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Monthly Archives: July 2011

When God reveals himself in the strangest of places

29 Jul

As I searched high and low in every place I had been, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “how on earth did I lose my wallet?”  Since freeman year of high school, I have had the exact same brown, American Eagle wallet.  It has served me well by carrying my driver’s license, school ID, coffee house punch card, and on a good day, a little bit of cash.  But I had lost it.  Somewhere between work and home, my wallet had freed itself from the eternal confines of my back right pocket.  (I tried to switch to my back left pocket once, as per the directions of George from Seinfeld, but that didn’t turn out too well).

So I searched high and low: around my desk, on the floor of my room, underneath my bed, but it was nowhere to be found.  The worst part was, I was already late for a meeting.  So I decided to take the risk: I was going to drive without my wallet on me.

I hopped in the car, quickly checking over my shoulder to make sure the fuzz wasn’t trying to catch me riding dirty (rap reference for the win), and reached down inside my center counsel to get out my GPS.

Then, lo and behold, there she was, crowned in all the majesty that a piece of brown leather could have, my wallet.  She had returned to me in the last place I thought she would be.

Logically, I know I must have put my wallet in there at some point in time.  But I do not remember doing so.  I’m still convinced that she jumped ship, found a way to open the compartment without the use of thumbs, and snuggled up for a nap in my car.

It was strange finding my wallet in the last place I’d ever look.

And the amazing part is, I had a similar thing happen with God this morning.

I’m preaching this weekend on an incredible strange passage (Philippians 2:19-30), and though I had already spent several hours studying the passage, I was struggling more than normal to bring some kind of lesson out of it.  So I woke up early this morning and planned to read all of Philippians, cover to cover, just to get a feel for the whole context surrounding the passage.

As soon as I was done reading, something hit me.  Something deep down inside me moved like nothing ever had before: that Chick-fil-a spicy sandwich I had for lunch yesterday.  I won’t get more graphic than that, but business had to be taken care of.

I sat down on the toilet, and was just thinking over Philippians, something else hit me.  No, not the sandwich again, this was something that can only be described as divine illumination.

The passage finally clicked, and I was able to write the outline for my sermon in a matter of minutes.

I had hoped and expected that God would meet me while I was actually studying the passage.  But that’s not how it happened.  God found me in the strangest of places (on the toilet) and decided at that moment to allow the right neurons in my brain to fire and realize what he wanted to me to teach on.  God’s pretty awesome like that.

But here’s my question for you: If God were to reveal himself in a strange place, would you notice him?

 
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Posted by on July 29, 2011 in Bible, Teaching and Preaching, Time with God, Uncategorized

 

Theology Thursday: Why Jesus has to be God

28 Jul

Just about every time I hear an atheist or agnostic talk about Christianity, they will usually say something along the lines of “I think Jesus was a pretty great guy.  He taught a lot of good lessons.  But there was no way he was actually God.”  They accept the existence of the man we call Jesus, but they never recognize the God we call Jesus.

Their assessment of Jesus is half right: Jesus was man.  He had a human body, human mind, human soul, human will, etc.  They are very true on that.

 

But when they say that Jesus was not God, they’re missing out on something of unquestionable importance.

I could pull out passage after passage from the Bible to explain how we know that Jesus is God, but instead I’ll take a much simpler approach: quoting Athanasius.

Only God can create, therefore only God can recreate.  God had created human beings out of nothing, but because of sin they had fallen and were threatened by nothingness again.  Only God can create them out of nothing.  Only God can recreate and save them from the nothingness and restore them to himself

In other words, God, including the person of Jesus Christ, was solely responsible for creation.  Anything that has been created after is merely a natural product of the original creation; the one made by God.

And since only God is able to create, it is only God that can recreate.

God is the only one who could recreate us after we fell into sin and destruction.

If Jesus was just a man, the re-creation that happened on the cross could never take place.

We would still be dead to God.

But that’s not how it is.  Jesus is God.  And since He is God, he was able to recreate us and save us from our sins.

So praise God for that!

 
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Posted by on July 28, 2011 in Theology Thursday

 

5 reasons college freshman should find a new church

27 Jul

Last week, I tweeted about something horrible–something that absolutely broke my heart.  I said, “Just saw my first back to school commercial. Old Navy, you just ruined summer.”  Though the commercial had an incredibly catchy song in it, that didn’t help to hide the shock and pain I felt when I realized they were talking about school.

With the ever-approaching classes ahead, there also comes a great migration of 18 and 19 year-olds heading off to college for the first time in their lives.  With this new transition, you will also be transitioning out of your home church.  Sadly, that means you’ll have to say goodbye to your youth pastor, worship leader, and that crazy guy who sits in the same pew every week and mumbles to himself.  But with that sadness comes a new time of excitement: when you get to choose a new church!

Copyright 2011 http://www.sxc.hu

“A new church,” you’re thinking, “I could never find a new church that’s as awesome as my home church.”  But before you think too quickly, here are five reasons to discover a new church during your freshman year of college:

  • Church shopping can create community: A professor of mine once taught me that, “a shared experience, whether positive or negative, still creates emotional bonds with those who participated.”  In other words, if you go church shopping with a bunch of friends, it doesn’t matter how much you enjoyed the service; that shared experience will still bring you closer together.
  • Only time it’s OK to leave your home church: At any other point in your life, it wouldn’t be acceptable to leave your home church with every intention of coming back.  Think about when you’re 35: if you decide “I’m gonna stop going to this church for 9 months a year,” the church leadership will probably question your decision (as they should). But, as you enter college, your home church should be more than accepting of you finding a new church family while you’re at school.
  • A new church can help you plug into the community: I remember my freshman year of college, when I attended The River in Marion, Indiana.  In my first two months serving there, I helped Pastor Matthew distribute over 800 flyers to houses in town.  That one Saturday afternoon showed me more of the city than any class ever could have.  I guarantee if you volunteer at a new church, you’ll begin to see your college town as more than just “the town where my college is.”
  • A new church can broaden your views: If you’ve attended the same church for most of your spiritual life then I’m about to rock your world.  Believe it or not, there are actually other types of churches out there.  I know, I know.  You thought your comfy home church is the exact same as the church down the road.  That’s simply not true.  Every church has its own unique personality: the music will be different, the teaching will be different, the theological views will be different (even within the same denomination), and the overall “feel” of the church will be different.  As you try out new churches, you may actually find that you like a different type of church than the one you’ve grown up with.
  • You’ve got a great gift to share: God created you special.  Very special, in fact.  One of a kind.  You have a very specific set of gifts that God has entrusted to you for the greater good of the Church.  You may be amazing with kids.  Maybe you’re an encourager.  Maybe you’re a prayer warrior.  Maybe you’re a fantastic small group leader.  Or maybe you’ve got another great gift that God currently uses at your home church.  This fall, as you head off to school, remember that God still wants to use that gift for his bride.  There’s some church in your college town who needs your presence.

While these are some great points for finding a new church when you leave for college, I do have to add a disclaimer: don’t lose touch with your home church.  They’re called your home church for a reason.  Remember to go visit them every time your’e home, and continually keep them in your prayers.

Question: What was your “church” experience like during your freshman year of college?

 
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Posted by on July 27, 2011 in Churches

 

13 Reasons to have hope in God.

26 Jul

Every once in a while, I will look through my Moleskine notebook at the things I’ve written in the past.  I literally use this notebook for anything and everything: from a personal journal to scratch paper at meetings.

Moleskine and a Bible. Great combination.

As I looked through it, I found the following verse written down: Lamentations 22-24.  That’s all it said.  So, naturally, I went to http://www.biblegateway.com to find out what it said:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  ’The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore, I will hope in him.”

That’s a beautiful verse to remember: that God’s graces are new each and every day.  Simply beautiful.

Then a few weeks ago, my friend Journey (yes, that’s her actual name–awesome, I know) texted me that verse, and I was intrigued to look it up in my Bible (not online).  And that’s when I noticed the most astounding thing about this passage: Jeremiah wasn’t in a good place when he wrote it.  In fact, if you look at the context, he had everything in the world to complain about:

  1. He is in a dark place because of God’s wrath.
  2. God has turned his hand against him.
  3. He flesh and skin were decaying.
  4. He has been in a major depression.
  5. He has been held captive in chains.
  6. God hasn’t answered any of his prayers.
  7. He feels trapped by God.
  8. He’s been shot in the kidney with an arrow.
  9. He is the laughingstock of his people.
  10. He’s been forced to chew gravel.
  11. He’s been covered in ashes.
  12. He is so depressed that he can’t remember what happiness is.
  13. He’s had worms living under his skin.

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases!”  Despite all the crap in his life, Jeremiah still had hope in God.  He had 13 reasons to complain like crazy and be ticked at God, but he turned those reasons to complain into reasons to have hope.

The next time you feel like complaining, take a look at this passage.  Jeremiah went through hell and still had hope in God.

Can you do the same?

 
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Posted by on July 26, 2011 in Bible, Time with God

 

Is your “welcoming team” doing their job?

25 Jul

Last weekend, I was in California for a friend’s wedding (it was great! Thanks for asking).  The day after the wedding, I decided to visit The Rock, a mega church in San Diego, California, with hopes of seeing Pastor Mile McPhereson deliver a great sermon, and hopefully learn some things by attending a new church for a weekend.

So a group of us headed to The Rock and had an interesting conversation in the car ride: everybody else had the notion that mega churches were way too large, unwelcoming, and you always feel like you don’t know anybody.  Being a fan of mega churches myself, I countered their opinions saying ,”sure, you may not get to know the senior pastor, but the real community in a mega church happens with other people on staff, not the main pastor.”  The conversation went on for a few minutes until I decided to test their theory.

I walked into The Rock with a friend, both of us had the completely blank “I’m lost” look on our faces.  You know the one: walking slowly, staring around trying to take in the scenery, purposefully making it look like it was our first time there.

I expected a greeter or other volunteer to see our dazed and confused looks and politely say hello and welcome us to their church.

But that didn’t happen.

Nobody talked to us.

Nobody welcomed us.

Nobody said “Hey, welcome to the Rock.”

Not a one.

So I started looking around, thinking maybe they were low on staff that weekend.  But, in the hour we were in the lobby, I counted 15 volunteers/staff members, all of which had name tags and “The Rock” shirts on, and not a single one came up to greet us. In fact, the longest conversation I had with anybody from the church was with Miles McPhereson himself.  (He asked if there was anybody visiting from out of town. I raised my hand, and we had a 30 second conversation.  He’s a pretty great guy).  But besides that, not a single word was spoken to me from another volunteer.

I want to think this was just a fluke.

I want to think that The Rock is normally much better at welcoming newcomers.

I want to think that every church I’ve attended is much better at this.

But I’m afraid I’m wrong.

I’m honestly afraid that our carefully recruited and specifically assigned “welcoming teams” aren’t doing the great job we think they are.

So here’s my challenge for anyone who reads this blog (and that includes myself): be a welcomer.  Not necessarily a volunteer who stands at the door and greets each and every person, but more of the sort that naturally greets people you see in the church.  Walking down a hallway and pass somebody?  Say hello.  Standing in the lobby with a group of friends?  Seek out those without a group of friends in the room.

Let’s help the Church become a place where people feel welcomed and loved.  But that’s not the staff’s job, it’s all our jobs. Be a welcomer.

Question: Have you ever had a similar experience at a new church?  Did you feel welcomed? 

 
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Posted by on July 25, 2011 in Churches

 
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