Where Never is Heard

Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,

And the deer and the antelope play,
Where never is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Tony Needs a Sermon Week is winding down, and I would like to thank everyone who participated. It has been challenging, humbling, discouraging, and uplifting - depending on the attitude of the sermonizer. The main thing I got out of it was a reminder to keep my attitude in check when I'm the one preaching the sermon. I'm not always good at that.

I watch several sermons online each week. On Facebook, someone posted an endorsement of a sermon because of a specific statement the pastor made. I was curious, so I watched the 140 minute service. I never heard the statement. There was a space of a few minutes where the sound was turned down - or some technical issue - or maybe I dozed off. What I did see was a frustrated man. He expressed his frustration with the ushers, the camera operator, and the media person. He came across as controlling and manipulative. I pray that he takes time to rest, that his church supports him, and that they thrive in their mission. 

I have several others that were encouraging and eye-opening for me this week. If you have time, you may want to check these out. 

Tullian Tchividjian Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World.

Chris Whitman The Value of Life

Holly Furtick This Time

Pete Hise No Other Name

Clark Whitten Stop Living in the Shadows

 

The G Word

The greatest theme of the Bible, and the crux of the Gospel, is summed up in the often-sung words, 'Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. As rich and as true as this is, there are some ministers who treat the word "grace" as a curse word. 

I've read articles by some who almost spew the word with contempt. I refuse to quote them or give them any credibility, but they aren't hard to find. They hold their congregations or followers in the bondage of legalistic expectations. With complete disregard for the clear teaching from scripture, "You are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:14)

I can imagine them standing with their stone tablets held high. Every time the Holy Spirit breathes out the word "grace" to a poor sinner, these modern day Pharisees bang those tablets together, screaming, "Measure up! Straighten up! Get your act together!" All in Christian love, of course. While God offers his grace freely, these self-righteous leaders use the law to stone those who most need grace. 

 

The Apostle Paul recognized that the law brought about self-righteousness. "I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith." (Philippians 3:8, 9 NIV)

Jesus looks at those holding tight to their stone tablets and says, "You who are without sin, any of you who has kept every command and have made yourself righteous, you be the first to cast a stone." They would be wise to follow the example of the first century hypocrites who dropped their stones and walked away.

Love God Love People

Some churches teach that all you need is a relationship with Jesus. We've even sung "He's all I need."

That is true regarding my salvation. Jesus, and Jesus alone, is my source of salvation. Jesus, however, said there are TWO great commandments. It would be difficult to call yourself a follower of Christ unless you live by both.

The first one is a bit easier than the second. We can't see God. He's easy to love from a distance. But, people? Now, that's a different story. We actually have to deal with their quirks (and our own) when we engage in relationships.

So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”
Luke 10:27

Can you say that you love God?

What about his people? Do you love them?

You Are Not Alone

It's easy to feel alone when you are taking a walk of faith, but I don't believe God ever gives you a mission just for you. There will always be others who will help you, encourage you, follow you, or need what you offer. Many times, the reason for the mission is so that several, or many others can follow your lead.

You may have read this scripture. Then the Lord answered me and said, "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets so that the one who reads it may run with it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:2, 3 NASB)

Habakkuk was encouraged to grasp the vision God was giving him and to pass it on with such clarity that someone else could actually carry out the mission God was giving Habakkuk! See, the mission isn't about you. Don't be a vision-hog. Look for someone that will sign on and commit to be your supporter. 

 

But, what about those other people who will be discouragers and will say you will never accomplish anything? Jon Acuff addressed that today as a guest writer for Michael Hyatt. You can read the entire blog here. In his post, he wrote,

The truth is, you should never waste time trying to turn someone who hates you into someone who likes you. Instead focus on turning people who like your dream into people who love your dream.

So how do you know who a hater is? Simple, someone who hates on something without a solution to make it better is a hater. If they don’t have a fix, an idea, a spark of improvement, they’re just there to hate. That’s one of the main differences between hate and feedback.

Don't be discouraged. God has a helper - maybe many helpers - for you. It's biblical to leave the haters in the dust, see Matthew 10:14. Let the haters hate, but let those who hear the voice of God and catch a glimpse of his heart run to spread his love to those who need it most.

How Do You See Others?

Did you know the Bible actually says this stuff?

Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Leviticus 19:32 You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord.

1 Timothy 5:3 Honor widows who are truly widows.

1 Timothy 5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

Matthew 23:2-3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.

So, it sounds to me that if we're going to live by this book, we should make it our aim to honor everyone all the time - tough as that may be.


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Living (Out From) Under the Law

I've seen some Christians, pastors, and churches try to legalize morality. It never works in the long run. No human will keep every law - even if you divide the laws into categories. A couple of months ago, I heard a well-known pastor talking about the 3 types of laws in the Bible: Civil, Moral, and Ceremonial. This week, I read about them again in an article. I was not brought up under that teaching. So, I set out on a search for this three-law-types thing. I asked,

• Are they differentiated in the Bible? No. I couldn't find any support for the three kinds of laws in the Bible itself. Anywhere.
• Are they listed elsewhere? No. Oh, sure, the categories themselves are listed in plenty of writings over the years, but there's no concensus on which laws go in which category. Often, the writer will point to one example. For instance, "Thou shalt not bear false witness" is a moral law because it reflects an unchanging character trait of God. Well, who decides that? Sure, God is trustworthy, He never lies, and Jesus is the truth. Those are characteristics of God, for sure. But what about all the instances in the Bible when God condoned, blessed, or even instigated a lie? Perhaps this would be a good Bible study for you. I'm not advocating lying, I'm just saying that categorizing Biblical laws does not work. There is no agreement on what is legal or illegal for those who follow Christ. And, don't get me started on "Thou shalt not kill."
• Does the Bible argue against categories, or is it just silent on the issue? I was taught that all Biblical laws were the same, and if you break one, you've broken them all. That actually IS in the Bible (James 2:10), so to me, the Bible is not silent.

My view of the Mosaic law comes from the Bible (from both Testaments). In Jeremiah 31, God says through His prophet, "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."

 

This same verse is quoted in Hebrews 8 where the writer states, "For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another," and "By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."

 

These verses state that the true, permanent law of God is a heart issue, the law of love. I don't cheat on my wife, because I love her. I honor my parents, because I love them. I give, because I love my fellow earth dwellers. I spend time with God and His people, because I love Him - and them. I'm not trying to stay out of hell or trying to get into Heaven by keeping a law, I'm following my Jesus-filled heart.

 

At this point, I've concluded that there can be 50 categories of laws if someone wants to make a list, but if we truly understand what Jesus offers us we will live in freedom - freedom from the law, freedom from sin, freedom from the opinions of man, freedom from our past, freedom indeed. This is so clearly explained in Galatians. Why are we still tripping over the law and stumbling in our walk with Jesus. Shake off the old. Stand up strong in the new. Take a breath of air as if you've just been released from a prison, because you have.

 

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:6

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You're not Jesus

I can put up with most people - their pettiness, awkwardness, and idiosyncrasies, etc. I have friends of all stripes. However, the one that rubs me the wrong way (here we go) is the religious person who sets himself/herself up as superior to everyone else or anyone else. It's obvious to me because it's how I lived for much of my life. Because I abstained from all the big sins, I considered myself morally superior - thus, more acceptable to God than those who were guilty. I even remember those in my circle who could heap guilt with a glance on any poor sinner than happened to "slip" in their presence.

It was not unusual for a member of any church I attended to call out another person's "sin" publicly, with great disdain of course. Don't dare let a four-letter word pass your lips, or let them walk up on your in a restaurant while you were having a glass of wine, or smoking, or smiling. Ok, maybe it wasn't quite that bad.

Still, in what chapter of the Bible did Jesus say that we're to loathe our neighbor? I'm pretty sure the word was love, not loathe.

I still remember when the Holy Spirit made it perfectly clear to me that all my abstaining from certain sins did not balance out the hidden sin in my heart, and it never would. There was only one remedy for my sin - His grace. At first, I wasn't pleased that I was being offered the same deal as the people I had mentally condemned. It wasn't fair. I had been GOOD! That's the attitude I still see that rubs me the wrong way. Those who look at sinners as if they are filthy and untouchable, well, they look at ME as if I'm filthy and untouchable. There they stand with their purity, apart from the rest of us because we dare to let a little dirt show. When in fact, when God looks at goodness and badness he doesn't compare it to anyone else's. He compares it to his holiness, and it never measures up. So he says, "Forget your goodness. Forget your holy acts. Just take mine. I have enough for you."

There are so many stories in the Bible that bear this out. One in particular is of two men who went to the temple to pray. One stood vocally grateful that he was so good, the other knelt recognizing his need for mercy. The latter is the one who went home justified, according to Jesus. (Luke 18:14)

Let's get real and lay down our self-centered pride. I know our religious pride is threatened when we choose to identify with "sinners." Still, Jesus gave us the example of how to do it. Isaiah wrote that "he was numbered with the transgressors," and Paul wrote that he "made of himself no reputation." It's time to renounce the religious hierarchy system. It's been said that the ground is level at the foot of the cross, so why do we try to exalt ourselves above others?

Kneel at the cross, there is room for all.

The Real Gay Marriage Issue

Did you hear that the Supreme Court is hearing a case regarding gay marriage? Well, of course you did, unless you've enjoyed the luxury of a secluded island for the past month. The arguments, confrontations, protests, sermons, passive aggressive Facebook posts, condescending lectures, and bumper stickers have been non-stop loud and proud - from both sides of the debate.

I've generally avoided becoming involved publicly, but I guess today that changes. Here I am writing about it.

 

I have very dear friends who have strong opinions about making gay marriages legal and other very dear friends who say they staunchly oppose any marriage other than one man to one woman for life. Those who are against it have polished their arguments, found scriptures to support their view, and are poised to convince the world that they are right. Those who are for it, have polished their arguments, found scriptures to support their view, and are poised to convince the world they are right. Here's the overwhelming problem I see with this whole debate: everyone is focused on the issue of gay marriage. Meanwhile, the people involved (on both sides) are hostile toward each other, killing each other with their words, and are starving their own spirits. Where is the life in this argument?

 

This is Passion Week for Christians. The week that remembers the week prior to Jesus' resurrection. I cannot believe that Jesus endured what he did over an issue - any issue. He endured beatings, mockings, betrayal, agony, and even death for PEOPLE, not for issues. I personally couldn't care less if my gay friends marry. I have a single daughter that I would love to see in a loving marriage, but more than her finding a husband I want her to experience a fulfilling life in Christ. Marriage - gay or straight - is not what Jesus is about, it's not what His church is about, it's not what my life is about. This Easter weekend reminds us of what Jesus and his church IS about - connecting people to God and His plan for them.

 

I hear some of my church friends saying, "But you're compromising the word of God." Jesus said this, "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (John 5:36,37) Don't waste your time searching for a biblical prop for your argument. You can surely find it, but so can those you oppose. Instead, search the scripture to find the life Jesus offers, then, get your nose out of the book and get involved with people around you. Get to know someone that has an opinion that is different from yours. Start a civil conversation. Jesus doesn't live in issues, he lives in us. That's the kind of Jesus people will want to know.

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You Don't Have to Be a People-pleaser

 

Don't Walk in the Dark

I was the last one in the church building for the day. I knew the interior and often walked to my office without turning on any lights. On this particular evening, after closing up my office, I turned off the interior lights and made my way full-speed down the dark L-shaped hallway.

I brushed my hand against the the wall as I walked so I would know where to make the turn toward the door. When the wall ran out I quickly turned to the left toward the door at the end of the hallway. Apparently, I had walked at an angle so that when I thought the wall had ended, I actually had just walked away from it. All I know is that one minute I was walking and the next I was on the floor holding my nose. I had walked face-first into the cinder block wall. I can still feel that pain 28 years later.

There have been times that I walked in spiritual darkness as dangerous as that hallway. I have since found that walking with Jesus helps me walk in safety. He doesn't always light the entire path, sometimes it is just enough to see the next step, but it always keeps me from walking into walls.

Come on, don't keep knocking yourself out. Walk in step with Jesus. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NIV)

What Is Your Trouble?

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Jesus left us many promises. I'm wondering if you've ever claimed this one: "In this world you will have trouble." He said we will, not we might, but we will. Then why are we so surprised? Why do we go into hiding or throw a tantrum when trouble comes. It's  not like we weren't warned.

 

Here's my definition of trouble. 

 

Trouble - n. a state or condition of distress, annoyance, malfunction, or difficulty

 

Let's break it down:

• Distress – trouble affecting your mind, thoughts, dreams
• Annoyance – trouble affecting your attitude, demeanor,
• Malfunction – trouble affecting your body, health, activities
• Difficulty – trouble affecting your future, direction, purpose

Which of these is most troubling to you right now? How are you handling it? When Jesus promised us trouble, it wasn't an isolated statement. It was wedged in between two messages of hope.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

He has told us what things? He said many things, but let's look at just three. First, in verse 7, He promised that we wouldn't be left alone or confused in our trouble. The counselor has come to us. Then, in verse 27, Jesus came to give us access to the Father’s love. And lastly, in verses 21-22, our trouble will be followed by a secure joy. No one will be able to wipe the smile from our face or rain on our parade. Joy born out of pain is real joy!

What does all this mean?

Before trouble arrives, we can be prepared through the wisdom God provides,
   in the midst of trouble, we can trust the Father's love,
      and when trouble is past, we will be left standing in unshakeable joy.

When troubles are troublesome, God is awsome.

Priority Shift

From Matthew 10:42
If anyone gives even a cup of
cold water to one of these
little ones who belong to Christ,
he will certainly not lose his reward.

What is your priority? How do you characterize your Christianity? What gets most of your time and attention? There are so many "Christian" issues that steal our resources and deplete our ability to serve, but have you ever noticed how in both testaments of the Bible, God constantly tries to draw attention to people in need? Many of the laws of Moses were in place to provide equity among God's people.

Consider this from the law in Deuteronomy 15:11, "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."

From the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah 32:6 "For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the LORD; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water."
...

From Jesus' words in Luke 12, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

And from the apostles, James 1:26-27 "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Maybe it's time to turn your gaze away from your petty issue and ask God to direct your focus.

 

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Just A Lot Of Hot Air?

This one will be short. I've heard lots of talk during this American election process that concerns me. Christians and pastors with the "right" way to vote just turn me off. I'm irked by public stances that show little concern for opposing views regardless of how others are affected. Is this really the way to grow the Kingdom of God or to draw people to our Savior? All I hear is a lot of creaky gates, clanging cymbals, and rattling pots and pans.

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. 1 Corinthians 13 (The Message)

 

Blessed Are Those That Mourn

"You should be happy that your loved one is in a better place. It's time for you to move on with your life. It's what your loved one would have wanted you to do."

When we're experiencing grief, our well-meaning friends come along with their words of "comfort" and, well, in some cases, make us want to slap them! What do you do when all the precious-memories, whispering-hope's, and meet-you-in-the-morning's leave you as empty as the vacant chair at your table?

Well, to start, you can stop believing lies about the pain you feel, and start living with the truth.

Here are some things we've learned about grief:

• It's a normal part of life. Those who haven't experienced it yet, will. Jesus did. Read John 11:35. People in the early church did. Read Acts 8:2.
• We should be sensitive to others who are experiencing grief. Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."
• Grief is not a sign of weakness. In the Bible, King David and his great soldiers returned home after a battle to find that their city had been destroyed and their families had been taken as prisoners of war. Here's how the Bible describes the reaction of these mighty men, "So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep." I Samuel 30:3,4
• There is no timetable for grieving or for moving through so-called "stages of grief." There may be many painful days, or the pain may be short-lived. Don't place unrealistic expectations on yourself.
• Grief is a season of  life. Trees change with the seasons from the new buds of springtime to the mature shade of summer and from the beauty of fall to the barrenness of winter. In the same way, we experience the excitement at the birth of a relationship, the closeness as that relationship develops, the beauty of aging together, and this is followed by the heartbreak of loneliness when the relationship is broken by death - or for other reasons.
• The good news is that the season of death is always followed by rebirth - it is true in trees and it is true for us. The hope of eternal life can give us focus beyond the pain of death. "My friends, we want you to understand how it will be for those followers who have already died. Then you won’t grieve over them and be like people who don’t have any hope. We believe that Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died." I Thessalonias 4:13,14

Keep in mind that you are not alone. Remember that David and his men were exhausted, wrung dry, and left in a vulnerable position. Still, the story continues with this statement, "But David found strength in the Lord his God." This is the former shepherd boy who had once written, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me." Now, he was living out what he believed deep in his heart: I'm not alone.

Go ahead, experience the pain, cry until you're dry, let out the tears and the moans, the questions and the anger. Live in the memories, and talk about your loss. No one knows exactly how you feel, but that doesn't mean they don't care. Allow others to share your burden as you share theirs. If you ever find grief overwhelming, or your comforters are making matters worse, keep in mind that Jesus gave us this promise in Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Notes from Ask Me Anything About Grief by Tony Moore.
Video available.

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A Pastor's Job

Most Bible folk know that in Ephesians 4:11 Paul wrote that, among other gifts, God gave pastors to the church. This was a fulfillment of a prophecy given in Jeremiah 3:15 when God said, "I will give you pastors according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." Oh, that churches would be led by welcoming, loving, generous, wise pastors - pastors full of the Holy Spirit and motivated by the undeserved grace they have themselves received.

However, God's gift was not without warning. "Woe be to the pastors who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" (Jeremiah 23:1)

It seems that God has a simple word for those he has called to this ministry: Feed, don't destroy or scatter, my sheep.

It has been my observation that it is possible to feed and destroy at the same time. It happens in many ways in churches.

• Trying to force-feed knowledge into a person
• Portions of spiritual food that are too small to maintain life
• Insistence that church members eat the same diet as the pastor
• A monotonous diet that has no variety

As good, observant parents know, you don't treat all children the same, nor do they all learn the same way. It's the same with feeding God's sheep. Each church member is unique and gains knowledge and understanding in different ways. Some learn from the hymns, others through graphics used in the church bulletin or on the screen. Some grow through a sermon with organized points, others through a casual conversation.

 

I don't know of a church that uses this method, but I wonder what it would be like to organize small groups so that members with similar learning styles were grouped together? I suspect that it works better to have different styles in each group - each learning from the other.

 

Either way, pastors, remember that your way isn't the only way. The gift you have been given is the privilege of feeding - nourishing and growing - people who become wholehearted disciples. By the way, they're becoming Jesus' disciples, not yours.

Grace and Truth

There is so much bickering in the church world regarding this issue and so many opinions being spouted, I thought I would throw my opinion in the mix. Here it is: I do not believe that grace is the opposite of truth. Instead, I believe they are actually the same thing.

There is an idea circulating that says some people offer a “cheap grace” separate from truth. The other extreme would be to offer a “legalistic truth” apart from grace. We are apparently supposed to meet somewhere in the middle where grace and truth balance each other. Supposedly, that eliminates legalism and cheapness. I don’t see that anywhere in scripture.

I can find grace and truth mentioned together only twice in the Bible, both in the first chapter of John’s gospel.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth. (verse 14)

For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (verse 17)

Now, from these two verses Christians have come to the (in my opinion, erroneous) conclusion that grace and truth can be separated in opposition to each other. I don’t think so.

If you read the entire passage in John 1, you will see over and over how Jesus is referred to as light. He came into a dark (Jewish) world to bring light, or revelation, or a reality known as truth. In that Jewish world, the law was paramount. Was the law truth? In a sense, yes, it was. Did God’s people experience grace under the law? In a sense, yes, they did. John says so in verse 16.

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

What is the point of replacing grace with grace? I believe it is that fact that Jesus fulfilled all of the law’s requirements, settled the sin debt, and brought what had been only a picture of grace into reality. The law was not truth in itself, it foreshadowed real truth.

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves.
Hebrews 10:1

Jesus came, full of grace and truth, or grace in reality. He did not come fifty percent full of grace and fifty percent full of truth. He was full of grace which was truth. You cannot divorce the two. If you speak of grace, you’re speaking truth. If you’re speaking truth, you’re speaking grace.

My two cents worth.

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Unleash!: Breaking Free from Normalcy

A review of Perry Noble's new book.

 

In PHILIPPIANS 3:7-9, “Paul is saying that when he was unleashed to the idea of God’s amazing grace, he ceased celebrating the crap in his life and began celebrating God’s goodness.” This comes early in the first chapter of Unleash! and is an indicator of what you can expect in the rest of the book.

 

It’s no surprise that the book is written in the same straightforward manner that Perry Noble uses when he preaches. In fact, if you are familiar with his preaching style, as you read the book you will probably hear his voice reading to you - complete with his humor and infectious Southern brogue.

 

What was surprising to me what the subject of the book. It quickly becomes apparent that this is a book about grace. Since I was not expecting that, I went back to the Contents page and reread the chapter titles. They took on a new meaning in light of this subject, but I was still curious to know how a new book on grace would be different from others I have read.

 

At first, it all sounded familiar. Then, some statements challenged the idea that grace is solely a New Testament gift. “What was the one thing that distinguished the Israelites from the Philistines? The answer is simple: it was nothing more than the undeserved grace of God!” and “But in His mercy, God unleashed Abraham!” These were followed a few pages later with “That same unleashing grace is available for each of us, too."

 

As I continued to read, I was drawn into Perry’s personal stories and the challenges he presents through them. What I found by the end of the book was that this was no ordinary book about grace but a book about how believers live out the grace they’ve received. It’s about letting go of lies and taking hold of truth; letting go of self and taking hold of God.

 

I won’t spoil the book for you, but when you read it watch for what Perry calls The Great American Lie. Is it something you’ve been taught, something you’ve believed? Is it time to let go of the lie and embrace the truth of God? If you do, I suspect you will be unleashed in ways you’ve never imagined.

 

I am recommending this book to my church and friends.

 

Unleash!: Breaking Free from Normalcy
Copyright © 2012 by NewSpring Church. All rights reserved.

Why I Like Topical Preaching

There is a very simple reason that I enjoy topical preaching: It makes me look at the scripture from a perspective that I might otherwise miss.

I know there are theologians who insist that expository preaching (using a scriptural text and exploring its original meaning, context, and application) is the only way, or the "right" way to preach. Of course, there are no biblical grounds for that assertion. It's a good way to preach, but not the only way.

I think I prepare for both types basically in the same way. I always start with the scripture to see what it says, what was the context in which it was written, and how was it heard. I understand that what it says, and the context will always be the same, but how it is heard will be different in 2012 than it was when originally spoken or written. I see it as my job to preach it in such a way that the listener will not miss what God is speaking to them through the word today.

If the word was only intended for the original context and for the original hearer, then I could preach from any other book today and leave the Bible on the shelf. The original hearer is dead and gone, and the original context vanished long ago. I just don't believe that the Bible is that irrelevant to 2012.

This week, I had the privilege of preaching from John 4. Our topic was Heroes, and I found that as I read the scripture through the lens of that topic, I saw nuances of truth that would have escaped me otherwise. It was an enriching experience for me, and enlightening for our Transformers.

Do you have a preference of preaching styles?

Our Provider

Oh, how she needed financial help! Her horoscope told her to eat at a Chinese restaurant on her birthday. Taking it to heart, she did. Her fortune cookie told her that things were about to turn in her favor. On her way to her car, she found a one dollar bill. She used the dollar to buy a lottery ticket playing the lucky numbers on the reverse side of her fortune. The winners numbers would be announced the next day. That night, she went to bed wondering if she would win - hoping that she would win enough to pay off her debts, buy a much needed car, and maybe even take the vacation of her dreams. Or, dare she dream that she would win enough to live a life of ease and luxury?

 

Oh, how he needed financial help! He opened his Bible and read from 2 Corinthians 9:10, "Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness." Taking it to heart, he took the last bill from his wallet and used it to buy a bag of flour. He took the flour to the local mission and donated it to their kitchen. He stood in line with a group of homeless men and filled his plate as did they. He sat at a table with men who couldn't find a dollar or a way to make one. He heard their stories and bowed his head as one of them offered thanks for the meager meal.  That night, he went to bed - and slept.

 

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:25-33

 

 

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Eat mor chikin?

I don't know if you've heard, but there's a brouhaha today with a bunch of people choosing to support chicken today and others boycotting it on Friday. Truth is, most of them don't know the real purpose of the battle, they just like a fight. They haven't really researched what was asked or what was said or how much money went where. Others feel victimized or stigmatized or ostracized, but few of them feel oversized from all that bread, and milkshakes. Mmmm...

Sorry, I was gone for a moment.

I have read several blogs and comments on this issue. Most of them include a semblance of truth, but most contain several errors. Instead of finding the truth, some people would rather just choose a side. (I prefer a sweet potato for my side, but who serves those?!)

I just have two things to say about all this:

By creating intolerant poles, you're not helping your cause. Nobody on the other side can hear what you're saying, because you're screaming so loud.

While you're standing in line to buy your chicken or to protest those who do, pull out your Bible app (I recommend YouVersion) and read: If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26, 27 KJV)

Wherever you have lunch this week, please remember those in your city who have nothing to eat.