We are Hopeful.

Life can seem interruptible. You have a plan but somehow, someway, it gets interrupted. It might be at the doctor’s office with a prognosis of cancer or a mobility limiting chronic illness. Your adult child could walk away from faith or you discover you’ve been let go from your job due to downsizing. In recent days, we have seen violence all around us that changed people’s story. From the very public murder of a national spokesman to the school shootings in Colorado and Minnesota. From the murder of an Ukraine young woman on public transportation to the public hanging of a young college student in Mississippi.

I think about the last verse in Judges in the Old Testament. It says, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” I dare say this is where America is right now. Our country does not look to THE King but does what it wants to do. Sin and Satan are prevalent and active.

But the Apostle Paul wants to remind us in Romans 8 that we are different as followers of Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit living in us. So while sin is ever present and we are groaning from the weight of sin and destruction in the world, we will not be crushed since God’s Holy Spirit lives in us.

In fact, Paul says in Romans 8:24-26, that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. While we may not know what to pray for, He prays for us. While we may lack information on how to move forward, He gives us wisdom. While we may wonder which direction our next step should take us, He will be our compass.

With all the destructive behavior all around us, we can forget about the power that lives within us to move forward in positive and loving ways. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:22-24, “…throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” As followers of Jesus, we want to embrace our new self.

And did you know the whole world is waiting for you to take your place? The very power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (Romans 8:11). So, we’ll take courage amid the sin around us and live boldly, proclaiming life in Jesus is a better choice. A life that is full of love, compassion, joy, peace, forgiveness, goodness…that’s how the Holy Spirit transforms us when we surrender to Jesus.

And the whole world is waiting for you to become who you were created to be. It desperately needs something different than what our enemy has been offering. Not only does the world wait on you but so does your spouse, your kids, your neighbor, your church, your workplace. Real followers of Jesus become thermostats, changing the environment of the room for good.

Through the adoption into the family of God, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and our follower-ship of Jesus, you and I can help make this world a better place….a different place. That’s the call today: become who you were created to be. In Christ, God works all things out for the good. Blessings on the journey.

How to Grow Spiritually.

The Apostle Paul lays out the formula for spiritual growth in Ephesians 3. He reminds us in chapters 1-3 what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. Then in chapters 4-6, Paul reminds of how we are called to live in gratitude because of what Jesus has done for us.

In chapter 3, Paul says that God’s plan all along has been to offer salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. When we believe we come together as the church, then Paul says God’s intention is to show His power through the church, not only to the world, but to those rulers in the unseen, heavenly realms.

So God is going to use me and you to show all creation, seen and unseen, how amazing He truly is. But in order to be a part of His plan, you and I must make Jesus the priority in our lives. Jesus has to be the first thing in our lives. See, our identity is IN JESUS. The world would have us make our identity in our sexuality or gender; our money and things; our diplomas and titles; our relationships and family. But Paul reminds us if we are going to show the world how amazing our God truly is, we are going to have to make Jesus the #1 thing in our life.

So how do we do that? What’s the formula? What are the steps I can do that would make it obvious to those around me, Jesus is my priority? Paul gives us three things, found in his prayer in Ephesians 3, to do in order to grow in faith and clearly have a life seated in Jesus.

The first one is so very hard. As humans, it’s hard to submit…to acknowledge someone is more important than we are. But Paul says the first thing to do in Ephesians 3:14-15. He says, “I fall on my knees and pray…” In other words, he humbles himself before the Father, acknowledging someone greater than he is in control. We hate to give up control.

There is something to be said about body posture. We really don’t worry too much about this in our American culture but I challenge you to try it. There is something about praying on your knees that creates a submissive attitude. And we humble ourselves more than just before the Father but also with others.

Paul says in Philippians 2, our attitude MUST be like Jesus Christ who humbled himself. So if you follow Jesus, it’s not an option to humble yourself. It’s a requirement to forget your life then find your life in Jesus. So our attitude of humility not only includes Jesus but those we work with, those in our family, those in the neighborhood. Our spirit must take on the spirit of Jesus.

Secondly, Paul says we need to allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in verses 16-17. When we get in step with the Spirit, it’s then that we discover a better way of life. Paul gives us the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When we exhibit these traits in our lives, we’ll recognize we are in step with Spirit who is transforming us to look more like Jesus. Start with just choosing one of those and work on it in your life. Once you feel you have the hang of it, try adding another one to work on.

Finally, Paul encourages us to experience the love of Christ. His love is all encompassing. It’s everywhere if we just look. The Apostle John tells us what love looks like in 1 John 4:19. We know how to love because He first loved us. We see Jesus’ unselfish act, giving his life on a cross so that each of us could have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus gave up his life even when I was sinner.

Paul finishes up this prayer by telling us how we can be complete and feel complete. He says to humble ourselves, allow the Holy Spirit to transform us and experience the all encompassing love of Jesus Christ. When we do all three, we will be complete with all the fullness of God and power God can give us. That’s exciting and encouraging.

So remember, when we make Jesus the priority, we gain adoption into the family of God and are strengthened with power to live this life for Jesus. Embrace Jesus today. Make Him the center. Choose Jesus as your identity and see if that doesn’t change everything in your life! Blessings on the journey.

United in Christ

I have been together with others and we all had a common goal. I enjoyed playing high school football. We went to the state playoffs all three years of high school and I was an all-district defensive halfback my senior year. As a team, we were all different yet unified in our goal to win on the field.

I have been on a diverse missions team where each of us brought a specialty to the group. We were from different backgrounds, philosophies and expertise but together, we carried the Gospel message to the local people we were trying to influence for Christ.

While each of us who follow Jesus are very different, we must remember our commonality. Our likeness is our unshakeable identity in Christ Jesus. God has given us an unshakeable identity in the risen Savior.

The world tries to separate us by telling us our identity is in our degrees hanging on the wall, our skin color, our nation of origin, our socio-economic background, the power or title we might hold, the relationships we have. But God tells us in Ephesians 1 that we all have been adopted into the family of God through Jesus Christ. We are in the same family.

My dad has done a lot of ancestry background for our family heritage. I know I’m a fourth gen Church of Christ preacher. I know I am 50% Irish. I know where my ancestors came from when they came to American. My last name ties me to who I am. Because I am a family member, I have access to all the rights and privileges my name allows. I am also an American citizen. Because I am a citizen, I’m afforded certain rights and privileges as an American.

Paul is telling each of us, because we claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are part of the family of God. God has adopted us as his sons and daughters. As a family member, I have all the rights and privileges afforded to someone in the family of God. We have the unconditional love of our Heavenly Father because of what Jesus did for each of us.

At Jesus’ baptism, God establishes Jesus’ unshakeable identity. God says that Jesus is His Son, that He loves him and is pleased with him. As we become part of family of God by accepting Jesus as our Savior, we too can reflect the same sentiment from God. He claims us as His sons and daughters. He loves us and is pleased with us. I also must remember, all of this is possible, not from anything I do, but from what Jesus has done.

So, sit in your unshakeable identity as a child of God. Know God has adopted you and because of that you have all the rights and privileges of a family member. God loves you and wants the very best for you. Blessings on your journey.