everything about her.  We should become more infatuated with God than we are anyone on earth.

 

  1. You Don’t Know Enough and are Overwhelmed

When you start out, it can be heavy lifting.  There are a lot of historical events that even the authors of the New Testament assume you know.  One practical tip I give is to buy a study Bible.  It will take time, but it will be time well spent.  Nothing should be more important to us than loving God...the more you know about Him the more you love Him...the more you study His word, the more you know about Him...Let’s get to work!

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