A flashback from a couple of years ago. Something to think about as you go about your Saturday before Easter today.
Friday Flashback – March 25
Articles and Blogs
4 Ways to Cling to the Lord – Sam Storms on Crossway.org
7 Simple Steps to Refresh Your Prayer Life – John Piper
Cohabitation and Church Attendance Factor into Likelihood of Divorce – Aaron Earls
Worth Repeating
“Faith is acting like something is so even when it is not so in order that it might be so simply because God said so.” – Dr. Tony Evans @drtonyevans
“God’s ultimate purpose for you is not limited by today’s present reality.” – Louie Giglio @louiegiglio
“A pessimist is somebody who complains about the noise when opportunity knocks!”
— Oscar Wilde (from Twitter feed of @ikereighard )
“Until I learn to master myself, I cannot learn to be a servant of others. Lord, teach me how to do both.” @DrDavidLAllen
“You will never meet a pessimist who regularly spends time with God…because connecting with our Creator always changes our perspective.” @BenWallis79
Another Look
No Leftovers This Easter
During a Tuesday visit to the Temple, Jesus observed a magnanimous display of sacrifice.
As He looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” – Luke 21:1-4
Jesus watched lots of people parade past the offering box that Tuesday. Some left large, substantial donations, others brought what they thought to be a sufficient amount to assuage their conscience and help them feel good about themselves for fulfilling their religious duty.
A dear woman obviously of meager means offered what seemed to some a pittance, to others one so insignificant that she shouldn’t have bothered, and to still others an embarrassment. However, of all the worshipers that day, she caught Jesus’ attention, not for the size of her gift, but for the size of her sacrifice. Everyone else that day brought what they could spare, but she brought all that she had.
What do we bring to Jesus? Our spare time? Our left over money? What is left of our brain at the end of a day? Whatever open spots we might find on our calendar? We have mastered the skill of giving up just enough to look good to others and feel good about ourselves, but Jesus knows what of our treasures (possessions, time, talents, relationships, attitudes, among others) we hold back for ourselves.
Let’s reassess our priorities this Easter season. After all, Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) Let’s give Him “all we have to live on” from every area of our lives.
Sunday Sermon Flashback – Good News for a Change
Yesterday at Bellevue Baptist Church, our choir and worship team presented a wonderful worship experience through our Easter cantata. Unfortunately, due to copyright restrictions, we are unable to post the music here, so please enjoy this encore presentation of Last Year’s Easter Sermon – my first sermon as Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church.
Plan to join us next Sunday, Easter Sunday 2016, as we celebrate our risen Savior. Our theme is The Hope of Easter. I hope to see you there. Sunrise service is at 7:30 a.m. followed by breakfast. Sunday school is at 9:15, and our Easter Worship Celebration is at 10:30.
Flashback Friday – March 18
Articles and Blogs
A Call for “Drive-by” Praying – Chuck Lawless
3 Ways Disrespect Poisons the Presidential Race – Michael Hyatt
Worth Repeating
“If you sacrifice principle trying to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.” – John Wooden from @SportsMotto
“If ‘whosoever will’ can’t come to your church & be welcomed into the family, you don’t have a church, you have a society of Pharisees.” – Michael Catt from @MichaelCatt
“Take heart! You are just one encounter with God away from an entirely different life!” – Richard Blackaby @richardblackaby
“Character matters because you bring who you are into everything you do.” – Carey Nieuwhof
Another Look
When Good Is Bad
The devil is not stupid.
Most followers of Jesus that I know would never fall for the devil’s temptation to do something really bad. At least not at first. The devil’s usual strategy is to DISTRACT us by getting us so busy doing GOOD things that we have little time or energy left for the BEST things. Then when we have neglected the BEST things long enough, we begin to tire of doing the GOOD things and before we know it, we have slipped and done a BAD thing.
In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul began with the prayer that he had been praying for them. He prayed that they would grow in their discernment so that they would be able to determine what was not merely good, but EXCELLENT. (Philippians 1:9-10)
In a recent video blog, I shared a story from a book by John Avant about a General during Operation Desert Storm who had to choose to do something excellent over something good. You can view the vlog here.
Let me encourage you to regularly take the time to evaluate both your priorities and your pursuits. Do you let the urgent crowd out the important? Do you spend an inordinate amount of time greasing squeaky wheels?
My prayer for you is the same as Paul’s prayer for the Philippian Christians, and it is the same prayer I regularly pray for myself. I pray that God will cause our knowledge and power of discernment to grow so that we can be more intentional about doing the EXCELLENT things in life.
I get tired of chasing jelly jars, putting out fires, greasing squeaky wheels…whatever euphemism you wish to employ. May God grant us an ever-increasing ability to intentionally and passionately pursue what is EXCELLENT.
REFLECT:
With what activities and priorities does the devil distract you so that you miss out on the most EXCELLENT pursuits?
Specifically, what is one thing you will do TODAY to be more INTENTIONAL about growing in your knowledge and discernment?
Sunday Sermon – One Year Later
Looking back at the sermon I preached when called to be pastor at Bellevue, March 22, 2015 and considering where we’ve come in the last year.
“The BEST is YET to COME!” Why can we believe that for our church?
We can believe God will do greater works because…
- The PRESENCE of God is with us (vs 4-5)
- The POWER of God is working for us (vs 6-8)
- The PLAN of God is guiding us (vs 9)
What is OUR ROLE? (vs 4-5)
- COMMITMENT – Be strong
- PARTICIPATION – Work
- FAITH – Fear Not
Faith looks:
UPWARD not self-ward
FORWARD not backward
OUTWARD not inward
“If you’re going to pray for RAIN, you better take an UMBRELLA.”
3 Positives:
strong core leadership
exciting atmosphere
effectively inviting others
3 Challenges:
don’t panic
look FORWARD
stay focused on the mission
My challenge to you today: take ONE STEP FORWARD
Flashback Friday – March 11
Articles and Blogs
Inject Your Prayer List with Life – P.J. Tibayan on www.desiringgod.org
4 Reasons to Remember Your Creator in the Days of Your Youth – David Murray
Why It’s Wrong to Take the Lord’s Name in Vain – from Crossway Publishers
Your Single Most Important Habit – David Mathis at www.desiringgod.org
10 Misconceptions About the Church – Brad Bridges
Reading the Bible to Meet God – Barnabas Piper
Worth Repeating
“If you would support the teachings of Jesus, make certain that in the process you also reflect the character of Jesus.” – Richard Blackaby @richardblackaby
” Your most important work is always ahead of you, never behind you.” -Stephen Covey seen on Twitter @davidjeremiah
“Lord, paint upon the eyeballs of my soul the image of thy Son.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“Don’t mistake a crowd for a church. You can build a crowd by personality. But you can only build a church by the Word.” – Tony Merida – from Twitter his account @tonymerida
Another Look
What March Madness Teaches Us About Intentional Living
March Madness has begun. Most college basketball teams are playing in their conference tournaments determining which teams will move on to the national “dance” – The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. College basketball is a big deal…and even bigger deal in March. All of the “hoop”-la to win that big ol’ trophy.
No NCAA Championship team began the season without a vision of how they would win enough regular season games, win the conference championship, and win their way through the national tourney to be crowned champions. No championship is won accidentally; champions win on purpose. No team just shows up to play, tosses the ball around, and plays to “make the best” of each game as it comes. Champions work hard for their championship, and they play a full season with (here comes my word again)…intentionality. From the opening practice until the buzzer of the final game they work hard with a singular goal: win the trophy.
Sadly many believers drift through life without a game plan for a successful spiritual journey. Consider the sense of purpose Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Corinthian church:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
“So run,” he says. “I do not run aimlessly,” he testifies. “I discipline my body,” he demonstrates. Purpose. Intentionality. Vision.
What is your game plan? What are you doing to win in the important areas of your life? Your spiritual development? Your marriage? Your relationship with your kids? Other important facets of you life? What is the game plan?
Let me encourage you to answer four questions for yourself today.
- What are the most important relationships in my life?
- What would “winning” look like in each of those relationships?
- What’s the score right now in each of those relationships?
- What are one or two things I can do today to start running better in those areas?
Ask God to give you honest insight into your own life and ask Him to give you wisdom and strength to make the necessary changes to begin living intentionally in those areas. Run to win. Run with purpose. Run with self-control.
Did You Do That on Purpose?
Whether in our Christian development, our marriage, our relationship with our kids, our jobs, or any other facet of life, we live in one of two ways. Either we react to things as they come or we proactively live with intention in these important life areas. We either respond to what life throws at us, or we approach life with purpose and intention. Consider a lesson from a Bible hero named Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs… Daniel 1:8-9
When faced with a decision to capitulate and conform to others around him, Daniel “resolved” to maintain his character. The word translated into the singular word “resolved” is actually a Hebrew phrase literally rendered “set his heart.” Some translations render the phrase “purpose.” I like that.
Daniel would be challenged by the threat of the lions’ den and his three friends by the threat of a fiery furnace. All four at their moments of decision resolutely chose character over capitulation. Why? Not because they took a moment to pray about and weight the pros and cons, but because they had made the decision long ago – well before the pressure moment. They had a plan; they lived INTENTIONALLY.
Intentional living worked out really well for Daniel. He went from the lions’ den to Vice-Emperor. His three friends found favor among their leaders and rose to positions of responsibility in the kingdom. They did it not by chance or luck, but by intentionality in the Hand of God’s providence.
How are you living the most important accounts in your life? Do you have an intentional plan to grow spiritually? To enhance your marriage? To lead your children? To use your job and other activities for God’s glory? Or…do you just leave it all up to chance, trying to “keep the plates spinning,” “tread water,” “take it one day at a time as life comes,” or any number of other reaction-centered clichés? Things do not improve accidentally. You can’t wait on someone else to do “their part.” You must choose to take the necessary steps to live intentionally.
Here is my challenge to you for today.
Choose 1 thing you will begin doing immediately and intentionally…
- to delve into deeper intimacy with Jesus,
- to enhance your marriage,
- to positively affect your kids.
That’s a pretty good start right there. Do it… INTENTIONALLY.
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” – Jedi Yoda