Grace Crossing - A Community Church of Christ

The Misfits

2009-07-13T10:41:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago I embarked on a great journey to the mid-west. The guys in my band, one our best friends & I traveled to the much anticipated Cornerstone Festival in Illinois. Cornerstone is a very unique festival that has helped to usher in the rock side of Christian music for a couple decades. This years headliners were: Reliant K, Family Force 5, Red, Emery, Brian "Head" Welch, Anberlin, The Devil Wears Prada, & UnderOath...just to name a few.

There are many many...too many stages at Cornerstone. You can't even begin to consume all of the music surrounding you sometime berating you from 11 am to 1 am the next morning. But as the week wore on and we played shows and enjoyed more music...I began to realize there was much more to Cornerstone than meets the eye.

Here at this 500 acre farm in the middle of nowhere was one of the most unique collections of the Body of Christ I had ever witnessed. There were as many tattoo's & piercings as most biker rallies. There were people there to worship God in many different forms and through many different "styles" of worship. There were some there that were not Christians, and they were being wrapped up by the music and drawn into the presence of God even when that was not their intent.

I was reading the Gospel of Luke a couple of days ago and this scripture reminded me of my experience up in the cornfields of Cornerstone: "Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." Luke 14:12-14

So who are you spending your time with? Those who people would expect you to...or those who need to be shown the love of Christ, the socially unacceptable, the far from God, the misfits?

The Big Picture

2009-06-11T15:26:00.000-05:00

My daughter (almost 2 & 1/2) has a new fascination...she loves movies. We have to limit her to 1 per day right now...only one Enchanted, Mary Poppins, Bolt, Baby Einstein or what ever the favorite of the week is. She rarely if ever makes it all the way through one but she loves to sit in her little car with her name stitched in it and watch a movie. Her idea of a movie is one on the 13 inch TV that is in her room.

So a couple of weeks ago with the release of the new animated movie "Up", Megan and I decided to take here to here first movie theater experience. We told her that we were going to go see a big movie. She kept saying "big movie?", and we'd have to reiterate...yes we're going to see a big movie. So we got to movie theater bought our tickets then went to go get some dinner. When we came back we gave our ticket and started heading in. I asked her if she wanted to hold her ticket, she said yes and took it into her hand.

We walked around the corner and her head and eyes began to look up and up and up at the big screen. She just stared at it. We found some seats and we put her between us in her own seat...it quickly started to fold up on her 23lb petite frame, so I went & found a booster seat. Megan offered her a cookie, which she held in one hand ticket still grasped in the other staring at the previews on the big screen.

Then the previews started and she was glued. "Up" has a short film at the beginning that had thunder and lightning...she jumped a couple of times but was still glued to the big screen. She sat and watched the entire movie, switching seats a couple of times between Megan's lap, her seat, and my lap. It was awesome!

Something interesting happens at the end of Luke:

²⁸As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³²They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"(Luke 24:28-32)

These disciples had been with Jesus over 3 years. They knew him better than anyone, and yet they didn't recognize him until they communed with him and their eyes were open. I think we are much this way. Sometimes this happens with our view of God. We see God and we know that he is wonderful and we enjoy him. We sit in our nice comfortable chair with our name on it (or maybe pew) and watch the movie. We enjoy it and we come back for more but that is about the extent of it.

At some point we traded in the awe and majesty of our Lord for something that falls far short of who he is. We know that he is a big God...but somehow we see him in the box that we are used to. So what does God need to open your eyes to? What have you allowed the Holy Spirit to reveal to you lately. How has Jesus' words so penetrated your hear that you were moved to action?

Is your view of God big...or has it been reduced to what you know?

Journey Together with Prayer

2009-05-19T10:04:00.001-05:00

Last week at our area-wide Youth Ministers Meeting, we were blessed to hear a few words from Robert Oglesby, Jr., the director of the Center of Youth and Family Ministry at Abilene Christian University.

What he shared with us youth ministers was nothing new. It was something of old, yet still something that unfortunately has been discarded and dismissed by many youth ministry programs.

It is the involvement of the teenagers’ parents, specifically parents and not simply adults.

I’m not talking about merely chaperoning. Rather, it’s inviting parents along in the faith journey their own children are on. It’s challenging parents to share their spiritual walk with their teens in the same way we challenge the teens to share. It’s nudging parents to stretch in the same way we nudge our teens to stretch. It’s emphasizing the “and” in “Youth and Family Ministry.” A revisit of Deuteronomy 6 reminds us that this isn’t new. It is God’s design that parents share God’s story with their children.

While we try to intentionally involve our teens’ parents within our youth ministry programming, one way parents can easily join and guide their children in faith in a simple yet astoundingly impactful way is by praying with them.

I know by heart the only prayer I have ever heard my dad say:

“Dear Heavenly Father, We thank thee so much for this day, and we thank thee for this food. Please bless it to the nourishment and health of our bodies. And thank thee for sending Jesus Christ, Your Son, to die for the forgiveness of our sins. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

That prayer was said before every dinner we ate together at home. The very fact that I know it by heart makes me realize a couple things. First, my dad praying before every dinner obviously had a profound impact on my life if I remember that prayer word for word. Secondly, it makes me acutely aware of how much I wish there had been more.

“Prayer is needed for children. Whatever religion we are, we must pray together. Children need to learn to pray, and they need to have their parents pray with them. If we don’t do this, it will become difficult to become holy, to carry on, to strengthen ourselves in faith.”

-- Mother Teresa

The "Nudge"

2009-05-13T15:14:00.000-05:00

You know sometimes you just feel a nudge. Not God speaking audibly to you...but just a nudge from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we listen, sometimes we make excuses, and sometimes we ignore.

This morning I decided to listen this morning after dropping my daughter and mother-in-law off at school. I went to Starbucks! I know what you're thinking...yes I go there often why was this any different than normal. I had choices: Dosey Doe Coffee, Brooklyn Bagel Cafe, or Starbucks. I just had the nudge for some burnt coffee.

So I'm there for about an hour reading, eating a muffin, and drinking coffee. I pack up and begin to walk out when I notice a "business guy" reading his Bible. I can't help myself so I comment "good way to start the day" and point to the Bible. He responds "I try to start this way everyday". I said me to...and he starts to ask me questions. I end up sitting down with Eric as he asks me questions about reaching out to people who need God. He even tells me about growing up in a religious legalistic home and the baggage he carries, but tries not to pass on to his kids.

Well once again God put me in the right spot at the right time. I often expect to talk to an unbeliever in a situation like that. But sometimes we're called to encourage those who are in Christ as well.

So have you felt the "nudge" lately? How did you respond?

Limitless

2009-04-07T16:20:00.002-05:00

Recently, many members in my home congregation in Richardson, TX, have been diagnosed with cancer. One of these is a dear friend of my parents, a woman with adenocarcinoma, which for the uninformed means bad news.

In order to give her, and the rest of the church, a little hope in the face of daunting odds, my dad felt compelled (I believe by the Spirit) to share a story with everyone.

The story of Tate Martin, a 15-year old with cancer one minute and a benign mass the next. As my dad, a doctor, so bluntly put it, "15 year olds don't grow masses in their backs without reason. And those masses don't end up benign without a bigger reason. God heard their prayers and turned that cancer to dust."

I'm not sure which aspect of Tate's story continues to amaze me the most; is it the undeniably God-influenced medical report, or the fact that a congregation in Richardson that sorely needed some hope got it from a teenager they've never met? There was hardly a dry eye in the room afterwards as we were all reminded of a God beyond human understanding, human reason, and most importantly, human limits.

We serve a God that uses one body's suffering to give another body hope, just as he used Jesus to give us hope for eternity. We might not have done it that way, but when it all comes together and we can see the big picture, its beautiful. Who is to say that God didn't lead my sister, Jenna, here to GC4 last summer so that I would be here now so that my parents could hear about Tate's remarkable story so that Richardson East could be blessed by it.

God works outside our "boxes." So sit back and enjoy the love.

"Praise the LORD.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit." Psalm 147:1-5

Jesus in the unexpected

2009-03-11T10:58:00.003-05:00

I just started the Gospel of Mark. After reading 1 Chronicles for the last few weeks this is very refreshing and has a whole different pace. Mark opens up and hits the ground running pretty hard and in your face right from the start. A few verses really struck me.

"Then they entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching. They were surprised at his teaching—so forthright, so confident—not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars." 1:21-22

"They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins." Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, "He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins." 2:4-7

"Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: "What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riffraff?" Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit."2:15-17

"One Sabbath day he was walking through a field of ripe grain. As his disciples made a path, they pulled off heads of grain. The Pharisees told on them to Jesus: "Look, your disciples are breaking Sabbath rules!"Jesus said, "Really? Haven't you ever read what David did when he was hungry, along with those who were with him? How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, with the Chief Priest Abiathar right there watching—holy bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat—and handed it out to his companions?" Then Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren't made to serve the Sabbath. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath. He's in charge!" 2:24-28

It seems that some times those who were religious got so caught up in what was supposed to happen. What they expected to happen. Caught in what their rules told them should happen...that they missed the miracle of what was going on right in front of their eyes.

I know this happens to me to. I show up on Sunday to worship, or Wednesday to my Life Group...or to some other church event...and I have so much in my head, so many responsibilities, so much to do, that I miss the miracle going on right in front of me.

This miracle is that God would allow us to come into his presence. He asks for it. He opens the door for it. He promises his presence when we gather in his name. But we get so caught up in what should happen next, what we think a song should sound like, where a lesson goes or doesn't that we miss the point: Jesus.

Jesus is the point, and he often interrupts the expected and shows up in the unexpected.

New view of worship

2009-02-26T13:50:00.000-06:00

This a quote from Annie Dillard. I have seen this before, but this time it appeared in a book called, "The Dangerous Act of Worship."

"On the whole, I do find Christians, outside of the catacombs sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does not one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, making up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' hats and straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return."

Oh Lord, creator of the heavens and the earth "draw us out to where we can never return" as we worship You.

Heretic

2009-02-09T15:46:00.001-06:00

In the book Tribes that I just finished reading the author had an interesting definition for "heretic". I have always thought of this term in an extremely negative connotation. But the way he described one...it might just describe me!

Here is what he had to say,
"Religion and faith are often confused. Someone who opposes faith is called an atheist and widely reviled. But we don' t have a common word for someone who opposes a particular religion.
Heretic will have to do.
If faith is the foundation of a believe system, then religion is the facade and the landscaping. It's easy to get caught up in the foibles of a corporate culture and the systems that have been built over time, but have nothing at all to do with the faith that built the system in the first place."

Father forgive us for the times we get caught up in the facade and landscaping. Forgive us for the times that we let the system out weigh the relationship. Help us to focus on the foundation of our faith: Jesus Christ. Help us to clearly see the religiosity that keeps us from expressing and living by the Spirit. Help us to be heretics to religion and faithful in our commitment to knowing you.

Leadership

2009-01-29T15:21:00.001-06:00

"Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead. This scarcity makes leadership valuable. If everyone tries to lead all the time, not much happens. It's discomfort that creates the leverage that makes leadership worthwhile.

In other words, if everyone could do it, they would, and it wouldn't be worth much.
It's uncomfortable to stand up in front of strangers.
It's uncomfortable to propose an idea that might fail.
It's uncomfortable to challenge the status quo.
It's uncomfortable to resist the urge to settle.

When you identify the discomfort, you've found the place where a leader is needed."
by Seth Godin from the book "Tribes".

Is that why I like to be uncomfortable and help others into a place of discomfort...?

Prifile of the Lukewarm

2009-01-13T13:23:00.001-06:00

"Lukewarm people attend church fairly regularly. It is expected of them, what they believe 'good Christians' do, so they go."

"Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church...as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?"

"Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives."

"Lukewarm people don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don't genuinely hate sin and aren't truly sorry for it; they're merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don't really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one."

These are all excerpts from the book Crazy Love by Frances Chan. Here is what scripture has to say.

"I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead." Revelation 3:1

"The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men."
Isaiah 29:13

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" Romans 6:1-2

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

Advent: Peace

2008-12-08T14:01:00.000-06:00

I think that ultimately we all believe that we want to be comfortable. "If I could just have enough money...If I could just get the perfect job...If my family would just...If...then..." It's like our only goal is to find a comfortable spot to curl up in and never come out of. Sometimes our idea of peace comes out of our feelings of wanting to be comfortable and we interchange these two ideas.

Comfortable: providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief.
Peace: harmonious relations; freedom from disputes.

You see comfort is a physical experience that promotes well-being. Not a bad thing. But I'm not sure that is really what we are ultimately looking for in life. Peace on the other hand is talking about relationship. I believe most (maybe it could even be said all) of life comes down to relationship. If relationships were properly dealt with, think of all of the terrible things in this world that would cease to exist: war, divorce, legal matters, genocide, hunger, and I could keep going.

I think that everything with in us longs for peace. But it longs for a peace or a minding of relationship with the One from whom we can draw true peace. Jesus made it very clear that he was going to send peace after he left, "I am leaving you with a gift- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid..." (John 14: 27 NLT). He came to correct our relationship with Him. We all have that nagging that there is something wrong in us or that needs to be corrected. We can't fill that void until we're in relationship with Him.

He came to give us peace. He came to be our peace. He came to reconcile us to Him. With out that reconciliation of relationship with Him, we can never truly know peace. Do you have that kind of peace? Do you have that kind of relationship with Him?

Advent: Hope

2008-12-02T14:17:00.000-06:00

The term advent is one that not everyone is familiar with today. For me I think of the little calendar that had hidden doors and chocolate or candy for the person who got to open it that day. But the concept of advent is much greater than a candy strewn calendar count down to Christmas.

Advent is a time that celebrates the coming of Jesus Christ our Savior. It is the period of four weeks prior to Christmas Day. For each of those weeks there is a theme to help us focus on the expectancy of our Lord coming as a small baby in a manger. The four weekly themes are: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

This past week we looked at the hope we have in Jesus as only understood through grace. Romans 5:1-2 paints this picture beautifully: "Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith in to this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the HOPE of the glory of God."

Without this hope in Christ which allows us or grants us reconciliation with him...all we have left to hope in is this world and the things of this world. I don't know about you but as I look at this world it does not promote much hope. However as I trust my life, my very soul to the one who created it and died for it... there is much hope!

So where does your hope lie? Or better yet in whom? I pray that your hope is based on the rock of our salvation: Jesus Christ!

Thankgiving

2008-11-26T14:01:00.002-06:00

I'm sure any of you that happen upon this blog will be expecting something nice and pretty about how important the holiday of Thanksgiving is to me. But that's not exactly what I had in mind as I sat down to write this today.

I'm thankful for my church family and their willingness to reach out to our community and try to live a Life on Loan (if you don't know what I'm talking about then go check out Grace Crossing: Sermon Series ). To come out of church last week and see the cars lining up to go and take food all over the county was unbelievable! I know that it was not a perfect day, most of the time when we are serving God things don't go perfectly, but I know that everyone's hearts were in the right place: on serving others.

I'm thankful to be a part of a servant filled church like ours!

Life on Loan-2: All I Want

2008-10-29T16:26:00.001-05:00

"All I want, All I want, All I want...
Is for You to have my heart for ever...
You are all that I could need."
-by Future of Forestry

As I sit wrapping up a work day filled with meetings, email, reading, more email...a song comes on my computer. The refrain hits me like a ton of bricks: "All I want...is for you to have my heart forever...you are all that I could need." I sit and soak that in for a while.

We are in the middle of a series called "Life on Loan", and it is so easy to get distracted in our day to day mundane places and forget that our life is on loan from God. That sobering place is if we are living in that place of relationship with our Creator, we can't help but to live a life that is seeking him in every activity. In the small things like how we greet and talk to people, and the bigger things like how we will spend the evening or if we will take the time to go shopping (like giving a Thanksgiving meal) for someone else.

You see I want my God to have my heart: eternally. Not just when it's convenient for me. Not just when I happen to think about it. Not just when I'm at church or a Bible study...every moment.

So again read the words to this simple yet profound song:
"All I want, All I want, All I want...
Is for You to have my heart for ever...
You are all that I could need."

Life on Loan-1

2008-10-15T16:46:00.001-05:00

"He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ's followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13)

My life is not my own. I gave it up many years ago when I decided to follow Christ. There was a tough at my heart...I can't explain it any other way. What I had experienced, in my young life, of God transforming peoples lives, rang so true that my only response was to submit. Not submit a part of me: but all.

Jesus payed the price, and what he wants is all of us. Not just a part of us but all. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me"(Galatians 2:20). So it's not my life anymore. My life is on loan from God and all of the gifts talents and even my time are His too.

So it's time for us to act on our potential. It's time for us as a church body to use our gifts and talents to show grace to those we might encounter along the way. It's time to be Grace Crossing, a Community Church of Christ to a lost and dying world. Will you join us in this, the greatest of all adventures, living our very lives for Christ?

Stories after Ike

2008-10-02T13:56:00.003-05:00

I have heard many stories of how people have helped each other out after hurricane Ike. Some of our members have told me that they got to know their neighbors because everyone was spending more time outside on their street. Streets were having meals together so that no one would go with out food. Others were helping each other with trees or other yard work.

Do you have stories like this? Were you helped by someone or did you get to help someone else? This is where we had the opportunity to be the church outside the walls of our building. The stories that are told now will be passed on to generations about how we helped each other out through the aftermath of the storm.

Please comment on this blog with your story. Or you can email your story to me at: eddie.boyer@gc-4.net We'd love to hear from you!

Life After Ike

2008-09-24T13:49:00.002-05:00

Well, you always wonder how people will react after a major catastrophe...for that matter you wonder how you will react!

As I sit here working on a few brochures for an upcoming ministry fair, I received a phone call that puts things back in perspective. A former youth of mine called about a co-worker who lives about 20 minutes from our building. They live in a trailer that was all but destroyed by Ike. FEMA gave them a measly $4,800 to repair.

I know that won't even cover the cost of the roof, let alone the holes and other damage sustained by this individual. This former youth of mine described this individual as someone who is always giving to others, but has a hard time asking for help for herself.

Thank goodness there are some folks that donated on Sunday to help out in these situations. I know that her story will not be the only one, maybe not even the most tragic...but I pray that we respond to them with the grace and peace that God responds with to us even in our darkest hour.

Light

2008-09-10T11:09:00.005-05:00

Light is a funny thing. In a dark place a little light can have a huge impact, in a bright place a large light is barely noticeable. Not enough light and you can't see...too much light...and you can't see either!

In Matthew 5 (Jesus' sermon on the mt.) we are called to be a light. The Message says it this way, "You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept."

Sometimes we shine so brightly that people around us can't see. They can't see the real us the part of us that struggles, the humanity of who we are. They look at us and think, "that can't be real...they seem so fake." On the other hand sometimes we shine so dimly that people can't tell that we are Christians at all, that we have something and someone to live for. Even if they do know we are Christians they might not be able to tell what God has done for our lives.

You see we have to not only show people what we are saved from, but what we are saved for. More on this later!

Driving

2008-09-03T14:08:00.002-05:00

You know a funny thing happens when I am driving...the haze of my life seems to clear. I have covered 10 states and over 7,000 miles in the last 6 weeks (including about 2,200 in 3 days this past weekend). There is something about being with friends on a road trip with the music blaring that helps you see life more clearly. So here are a few thoughts I have had...

1) There are common every day things in life that we take for granted. A bed to sleep on. Real meals. Meals that aren't fast food. A nice shower. Houston humidity. Sitting in a chair. Sometimes we have to look around at our common everyday lives and be thankful...for all of the little things that are around us all the time...except when they're not!

2) Friends. I am very blessed to have friends around me that lift me up. That point me toward Christ. Friends that I can count on in good times and bad. Friends that I can spend 7,000 miles on the road with and still like...and more importantly that still like me!

3) Family. We all love our family. Some are better at expressing it than others, but at certain level all of us feel a loss when there is physical separation. Somehow a phone call is not enough, we need to see and feel our loved ones. When I'm gone from them it reminds me just how much I love them...and how much I am loved!

So what are you taking for granted? Who do you need to express gratitude to? If you're not sure take a road trip, some of you might only need a short trip, for some it might take a bit longer. Either way I pray that you come back more grateful than when you left. I know I did!

“Is this a game? Or is this real?”

2008-09-01T19:35:00.004-05:00

In the 1983 movie War Games, David (played by Matthew Broderick) inadvertently taps into W.O.P.R., the Pentagon computer, then begins playing the game: "Global Thermonuclear War". At one point he asks the computer: “Is this a game? Or is this real?” To which the computer replies: “What’s the difference?”

After finishing our 9 week series on Spiritual Warfare, I feel a bit uneasy. I am just wondering how I can keep up our awareness of the reality of spiritual warfare. Not only is this NOT a game, it is also not just a “sermon series”. My objective was to help make us more aware of the activity of both God and the devil in our daily lives. I worked harder on this than any lessons I have ever done… and yet, now we move on to other biblical topics necessary for a spiritually healthy congregation. It is difficult to let this one go. The truths that I discovered have changed me. I am stronger spiritually because of it. (And for new people that come our way that did not go on this journey of discovery with us this summer? We will make a DVD series available.)

Just remember, spiritual warfare is real…VERY real. (& we're in this together!)

God is Active in YOUR Area

2008-08-25T18:08:00.002-05:00

Traveling on vacation in the mountains of western North Carolina, I noticed that there is a significant difference between the warning sign: “Fallen Rock” and “Falling Rock”. In the 1st case, you are aware that something has already happened. In the 2nd case, you are more alert, as the rocks may have recently fallen (or may still be falling!)

Later, as our family hiked some of the mountain trails, I noticed that there is a significant difference between the warning sign: “Beware of Bears” and the one that said: ”Bears in the Area, Be Alert” (some even added the phrase: “Please report all bear sightings to the rangers office”.) Again, in the 2nd case, I was more alert! (As we enjoyed wild blackberries along one trail, I suddenly remembered that bears like berries too. I was VERY alert!)

My point is this: Why is it that God seems so much more present and active around us when we are in nature? (especially the mountains or the ocean). Do the common, everyday signs cause us to think of God only in the past or future sense? Maybe it would help us if there were signs that said: “God is Active Here”, or maybe “God is in This Area, Be Alert”. In reality, the signs are already there, if you are alert and look for them. (And the next time you see a “God sighting”, be sure to report it to someone.)

Are You ALL There? (Being FULLY Present)

2008-08-19T07:58:00.004-05:00

In Psalm 139:1-12 , we learn how the Lord can be everywhere (omni-present).
After Jesus was raised, He promised His disciples His presence - that He would always be present with them (Mathew 28:20). We learn that God is not only present everywhere, but that He is fully present where He is.

While I was on vacation with my family in the mountains of North Carolina, I was reminded again that I am not “God”. What I mean is, that I cannot be more than one place at a time. No matter how hard I try, I cannot be two places at once.

The good news is: there are many ways that we can be LIKE God. One of the ways that we can be more godly is to be FULLY present wherever we are. Many times my body is one place, but my mind is partly somewhere else (thinking of a previous conversation, or an upcoming meeting, or an idea for a future sermon…). How much better it would be for me to give as close to 100% as I can to whatever I am doing at he time, and especially giving 100% of my attention to whoever I am with at the time.

This reminder has not only been a blessing to my prayer life and a refresher to my relationships, but it has also helped me to enjoy the simple things in life each day (like being alive and taking the next breath). I know that I sure like myself better when I am “all there”. So give it a try. Focus on being fully present wherever you are, whatever you’re doing and with whoever your with. (It should at least help you to be a better driver.)

Mt. Harvard- Part 3

2008-08-18T16:48:00.001-05:00

OK, now for what happened after Mt. Harvard!

We came down the mountain on my birthday and had a great buffalo burger in Buena Vista. They even threw in free dessert (it was my birthday after all)! We stayed that night at Majestic Mountain Ministries and drove down in the morning to do some white water rafting. I knew the youth from the church would be there...so we arrived in time to join them on their expedition.

White water rafting is always a great time. It can be hard but very exhilarating...especially in the cold water. It is lots of fun to do with the youth as many of them have never even used a paddle. I love when they come and try to splash us with water and start a "war". They don't realize that I grew up on the river (in canoe's but the paddles are the same) so I can soak a boat before they get us very wet at all. An especially fun moment happened when a few thought they would come and attack us. I quickly jumped in their boat and before they knew what happened I had taken two of them overboard with me!

That afternoon we helped them pack up for their week and had a great and fun devotional at "the Point". You have the two tallest mountains in Colorado at your back and Twin Lakes in front of you. It is beautiful and you can't help but to sing your praises to God. The next morning we got up and had church out at the Point. It is always great to break bread with folks in that environment. Some how you feel so close to your creator.

I could see that some of our youth had no idea what was in store for them that week. But that is probably a good thing, because God did. He planned to meet with them on that mountain, in the rough times, in the fun times, and in their quiet times. He longs to meet with us and to speak to us. Sometimes we just have to be still and away from the noise long enough to hear him.

Mt. Harvard- Part 2

2008-08-11T11:23:00.001-05:00

You know I have been doing this hiking thing for a long time. I have now hiked up seven 14ers (that would be a 14,000 ft. mountain) in Colorado as well as many other hikes all around the country side. But this was the first time on a 14er that I was completely leading on my own. The other two guys I had with me had never tried a hike quite like that. They were well experienced in camping (and great at lighting fires!), but they had never attempted anything like a 14er.

When we got up there I had a decision to make, I could either A) lead us up a peak that I had already done and would feel more comfortable leading or B) I could take us up a peak that I had never done before. Option A would make me more comfortable and yet I would still learn a lot. Option B would make me very uncomfortable, really stretch me in my skill and leadership, and allow me to "bag" another 14er.

I opted for option B. I knew this would test my skills. I always like to climb something new. Mt. Harvard is the 3rd tallest in Colorado...so if we made it I will have summited the 3 tallest in Colorado. I like challenges but admittedly I was nervous a part of me really wanted to do what was familiar.

Well the pay off of doing Mt. Harvard was unbelievable. The path was fairly easy to follow (even though there are some false peaks that make you think you are close when you are not). I got to test my skills by finding an alternate route down, by going down the scree field as I mentioned in the last blog.

One other thing happened that was kind of cool. We were maybe 500 vertical feet from the summit when another group caught up to us and we started talking. I believe it was Matthew who said that this was only the beginning of our journey. They asked what else were doing, and I mentioned that a couple of us were in a band and headed to California to play in a festival. They asked what the name of our band was and I said "Await the Day". His response was very interesting, "what day are you awaiting?"

It's moments like these that we have the choice to make: will we be bold in our proclamation of Christ, or will we cower back and brush over it. I chose to say, "we are awaiting the day of Christ's return." To which he responded something like, "Awesome brother! I'm the worship minister at our church." God has a funny sense of humor sometimes. Who would have guessed that we would meet a church group on Mt. Harvard. Maybe they will become Await the day fans...but more importantly they are fans of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior from whom all good things flow!

Mt. Harvard

2008-08-08T12:47:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday July 23rd we set off on the North Cottonwood Trail that takes you to Mt. Harvard and Mt. Columbia. It is a beautiful trail with lots of trees, and a gorgeous stream that we crossed over and over again along the way. With only three of us (Matthew, Ben, and I) we had to carry all the gear that would usually be split by as many as 8 people. Cook gear is cook gear. You can use the same amount for 3 as 8...so our packs were all over 50 lbs. After a few hours of hiking we arrived at our destination, about 11,300 ft. above sea level, down comfortably inside of tree line.

We started setting up our tent, and the skies opened up and it began to hail. We got the tent up as quickly as possible and climbed inside. Now just a little side note...I hate being cramped in a tent. If it says it is a 3 person tent, I believe it is made for 2. Well because of weight and packing we had all 3 of us in my small 3 person tent. I was intending on us only sleeping in there...not spending all of our time escaping the hail! So we crammed in there for a couple of hours and took a nap. Finally, the hail slowed and it began to rain.

So we put up the tarp to eat under, got ready for dinner and Matthew and Ben began to try to make a fire. A couple of hours later we had a fire (this is a story in and of its self, but let's just say it culminated in a "Castaway" type moment: FIRE!). We ate some dinner and then got some rest for our big summit day.

We hit the trail about 6 am. We had about 4-6 miles (not real sure) to hike one way. It was beautiful in a steam ridden, bowl surrounded by the two mountains. We made pretty good time and arrived at the summit about 11 am, 14,420 ft, looking down on all of the peaks all around us. Breathtaking! We then hiked down the saddle on the way toward Columbia. I found a "route" down via a patch of scree. Scree is the loose rocks (think thick gravel, with larger rocks) that you find toward the summit of most of the rockies. And we "screed" down, 1200 + feet in less than 40 minutes...it was a blast!

We then hiked down and arrived in camp just as the skies opened up again...HAIL!

Well this is starting to get long so I come back and tell a little more about the summit and the rest of the hiking on the next blog!