121 Ocala Dr

Tomorrow 121 Ocala Dr will officially belong to another family for the first time ever. I praise God for my dad who provided a home for his son for 30 yrs. A home for his daughter-in-law Carrie (who he loved like his own) and a home for his grandson Dylon who he loved more than words can express. Words cannot express how much I miss my dad, but I praise the Father of all for the man who became my dad, who loved me and taught me what it means and looks like to be a dad. I will always remember corner shots, hrs of football throwing, and a black Nissan truck sitting in the drive. Thank you Father for gift of not just a house, but a home.  

Almost Christian #2

Moving on to chapter 2 of Almost Christian: What The Faith Of Our Teenagers Is Telling The American Church Kenda Dean (author) offers this declaration concerning American youth growing up in church in regards to the Moralistic Therapeutic Deism syndrome and treating Christianity as a niceness religion.  

Jesus would caution against criticizing the speck in teenagers’ faith before scrutinizing the log in our own (Matt. 7:5). If teenagers are members of the Church of Benign Whatever-ism, it is because we are too. The National Study of Youth and Religion’s most incontrovertible finding is that parents generally “get what they are,” in religion as in most things. This is as true to churches as it is in families, which means that we can expect the faith of the young people we love to reflect the faith we show them. So we need to ask before going further: Do we practice the kind of faith that we want our children to have? I think the honest answer might be, ‘Yes we do.’ The simple truth seems to be that the reason young people practice an imposter faith is because we do- and because this is the faith we want them to have. It’s that not-too-religious, “decent” kind of Christianity that allows our teenagers to do well while doing good, makes them successful adults without turning them into religious zealots, teaches them to notice others without actually laying their lives down for any of them. If this is the faith they see lived out by their parents, their pastors, and their churches, how would they know it’s a sham? In a world crazed with violence and intolerance, isn’t being “good enough” good enough? Not according to Jesus who calls us to be holy- which changes the equation substantially.  The good news of Jesus is God’s invitation to young people- to all people- to participate in the divine plan of salvation in Jesus Christ and to rely on God’s goodness, not our own. Imitating Christ makes people lay down their wallets, their reputations, their lives for the sake of others, which parents rightly fear for their children. The cult of nice is so much safer; God is friendly and predictable, offering little and asking less.  Moralistic Therapeutic Deism does not ask people to lay down their lives for anyone, because niceness does not go that far. Love goes that far- and true love is neither nice nor safe.

What do you think of her thoughts? Has any of this challenged you in regards to your own faith life? These first two chapters have really challenged me in understanding more about the faith I live out towards our young people here at 43^rd and the faith I live out in general towards the world. Are we really living out the gospel of Jesus, or have we substituted the radical message of Jesus for a cheap niceness driven moralistic therapeutic deism?

Almost Christian #1

I am now beginning to read a book written by Kenda Creasy Dean called Almost Christian: What The Faith Of Our Teenagers Is Telling The American Church. This book offer some insights into how teenagers tend to think and feel about Christianity and church. She begins her book is stating that studies have shown that young people tend to mirror the approach and overall attitude of their parents when it comes to religion. The subtle truth that young people tend to reflect their parents when it comes to religion is both a joyful thought and at the same time it can be a disappointing thought. This outlook is seen in how young people appreciate or under-appreciate "church". This is seen in how young people "feel" about God and even how young people "feel" about Jesus. This book should be a wild ride...I will write about my journey through this book.

She begins chapter 1 with this quote..."A person will worship something, have no doubt about that...That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming." Interesting thought.  

What Christianity is all about...

I am in the process of reading N.T. Wright's Simply Christian for the 3rd time. I have this quote from the book up in my office (my office is becoming filled with stuff like this) from Wright that I enjoy re-reading from time to time. The quote can be found on page 92; for those who do not have this book, I cannot recommend it enough.  

“Christianity is all about the belief that the living God, in fulfillment of his promises and as the climax of the story of Israel, has accomplished all this—the finding, the saving, the giving of new life—in Jesus. He has done it. With Jesus, God’s rescue operation has been put into effect once and for all. A great door has swung open in the cosmos which can never again be shut. It’s the door to the prison where we’ve been kept chained up. We are offered freedom: freedom to experience God’s rescue for ourselves, to go through the open door and explore the new world to which we now have access. In particular, we are all invited—summoned, actually—to discover, through following Jesus, that this new world is indeed a place of justice, spirituality, relationship, and beauty, and that we are not only to enjoy it as such but to work at bringing it to birth on earth as in heaven.”

Life is all about choices

I received this last year from Richard Jones and I have kept it up in my office ever since. It is worth reading every single day. I hope the message challenges and blesses you the way it has me.

Life is all about choices

It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love:

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy:

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace:

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live. I will live in deep assurance that I am in right relationship with God because of Jesus, not my own doing.

I choose patience:

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness:

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness:

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness:

Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness:

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only to myself.

I choose self-control:

I am a spiritual being…I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Jesus. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day.  

Isaiah 58

I am preaching this upcoming Sunday morning and while preparing I came across this section in Isaiah that really convicted me. The prophets have a way of making me challenge the way I approach anything and everything I do as a believer. Isaiah 58 accomplished this for me this week. Isaiah 58:6-7: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen; to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from  your own flesh and blood?" Context shows that this deals with a form of worship (fasting) towards God. And while the people of God in this particular place and time kept fasting they have obviously lost sight of what God wants to see out of His people...taking care of those who are being or who are easily taken advantage of, which is something God has always desired His people to be aware of and do something about (Deut. 15).

Now if we pay close attention there are some lines in here that are familiar to us. Jesus echoes the latter part of verse 6 in His inauguration speech in Luke 4..."The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, TO SET THE OPPRESSED FREE, (caps by me) to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Jesus then reflects these words in all He does and says. Jesus again echoes Isaiah 58 in Matthew 25:31-46 which is Jesus' clearest teaching on end time (eschaton) judgment.

How should this impact followers of Jesus when there is so much injustice and apathy towards the downtrodden in our own cities and towns? "Am I in the habit of blaming poverty on laziness, immorality, and addiction rather than on greed, exploitation, and indifference?" (Guy Vanderpool, The Christian as Revolutionary,  Leaven 2002).   

Announcement of Sonship

Our Sunday morning youth class here at 43rd is about to begin a study through the gospel of Mark. The unique way Mark begins his (along with Peter, possibly) story concerning Jesus is remarkable. No birth narratives of John the Baptizer or Jesus, no "In the beginning", simply "the beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah." Mark then moves into a desription of John's appearance and diet and a short version of his mission and message...and then we get to the part I want to write about today. Baptism.

Baptism is a beautiful and life altering act and experience. Baptism is a beautiful and life altering act and experience. I wrote it twice on purpose...no reduncancy problems here. The way in which Jesus' baptism is described is quite beautiful. The heavens were being torn open as he assended out of the water (foreshadow to resurrection and resurrection life? Paul though so in Romans 6), the Spirit descending on him like a dove at his baptism (Isaiah 11 and 42 language), and the announcement of Sonship from above, "You  are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased" (2 Samuel 7, Psalm 2, Isaiah 42 language). Jesus' baptism is a beautiful event with powerful experiences taking place, and life changing announcements being made.

Should it not be the same today? Baptism is a dangerous act. It is an announcement and act that is in complete rebellion to the ways of this world. It is an announcement and act of complete dependency towards God. It is an announcement and act of honesty that I (we) are messed up humans who cannot be fixed on our own. Jesus needed no baptism, he needed no grace, in fact he is grace, but what is remarakable to me is his baptism shows us what baptism is all about.     

Announcement of sonship/daughtership...In our baptism did we hear the announcement of sonship and daughtership? The heavens were torn open, the Spirit came down, and the announcement that this is my son, this is my daughter whom I love and whom I am well pleased was made. Jesus' baptism has helped my understanding of baptism as a whole. It is a beautiful event filled with life changing/resurrected life announcements.