The Sweetest Frame

It's a new year and another reminder of who we would like our best selves to be.  What is the best version of you?  Someone skinnier? Healthier? More outgoing? Disciplined? 2018 Resolution - Catch More Fish I find it interesting that for many people the new year brings this thought to mind -  "What can I do to bring out the best version of myself?" I'd say maybe the most impressive people are those who make no resolutions because they are always working on the best versions of themselves.  Those kind of people also make me sick.  ;) On Christmas Eve, I was really challenged to stop neglecting the people and grace I already have in my life for whatever I felt was missing at the time.   Sometimes we miss the grace that God has put right under our nose because we are looking for the next thing.  I want to be thankful in the moment for every blessing and opportunity I already have.  From my devotions this morning: "As water reflect...

I'm very excited and blessed to be pastoring at CrossLife Church in Indianapolis.  I hope to be blogging more often, but I probably will be posting on the church site rather than here on this blog. I'm so glad to be preaching and teaching again and I'm looking forward to growing together with some great people on the south side. If you'd like to follow any of my messages, you can get them from the  podcasts on iTunes  or straight from  the church website.

"I know what I'm doing." "I've already tried that." "I'm tired." I've told the Lord all these things before.   And then he reminds me that He knows what He's doing - much more than I know what I'm doing. Luke 5:5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” You know the end of the story.  They haul in a huge amount of fish and these disciples end up leaving their livelihood to follow Christ. Lord, forgive me for the times I think I can figure it out all when I just need to be following you.

I was reading in Mark today about the Lord's crucifixion. And then it hit me again - Jesus lived the most significant life ever lived and yet he only lived to 33. All around we see everyone trying to extend their days. Diets, exercise, fountains of youth, it seems like everyone is trying to live as long as they can rather than to live as meaningfully as they can. There's nothing wrong with living a long full life, but maybe my focus should be on meaning rather than on distance. What have been the most meaningful days in your life? What would you consider significant?

Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.  (Mark 12:12 NIV) How many times our are own actions changed because we are afraid of the crowd?

Oh how I need this reminder... For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:35 NIV) Lose your life. 

"No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them. - Numbers 23:21 Balaam is being paid to curse, but he can only bless God's people. I love the description of God's presence with His people - The Shout of a King is among them. I look forward to the day, when the Lord Himself will descend with a shout and all things will be "right" again.

In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked. The Lord said, “Go up.” David asked, “Where shall I go?” “To Hebron,” the Lord answered. (2 Samuel 2:1 NIV) It's something very simple, but I see it over and over again in Samuel. David inquired of The Lord. It was a regular part of his decision making. Maybe sometimes all will really need to do is ask. Lord, knit our heart to yours so that we are always inquiring of You.

I have the privilege of working with the Free Will Baptist Media Commission. Hopefully next Sunday you'll be able to view the National Association of Free Will Baptist Services on blogs just like this one.

Today was a pretty incredible day. I was able to meet my new nephew for the first time. He was full of energy! I'm so excited for my brother and his family and I know God is going to do amazing things through them. A few years back, I remember sitting in a church service after they had lost baby Miles, and I specifically remember the pastor that day encouraging us all NOT to quote this passage to Tyler and his family... 1 Corinthians 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. This was the passage in my devotions tonight.  That pastor that day said this passage does NOT mean you'll be able to handle any situation that is thrown your way.  He said that you will encounter things in life that ...

Try breaking this one down... "Why is it that it isn't only the sinner who suffers from their sin?" Why does God allow our sin to break the hearts of those we love?  We are bound together so much more than we know and often times we don't see it until we face the suffering of those that we love. Lord, we don't understand.  Heal us and heal those that we love.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. I've been really chewing on this verse the last couple of days. The message of Jesus is foolish to those who are perishing. They don't get it. It doesn't make sense that the death of a Jewish man brings life to the world. But to those who are being saved, this message isn't foolish, it is literally God's power at work. It is changing, remaking, renewing lives every day. It's not my job to decide who should hear it. I just need to tell it.

Really enjoying this song "Chains Hit the Ground" from Leeland...

Judges 15 13 “Agreed,” they answered. “We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock. 14 As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. 15Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. 16 Then Samson said, “With a donkey’s jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey’s jawbone I have killed a thousand men.” Samson killed 1000 men with a jawbone. It's such an amazing feat that I don't think I've ever heard equaled by any fighting man. It's no wonder that this place became known as Jawbone Hill.  But what shouldn't be lost from this passage is this sentence "The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him."  Samson was able to do what he did only because he was empower...

I found this idea while reading about Gideon this morning... Judges 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. Gideon feels that he has just seen God face to face and is probably amazed to hear the angel of the Lord tell him that he will not die. And yet, when he takes instructions from God - the one who holds life in his hands - Gideon is afraid to carry them out in the daytime because of the men of his village and because of his family. Of course, Gideon was right, they were going to kill him. You would think that if God told you to do something that you would be more afraid of God than anyone else, but it's not easy to overcome our fears and habits. I think I'm not so hard on Gideon as I used to be.   Lord give us an unwavering faith in you.  Hold us up when our fears and old habits cause us to doubt.  Use our lives, even as ...

I've started reading the book of Judges again.  Nothing profound, but just a simple reminder that if you leave a little sin hanging around, it will come back to destroy you.

I love the idea "rescue is coming."  Unfortunately, as I read the 16th chapter of Revelation we also see "wrath is coming."  These will be some of the worst days that man has ever known.  But even as wrath is revealed the cry comes that God is always just. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; 6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” 7 And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.” There have been awakenings in church history where the preaching about God's wrath seemed to push people to Christ. I wonder if there will be any more "Great Awakenings" before these events become reality?

We heard some excellent preaching at the Indiana FWB Men's retreat this weekend.  While listening to a sermon about Joshua, something struck me from this passage in Joshua 24: 24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.” 25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD. 27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”  28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance. Notice that the stone has "heard" all the words the Lord had said.  You've heard the phrase "if these walls could speak..."  My mind started wondering, Jesus speaks ab...

Eventually the Lord's Prayer is answered - Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done... Revelation 11:15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Someday soon, the Kingdom will come and Christ will reign victorious.

As I listened to a powerful message about Life from Matt Chandler all I could think about was how could I convey my love for life and my hatred for abortion.  And I think I finally realized that we don't need a bunch of men's voices sharing their opinions on the subject as much as we need godly women to speak clearly about the biblical perspective of life.  The unborn desperately need a woman's voice to cry out on their behalf. You can listen to Matt's message on life  if you like.  I don't think you will be disappointed.