It's Monday...

Can you imagine the Monday after Resurrection Sunday? Followers of Jesus up early at the local cafe, drinking coffee and discussing what is going on with Jesus and the empty tomb. Did the Romans take his body? Did the Pharisees decide to move it somewhere else? OR, did Jesus actually do what he said he’d do?

There are two things for certain they say, “Death and taxes.” On the later, I just paid mine. If you haven’t, well you might want to file an extension…they’ll be coming after your first born otherwise. On the first idea, death, well, it seems everyone experiences it. Some fall in combat. Others to disease. Still others live well into their upper 90s but in the end, death will come knocking. No one has ever escaped death.

There is a story in John 11 about a guy named Lazarus. He was the brother of Mary and Martha. He got sick and the sisters called for Jesus to come but when he arrived, Jesus was too late. Lazarus had passed and already been buried. He had been in the grave four days.

Decomposition would have been quick in Jesus’ day. The break down of tissue and blood would have created a smell so incredibly pungent. No embalming process existed except to apply oils to the body skin. But Jesus comes on the scene and asked that the stone be rolled away. And when the Son of God commands Lazarus to come out of the grave, he does just that, still in his burial clothes.

I’ve often wondered about the stories Lazarus told. What did he experience in those four days? What was his relationship like with Jesus after being resurrected? What urgings did he give family and friends about “being ready” when their time came?

You see what we find in the Easter story is that Jesus has conquered everything. Not even death has sway over Jesus. Jesus goes on to say in that Lazarus story, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.”

So, after Easter is over, the stage is torn down, the Easter eggs are found, the incredible family lunch has been eaten, how will you live? The call is to put your life IN Jesus, who is the antidote for death. Put your life in the hands of a savior who can give life even in death.

Grace and Peace on your journey!

A Lifestyle of Worship

Worship has been around for ages. We all worship something. It may not be God but each of us have a god to which we give our time, talent and resources. But there is only one God that is truly worth all that we have to offer. He is the creator of the universe and the creator of you and me. He’s the one that gave up his Son in order to save us from ourselves.

For many of us, we grew up thinking that worship was a Sunday morning event. The “holy hour” on any given Sunday morning was the time we could truly worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. But we are reminded that is not the true.

Our call is to worship our God every day of our life. Paul says in Colossians 3, “Let the message of Christ…fill your lives…Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus. “ Paul also reminds us in Romans 12 after going to great lengths to explain our lostness and what Jesus did to save us why we should live a life of gratefulness and worship toward him, “Offer yourselves to be a living and holy sacrifice…this is truly the way to worship him.”

Everything we do is worship to God. How we treat people; how we speak; how we live with our families; what our work ethic is like; how we glorify Jesus in the way we live among our co-workers and neighbors. We are called to Love God and love people (Mark 12:30-31). Worship is so much more than a Sunday morning. It’s an everyday event that reflects back how we are so grateful for what Jesus has done for us.

So, may your worship be more than one song on a Sunday morning. May it be every song, every day. Blessings on your journey.

Be Generous

You like to be around generous people, don’t you? I mean that friend that gives you a ride, the family member who lends you some money in a tight spot, that boss who gives you a raise because of all your hard work. You and I like to be around generous people but it’s not because they give resources. It’s because of the feeling they give off as people who want to bless others. It’s as if their desire is to take that which they have been blessed with and pass it on to others who are in need.

Jesus reminds us of many great things in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) but he gets specific in Matthew 6:19-24 about being generous. He says that we can’t serve two masters. We’ll hate the one and love the other. It’s just not possible to equally love what God offers and what the world offers.

Jesus also reminds us of our desire. He says, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Your heart follows your treasure. So, if you look around at your friends or family, you will see what’s most important to them. Does most of their resources go into the home they live in or the car they drive or their kids traveling sports team? If you have enough gumption you could look at yourself and ask the same questions.

You see, God wants all your heart. The things of this earth are not bad. It’s not a bad thing to have a house, or a car, or get involved in a hobby. What ends up hurting God is when these things take the place of God.

We are called as followers of Jesus to be like him. We are called as disciples of Christ to make God the priority in our lives. He gave us the ultimate example of what priority giving looks like. John 3:16 says, “God loved you and me enough that He GAVE his only Son so you and I could be saved and then live with him forever.” Wow! That’s generosity. That’s what giving looks like. That’s showing a world what whole-heart commitment really looks like.

So, make a point this week, this month, this lifetime to be generous. As you have been blessed, bless those around you. Don’t let blessing stop with you. Let it flow out to the world around you and see the change begin.

Service with a smile

When I was in high school, I worked at a restaurant for about 4 weeks. I really didn’t like it because they primarily had me cleaning the parking lot and washing dishes. I thought I was a little better than that. I thought I was above that kind of work. But many jobs and careers have everything to do with serving other people. However, you’ve had that experience when you interacted with an employee at a restaurant or a retail store or an IT location where the person who was supposed to be serving you didn’t seem like they really wanted to do so…almost like it was above them to be waiting on you.

As followers of Christ, one of the main components of our new Jesus-like DNA is being a servant to those around us. To imitate Jesus in every way. The famous scene in John 13 and Luke 22 is when Jesus serves his disciples at the Last Supper in that upper room. With the weight of the world on his shoulders and knowing what he is about to endure literally hours away, he kneels down and washes his disciples feet.

See, serving others should be part of our every day life when we are trying to look like Jesus. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 23:11, “The greatest among you must be a servant.” Paul says reiterating Jesus’ thoughts in Galatians 5:13, “You have been called to live in freedom…but don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”

So as people following the rabbi from Nazareth, let’s be intentional this week and the next and the next serving those around with a smile and compassion since we know how Jesus has loved on us. It could be simple like opening the door for someone, allowing someone to cut in line in that commute home from work, or buying someone’s Starbucks behind you in the drive through. It could be something you do to change the direction someone is living. Maybe you’ll find time to sit with someone and just allow them to talk and vent. You could become the go-to person who’s always ready to give great encouragement. Maybe it’s time to sit and talk about forgiveness with someone who has done you wrong in the past.

Our goal is to shine like Jesus, to make his story known and to do it in such a way, the world must take notice. This world doesn’t want to serve. It is pretty selfish. So let’s be radical. Let’s look like Jesus who was a servant and taught us to serve others. Jesus says in Matthew 25, “When you serve other people, you’re actually serving me.” Wow! Now that one sentence changes perspective. Blessings on your journey!

Growing Like Jesus

When I lived in Stillwater, OK, I was a youth pastor. During the summer, I was typically gone fifty percent of the time on trips to camps, mission work, or road trips with teens. But one summer, I decided to grow watermelon. I love watermelon, especially when it’s ice cold from the fridge.

I planted the seeds and in no time, small green sprouts came up. My vines were on their way to maturity. But then summer hit and I was gone half the time. I had failed to get anyone to water my vines or give any TLC. By the end of summer, I had zero watermelons and shriveled up vines. It was a sad day.

Paul says in Colossians 2 that we are to “let our roots grow down into him and let our lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth we were taught and we will overflow with thankfulness.”

If you’re following Jesus, you want to grow into maturity to look like him which means you have to create habits that allow you to be watered and receive the TLC needed to grow into the likeness of Christ. Make today the day you commit to reading the Bible every day. There are lots of ways to do that. The YouVersion app is one easy way. The app has all versions of the Bible ever printed and it has many study guides that vary in length.

Start today creating a prayerful life. Just start talking to God and revealing your heart. You don’t have to “know” how to pray. It’s just a conversation with God about life, direction, gaining wisdom and how to follow.

Determine today you are going to allow yourself to become someone who has a servant lifestyle. There are lots of ways to create a path with others to be service minded. Look into any number of ministries at the church you attend. What brings you joy? What makes you happy? Talk to your pastor about ways to plug in and get going. You could also check your city’s website under the “non-profit” tab. That would open up lots of opportunities to find ways to serve other people.

Make time to write down your faith story so you know it and can share it in a 3-5 minute opportunity. It’s important that you know how and why you came to follow Jesus. Getting to know your story is important because you need to tell your children and grandchildren how important that decision was for you and the life change it could bring for them.

If you are going to grow, then you have to create a well-worn pathway to Jesus and a community of believers. Growing like Jesus will be empowered by the Holy Spirit but it will not happen in a vacuum. You have to determine to create habits that will allow you to be watered and tended by the greatest gardener of all time: Jesus Christ.

Blessings on your journey!

Falling in Love

I played football all through my junior high and senior high school years. I really had fun and learned a lot about team or being a part of a community that has one purpose. I remember one rainy night, we were playing Ozark. We had been backed up about 15 yards outside our goal line and it was time to punt. Our coach called a fake where I received the ball and slipped it under the legs of another running back. I ran the right play but all the blocking and the other running back went the opposite way. I was tackled immediately. An example of what happens when we all aren’t doing what we are supposed to do.

The community of believers, the church, is much the same way. Jesus says in John 13:34 that he’s given us, his disciples, a new command to love each other just like He’s loved us. The Greek word used there is agape which means unconditional love…no strings attached. Jesus says the world will know we are followers of Jesus when we love unconditionally.

Agape means “I love you in spite of…”. In spite of the hurtful words you said or the way you treated my spouse. In spite of you neglecting my children by not inviting them or in spite of the lifestyle you choose instead of what I think you should have chosen.

You see, that is how Jesus loves you. He loves you in spite of the sin in your life. He loves you in spite of the poor decision making that has plagued you. He loves you in spite of you being you. Paul reminds us of that in Romans 5 where he says, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

So he calls us to imitate him and when we do, the world will take notice. They will see the beautiful story of Jesus through our actions and words. “Love people as I have loved you.” When we decide to love no matter what, then we know God and our life becomes a beautiful representation of how we have been loved by a beautifully risen Savior.

Beautifully together

I love watching “How It’s Made” on Discovery Channel. Learning how things work is interesting. Every part has it’s place. Without a given part, proper function cannot be achieved.

The church is the same. Each and every one of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus has been given a gift. Some of us have multiple gifts. Each of us are called to use our gift to build up the church and be a light on the hill, pointing people to Jesus.

Regretfully, some of us are content with sitting on the sideline, allowing other followers to do the work of making disciples and serving those around us. Paul tells us in Romans 12, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all BELONG to EACH OTHER.”

Paul continues this idea in 1 Corinthians 12 when he says, “a spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” Did you hear that? Each of us should be serving one another in love. Each of us should be in the game. Each of us need one another. If you are simply showing up on Sunday morning and not involved in using your gifts in ministry then you aren’t fulfilling your calling through Christ.

If each of us buy in to the life Jesus has called us, then we have purpose and help those around us. So, what do you believe your gifts are? How do you think you can be involved in the story of God? Write down three things at which you believe you are good. Then, ask three close friends in your life to tell you what you are good at as well (only one of those three can be a family member). Compare your list. My guess is a least one of the things on all those lists will bubble to the top. Dig in and help tell the story of Jesus. Today is tomorrow. You can do it.

Crazy for Jesus

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:13-14, “If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us.”

As we discover how we are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we are reminded that the world thinks we are crazy for following Jesus. Each of us are commissioned as disciples to live each day giving God glory through our words and actions with every fiber of our being. So, how are you living out your love with Jesus through your emotions, your thinking, your spirituality, and your physical life?

In his books, “Love Does” and “Everyone Always”, Bob Goff shows how he has decided to be a light on the hill for Jesus be standing for children’s rights all over the world and taking on witchdoctors in Uganda, Africa. He’s using his law degree and his heart to show his discipleship.

You and I may never go worldwide with our message of Jesus but what about your own community? How are you showing the love of Jesus at your workplace, in your school, in your neighborhood, with your family and friends? But, who’s to say you couldn’t go worldwide to share the message of Jesus using your gifts? Anything is possible with God!

So my encouragement to you this Monday is that you get risky! You step out. You make a decision today to do something crazy for Jesus! The world is in desperate need of the light you hold within you. Don’t wait. Get your journal out right now. Write down ways right around you that you can use your giftedness to make a difference for Jesus Christ.

I want the world to know that Jesus is more than a formula. I want them to know I’m a satisfied customer. He can and will change your world for the better. He already has so let’s show the world we are a little crazy…for the one who did something extraordinary for us! May the Spirit guide you and direct you. May the peace of Christ live in you. May your light shine brightly!

Listening to God

Take a moment and time yourself. Sit quietly for 3 minutes, eyes closed, center yourself trusting God will place some word or phrase on your heart. God does interact with us all the time. We many times do not take the time to listen. How do you create space to hear from God? How packed is your day with extra items? When have you intentionally created margin in your day to hear from God?

James, the half-brother of Jesus, says in James 4:2, “You want but you don’t have, so you scheme to get it. You are jealous of others but you can’t get it. You don’t have what you want BECAUSE you don’t ask God for it.” And if you’re in dialogue with God, he’s going to answer you in some way.

As disciples of Christ, you and I are called to create the conditions on our end to hear God’s voice in our life. So, what are some ways I do that? Even though I’m a pastor and am constantly working on the “next sermon”, I have my own personal Bible study to hear God’s voice through scripture. I have a persistent prayer life, almost never saying “amen” because as I think, drive, walk, I’m praying. I keep a journal and write down spiritual and life thoughts as the week rolls on. I do my best to surround myself with positive, spiritual-led people so that I stay focused and encouraged. I create space for silence meaning no radio, no podcasts, no talking, no social media…just empty space to hear God speaking to me.

Paul calls us to be “transformed” (Romans 12:1-2). Stop putting it off. It’s time to create the space to be transformed into the beautiful creation you were meant to be in Jesus Christ. May God bless you as you start this journey toward a life with margin to hear God’s voice speak into your life.