Bible Study, Christian Living

Solitude (Spiritual Discipline Study)

Outward Disciplines

Solitude

  • Solitude, in this sense is not just about getting off by yourself.  It is all about spending time listening for God.  
  • In this way, I feel that it is attached to meditation that we talked about before, although for solitude, it’s not necessary to be meditating on the word of God, which is what meditation is all about.  Solitude is all about quietening out lives and trying to hear God’s voice.  It’s reevaluating where we are at, and where we think we should be going.
  • The problem is, we live in a society that makes it hard to quiet everything down. With technology as abundant as it is, and how tied to it most of us are, solitude becomes difficult.  
  • I’m not suggesting that we live in complete solitude all the time.  We are built to live in community.  I don’t believe the Christian life can truly be lived in complete solitude.  I’m not even suggesting that we participate in solitude on a weekly or monthly basis.  
  • It is something that we should try to practice three or four times a year, to refocus our lives, and listen for God’s instruction.  We do that through meditation, study, and prayer, but this is on another level.  
  • We can cultivate an inner solitude and silence that sets us free from loneliness and fear. Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.
  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer
    • “Let him who cannot be alone beware of community…Let him who is not in community beware of being alone…Each by itself has profound pitfalls and perils. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair.
  • We must seek out the recreating stillness of solitude we want to be with others meaningfully. We must seek the fellowship and accountability of others if we want to be alone safely. We must cultivate both if we are to live in obedience.
  • Jesus and solitude
    • 40 days in the desert before His public ministry started
    • Matthew 14:13 (after the death of John the Baptist)
      • 13 When Jesus heard about it, he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns.
    • Matthew 14:23 (after feeding the 5,000)
      • 23 After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone.
    • Mark 6:30-31 (after the disciples returned from doing ministry on their own)
      • 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
    • Many other examples throughout the gospels
  • Solitude is connected with Silence (one and the same)
    • The purpose of silence and solitude is to be able to see and hear. Control rather than no noise is the key to silence.
      • James 3:1-12
        • Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body. 3 Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we direct their whole bodies. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. 10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.
      • Under the discipline of solitude and silence we learn when to speak and when to refrain from speaking
        • The person who views the Disciplines as laws will always turn silence into an absurdity: “I’ll not speak for the next forty days!”
        • This is always a severe temptation to any true disciple who wants to live under silence and solitude
        • Control is Key!
        • The disciplined person is the person who can do what needs to be done when it needs to be done
        • A person who is under the discipline of silence is a person who can say what needs to be said when it needs to be said
        • If we are silent when we should speak, we are not living in the discipline of silence. If we speak when we should be silent, we again miss the mark.
        • One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are so accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. If we are silent, who will take control? God will take control, but we will never let him take control until we trust him. Silence is intimately related to trust.
        • The tongue is a thermometer; it gives us our spiritual temperature. It is also a thermostat; it regulates our spiritual temperature. Control of the tongue can mean everything. Have we been set free so that we can hold our tongue?
          • Bonhoeffer 
            • “Real silence, real stillness, really holding one’s tongue comes only as the sober consequence of spiritual stillness.”
      • Steps into Solitude
        • What are some steps into solitude? The first thing we can do is to take advantage of the “little solitudes” that fill our day. Consider the solitude of these early morning moments in bed before the family awakens. Think of the solitude of a morning cup of coffee before beginning the work of the day. There can be little moments of rest and refreshment when we turn a corner and see a flower or a tree. Instead of vocal prayer before a meal consider inviting everyone to join into a few moments of gather silence
        • Develop a quiet place designed for silence and solitude.
        • For me, golf sometimes is about fellowship with others, sometimes trying to meet new people in the community, and then there are times where is is my solitude.
        • Riding a motorcycle
        • Fishing
        • Etc.
  • Let me just give you a few paragraphs from Foster on this discipline.  I don’t know how else to explain it.
    • Let’s discipline ourselves so that our words are few and full.  Let’s become known as people who have something to say when we speak.  Let’s maintain plain speech: do what we say we will do. “It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay” (Eccles. 5:5).  
    • When our tongue is under our authority the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer become true of us: “Much that is unnecessary remains unsaid.  But the essential and the helpful thing can be said in a few words.”  
    • Go another step.  Try to live one entire day without words at all.  Do it not as law, but as an experiment.  Note your feelings of helplessness and excessive dependence upon words to communicate.  Try to find new ways to relate to others that are not dependent upon words.  Enjoy, savor the day.  Learn from it.  
    • Four times a year withdraw for three or four hours for the purpose of reorienting your life goals.  This can easily be done in one evening…What do you want to have accomplished one year from now?  Ten years from now?…Don’t you feel a tug, a yearning to sink down into the silence and solitude of God?  Don’t you long for something more?  Doesn’t every breath crave a deeper, fuller exposure to His presence?
  • Solitude is another one of these that we just have to try to practice.  I don’t feel like you can really learn it from a book or a sermon.  You can get the starting point, but really doing it is the only way to truly learn it.  But it is something that is vital at times to help us recalibrate and find that still small voice of God in an overly loud society that wants to keep us busy.
Bible Study, Christian Living

Simplicity (Spiritual Disciplines Study)

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Outward Disciplines

Simplicity

  • What do we mean by outward disciplines?  These are disciplines that are designed to be done in a public way, unlike the inward disciplines we’ve already discussed.  Again, it’s not about doing things in a “look at me and my righteousness” kind of way, but these are done in a public setting for the most part.  Others can see you serve, although there is something to be said about serving in secret where no one knows who has done what has been done.  You spending time is solitude is something that others could pick up on.  It can become evident in your life.  Living a life of simplicity is definitely something that can be seen.  And submitting to others in a biblical way is something that is seen when one knows what to look for.  So let’s jump right in to our study.
  • Simplicity is freedom, duplicity is bondage. Simplicity brings joy and balance. Duplicity brings anxiety and fear.
  • The Christian Discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward life-style. Bot the inward and the outward aspects of simplicity are essential. We deceive ourselves if we believe we can possess the inward reality without its having a profound effect on how we live.
  • To attempt to arrange a outward life style of simplicity without the inward reality leads to deadly legalism
  • Experiencing the inward reality liberates us outwardly. Speech becomes truthful and honest. The lust for status and position is gone because we no longer need status and position. We cease from showy extravagance not non the grounds of being unable to afford it, but on the grounds of principle. Our goods become available to others.
  • We really must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic. It is psychotic because it has completely lost touch with reality. We crave things we neither need nor enjoy. We buy things we do not want to impress people we do not like.
    • Atlanta Braves Ring 
  • It is time we awaken to the fact that conformity to a sick society is to be sick.
    • The psychosis permeates eve our mythology. The modern hero is the poor boy who purposefully becomes rich rather than the rich boy who voluntarily becomes poor. (We still find it hard to imagine that a girl could do either!) Covetousness we call ambition. Hoarding we call prudences. Greed we call industry.
    • Courageously, we need to articulate new, more human ways to live. We should take exception to the modern psychosis that defines people by how much they can produce or what they earn. We should experiment with bold new alternatives to the present death-giving system. The Spiritual Discipline of simplicity is not a lost dream, but a recurrent vision throughout history. It can be recaptured today. It must be.
  • Simplicity in the Bible
    • We live in a society today that is anything but simplistic.  After studying this discipline, I want to point out something from the start.  This is such a complex subject in a lot of ways that we could spend multiple weeks on it.  So I’m going to try to hit the highlights of this discipline.  This is not a very popular subject in our culture either.  Another thing I don’t want you to misunderstand here, is that I am not trying to say, in any way, that we all need to get rid of everything we own and live in complete poverty.  That is not what this discipline is all about.  But Jesus does speak about economics more than any other social issue.  So, what are we talking about then?
      • Matthew 6:19-21; 24-34
        • 19 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
      • Simplicity is all about seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness first and foremost in our lives.
    • This life is not all about gaining wealth.  It’s about seeking His kingdom.  We don’t actually own anything, everything is already God’s.  He just allows us to use it.  Again, this is not an attempt saying that we need to sale everything and live in poverty.  But we can’t put our hopes in what we have.  Our hope is in Jesus.  When we get that backwards is when we mess up.  Philippians 4:13 speaks to this issue as well.  It’s a familiar verse that is used in a lot of ways to say that we can do all things in Christ.  I believe that that is true, but I fear that we use this verse out of context a lot.  So let’s back up a few verses.
      • Philippians 4:10-13
        • 10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. 11 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. 12 I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. 13 I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me
    • Simplicity, in a lot of ways, is learning to be content.  It’s about seeking God over everything that gets in our way to God.
    • Simplicity sets us free to receive the provision of God as a gift that is not ours to keep and can be freely shared with others. Once we recognize that the Bible denounces the materialist and the ascetic with equal vigor, we are prepared to turn our attention to the framing of a Christian understanding of simplicity.
  • The central point for the discipline of simplicity is to seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of His kingdom first and then everything necessary will come in its proper order.
    • Nothing must come before the kingdom of God, including the desire for a simple life-style
    • Focus upon the kingdom produces the inward reality, and without the inward reality we will degenerate into legalistic trivia. Nothing else can be central. The desire to get out of the rat race cannot be central. The redistribution of the world’s wealth cannot be central, the concern for the ecology cannot be central. Seeking first God’s Kingdom and the righteousness, both personal and social, of that kingdom is the only thing that can be central in the spiritual discipline of simplicity.
    • When the kingdom of Gd is genuinely placed first, ecological concerns, the poor, the equitable distribution of wealth, and many other things will be given their proper attention.
  • Freedom from anxiety is characterized by three inner attitudes.
    • If what we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess freedom from anxiety.  This is the inward reality of simplicity
      • When we are tempted to think that what we own is the result of our personal efforts, it take only a little drought or a small accident to show us once again how utterly dependent we are for every thing.
    • To know that it is God’s business, and not ours, to care for what we have is the second inner attitude of simplicity.
      • Yes, we can lock our doors and take precautions
      • There is simply no such thing as “burglar proof” precaution. Obviously, these matters are not restricted to possessions but include such things as our reputation and our employment.  Simplicity means the freedom to trust God for these (and all) things.
    • To have our goods available to others marks the third inner attitude of simplicity.
  • Simplicity is freedom, not slavery.  Refuse to be a slave to anything but God.
    • For the name simplicity, there is a lot that goes into this.  But I hope that gives you a little taste of what we are talking about.  I highly recommend you do some deeper study on this subject, because it is not one that you will hear much about unless you seek it out, even though it is a subject that scripture speaks of often.
Bible Study, Life

Wednesday Night Bible Study

We have been going through a study on Spiritual Disciplines from Richard J. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline at North Boulevard Christian Church. For those that haven’t been able to attend, yet want to participate, I am going to be positing my notes here each week. We are actually through the first section of the study, the Inward Disciplines, as we talked through the last of the four this evening. So for this first post, I will be posting all four sets of notes from this study.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5
Christian Living, God

Our Most Important Election, Ever?

Hey friends of Thoughts from a Crosseyed Jesus Freak. I haven’t posted a lot of thoughts on here recently, but I have a few that have built up to the place that I need to share them. So, hopefully that means I’ll be sharing here more regularly, at least for the time being. That being said, let’s jump in.

Our country is divided right now. There is a presidential election taking place in just a few days, it’s being touted as “the most important election in our history”. But is it really? Honestly, if you look back at past elections, many of them were called the most important election ever. It seems that each and every time an election cycle comes around, people freak out and claim that there is more at stake today than ever before.

The problem is that many I’m hearing from, and seeing completely freak out over the election, are fellow Christ followers. Before I go any further, I want to make something clear. I absolutely believe that we should all vote. It is one of the rights that this nation was founded on, and we should all exercise that right whenever we have the opportunity. The other thing I want to stress is I will never tell you WHO you need to vote for. I have my firmly held beliefs, but I don’t feel it is my place to TELL you who or how to vote. What I will say is if you are a Christ follower, then you need to prayerfully consider each and every vote you cast. Pray. Weigh the options. Vote with a clear conscience. And then trust God!

Now back to the issues I am seeing. We’ve basically got a two-party political system, and you have both parties trying to claim that they are in the right. And you’ve got Christ followers on both sides saying that you can’t be a Christ follower and vote the other party. Here’s the thing though. Neither party perfectly encapsulates what we should be as Christ followers. That’s because they are of human origin and will not perfectly fit what should be in the Kingdom of God. There are platforms, policies, and personalities on both sides of the aisle that are very much unlike Christ.

A friend, mentor, and fellow minister, Mike Edmisten, wrote this recently.

“Conservatives struggle with the social demands of Jesus. Liberals struggle with the ethical demands of Jesus. Christians accept the demands of Jesus and struggle with human political philosophies.”

twitter.com/mikeedmisten

I think that encapsulates what we all should feel as Christ followers. Christ first, human politics a far second. And because of that, we have to remember that no matter who wins this election, God is still King. 

If Biden wins, God is still in control. If Trump wins, God’s got this. God is sovereign, and His will will ultimately play out, no matter who is the President of the United States. Neither Joe Biden or Donald Trump are America’s last hope. No human being is our last hope or salvation. That title belongs to Jesus Christ, and Christ alone. He is our hope. He is our salvation. And only trust and living for Him gives any of us any chance in this messed up world. 

I get it. If your chosen political candidate loses, it might feel like things will get bad. And they might. But GOD’S GOT THIS! He’s in control. He is going to put in place who He wants as President. It may not be what we want or think should happen. But God’s agenda will be done despite how we might mess it up. I say it again. TRUST GOD!

I saw this sermon video four years ago, in the lead up to the Trump/Hillary election. And while there are some dated references to that election, the jest of the sermon fits today very well. It was preached at Ozark Christian College’s chapel service about the sovereignty of God. And I want you to take the time to watch this. Really pay attention to what this man says. Because, again, no matter who is President, God is on the THRONE! Pray, research, vote, by all means. But in the end, trust God. Take some time to watch this sermon.

Christian Living, Encouragement, God, Life, Preaching, Sermons

Easter 2020 Announcements

Hey North Boulevard Christian Church!

We are in the middle of Holy Week; The last week of Jesus’ physical life on earth before going to the cross for our sins. This past Sunday was the day that we call the Triumphal Entry, when Jesus and His disciples came into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to the cheers and excitement of the crowd.

But in just a few days, the mood around Jerusalem had shifted. As Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover that would soon become known as “the Last Supper”, the Pharisees and the other members of the Sanhedrin had already agreed to pay Judas to betray the Messiah. Of course, they either didn’t understand that He was the Messiah, or they just didn’t care because He was changing things too much.

I wanted to take a few minutes today to encourage you. Spend time with Christ this week, thanking Him, communing with Him, and realizing that the pain, humiliation, and heartbreak He went through during His betrayal, beatings, crucifixion, and death were all for you. He went to the cross because He love you so very much.

I know throughout our country, the Friday after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday. But I really think an argument could be made for the Friday of Holy Week for being known as the true Black Friday. Hell, Satan, and the world thought that they had won when Jesus died on Friday. The skies around Jerusalem even turned black, and the ground shook. It was Friday…

But Sunday is coming. The day that we celebrate the realization that death has been defeated. The gates of hell have been stormed. Sin has no power anymore, and Satan knows his fate…that is if you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior! And it is my hope and prayer that all that hear or read these words already know Him that way, or will come into a saving relationship with Him through baptism and living your life for Him.

I never dreamed that we would be celebrating Easter the way that we are going to be this weekend. As our church buildings sit empty, I can assure you that the grave of Jesus is empty as well. And it has been for 2,000 years…and will be for all of eternity. He has risen, and has opened the door for us to have a relationship with God that our sin had caused to be shut. Praise God!

That being said, I want to tell you a few things about what is going to take place this weekend as we celebrate the Resurrection together, but on our own. I plan on going live on Facebook around 8:00 AM Sunday morning for a short devotional that would have been our Sonrise service. I hope you can plan on joining me for that.

Then, at 11:00 AM, if all goes as planned, we will be premiering a video on our Facebook page (facebook.com/nblvdcc) and my Youtube channel. To access it on Youtube, just go to youtube.com and search Kraig Birchfield. It will include a welcome and announcement time from a special guest, a communion meditation from Chad Logan, and my Easter message. This is a different Easter for me, even if we weren’t having to meet online. I’m doing something I’ve not done before. We are starting a new sermon series this week, and I’m excited to share it with you. I normally end a series on Easter Sunday, but this year, we are beginning a series called “I Wish Jesus Hadn’t Said That”. We’ll be looking at some of the toughest sayings and teachings of Jesus over the next ten weeks.

And I thought it would be fun today to give you a little preview. So, I have included my introduction to our Sunday message for you today. 

Today, we’re celebrating Easter. I never dreamed that we would be doing it in this manner, but let’s not forget why we celebrate in the first place.

Jesus Christ, Son of God, came to live a human life, did so perfectly, and then willingly allowed Himself to be crucified, which is arguably one of the worst ways ever conceived to die, and then three days later rose from the dead, paying the debt for our sin. That’s what we celebrate today, and even with most of the church buildings across this nation empty this morning, we hold out hope because the grave is empty as well!

Here’s the thing that we have to realize. If Jesus really came back from the dead, which I believe with all my heart, then we have to obey what He says. If He didn’t, then we shouldn’t pay any attention to it. That means that we have to listen and apply all that He said to our lives, even the things we find hard or wish He hadn’t said.

If you are joining us today, and you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior through baptism and following Him, then I want to encourage you to pay attention to this message. There are going to be some very tough things that we look at this morning, but please stick with me to the end.

I’ve often told people that if I’m not stepping on toes at times, then I’m not really doing my job as a preacher. But that includes me. I often am stepping all over my own toes, because I haven’t gotten all of this perfect myself. So, let’s lace up our metaphorical steel-toed boots, and let’s see where God is taking us today!

Have you ever found yourself reading through the Bible and come across a statement and think to yourself, “Man, I really wish Jesus hadn’t said that?”

I hope that this preview may pique your interest. Share it with others. Invite them to join us, again at 8:00 AM Sunday on Facebook Live for a short devotion, and then either on our Facebook page or my YouTube account at 11:00 AM (or anytime after that).

God Bless and stay healthy! 

Christian Living, Encouragement, Ministry, Preaching

It’s Friday…

Hey North Boulevard Christian Church!

I wanted to take a few minutes today to update you and where we are at with regards to services and leave you some encouragement.

These are fluid and difficult times. With Governor Tate Reeves’ announcement this week of the statewide shelter in place order, along with much prayer and contemplation, we have decided that for the foreseeable future, we will only be hosting our services online. We are asking you to stay home and join us on Facebook each Sunday. 

We are asking that you set aside time to have communion with your family. Read a devotion and have prayer on your own, and spend time with God. If you don’t have juice and communion bread, that’s fine. Use what you can. The important thing is focusing on the sacrifice of Christ, not the bread and juice. 

Also, we want to encourage you to continue to give to the church if you so choose. You can do that by sending it to our P.O. Box 472 Amory, MS 38821. If that doesn’t work for you, contact me and we’ll make some arrangements.

This week, I will be preaching at 11:00 AM, and we hope that you will all join us on Facebook live if at all possible.

This is a very tough decision, and it is not one that we take lightly. It is not that we feel the government should be telling us what to do as a religious organization. But we feel that it is prudent to encourage all of us to stay home whenever possible. 

Here is the other side of it. We live in an age of public opinion and outrage. We’ve been talking at great length about living on mission and sharing Jesus with as many as possible. We don’t want to do anything to hurt our witness or mission either. Seeing and hearing the opinions of many either online or at other workplaces about churches that are continuing to meet has made us realize that we might actually be doing more harm than good by continuing to offer live, in person gatherings.

I’ll be the first to admit I despise that it has come to this. It pains me to not see each and every one of you at least weekly. But it’s time to go this route for the time being. Without going into a lot of detail, this virus has gotten close to home this week. We have always pushed caution, but it’s time to take it a step further. Kelley and I are fine. We have not been experiencing any symptoms or anything like that, but the spread of this virus has potentially hit very close to home in Amory.

Here’s the great thing. We are the church. The church is not a building. The church is the people. And we can worship and fellowship from afar. We live in an age of technology that allows us more connectivity than ever before. While we never want to encourage you to stop meeting together as Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us; 

24 And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25 CSB

We don’t have to be physically together to stay connected. Call, video chat, or write letters to one another. Be the church without being gathered. We can get through this together because we know the God we serve is ultimately in control of this whole situation. Maybe He saw that this world, all of us included, needed to take a step back and slow down.

I know this is a scary time. It’s not a time that any of us saw coming, and the fear of the unknown is a real thing. I challenged you last week to look for the good in this situation. Likely, it seems to be getting harder to find the good. But I promise you there is good coming out of this situation. We are getting a chance to slow down and reconnect with God in a deeper way if nothing else.

You may be asking with all the uncertainty, fear, and panic going on, how can you ask us to stay positive. Well, I want to take you to one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite professors from my time in Bible college. I know that it is not exclusive to him, and likely you have heard it before. But it was Dr. Jon Weatherly that I first heard this from in my Introduction to the Gospels class. With Easter being just next week, I think it an appropriate reminder for us today.

We would be discussing something in class that seemed like bad news, whether it be the status of the people, the rage and plotting of the religious leaders, or even the despair of the disciples after Christ’s arrest. Those are all dark times, and it seems that there is nothing good to come out of those situations if you don’t know the rest of the story. Dr. Weatherly would pause, and tell us “It’s Friday…but Sunday is coming!”

Do you get what he is saying? Christ died and was put in a tomb on Friday. Satan and all of Hell thought they had won. The world looked lost. But Sunday came, and Christ defeated death, Satan, and Hell once and for all. A lot can change in three days. 

Now, I know that this situation we are in is probably going to last for longer than three days, but I promise you when the disciples were in their state of despair between Friday and Sunday, it felt like an eternity. This may feel like it will never be over. That our world is going to continue to spin out of control. 

But you see, Easter is not going to be cancelled. Yes, we may be having to do something different, but nothing is going to cancel the real meaning of Easter; Jesus Christ being raised from the dead! My mom sent me a picture on Facebook the other day that said “Easter cannot be cancelled. 2,000 years ago, all the forces of hell tried that. They failed.” And it contained a picture of an empty tomb.

So, I want to leave you with this thought. This world is in turmoil. And it may get worse before it gets better. It may seem that there is nothing but despair, fear, and panic. But our God has got this under control. He sees the big picture. It’s Friday…BUT SUNDAY IS COMING!”

Christian Living, Encouragement, Life, Ministry, Preaching, Sermons

Spiritual Gifts Survey

We are talking about what gifts we can have as Christ followers this Sunday evening at North Boulevard Christian Church.  If you have never taken a Spiritual Gifts Assessment, feel free to take one of these below.

It is important to not only figure out what our Spiritual Gifts are, but it is equally important to develop and use them. I recommend not only taking this survey, but also retaking it annually, as our gifts grow, develop, and change as we grow in Jesus.

Spiritual Gifts List (Lifeway)

Spirtual Gifts Survey (Lifeway)

Spiritual Gifts Assessment (1)

Christian Living, Encouragement, God, Preaching, Sermons

Didn’t See It Coming

You hear the phrase all the time. You’ve probably even said it yourself. “I didn’t see that coming”. It’s usually said around a time when you are caught off guard by something, whether it be a plot twist in a television show or movie, an unexpected health diagnosis, a huge change at work (possibly getting laid off or fired unexpectedly), or whatever else catches us off guard.

The problem is that there are things that catch all of us off guard, that we don’t see coming, that maybe we really should. There are warning signs, but for whatever reason, we just don’t see it coming. Last year, I had the opportunity to be on the advanced reading team for a book that was released to the public on September 4, 2018. That means I had an advanced copy during the summer of 2018 so that I could read it before it was published, and then help promote the book on social media once it was released. The book? Didn’t See It Coming: Overcoming the 7 Greatest Challenges that No One Expects and Everyone Experiences by Carey Nieuwhof.

If you don’t know who Carey is, he is a leading voice in leadership and communication in the North American Church. He is a former lawyer and founding Pastor of Connexus Church in Canada. You can check out his website at www.careynieuwhof.com. The book was one of the most insightful and impactful books that I’ve read recently. Carey is very relatable, writing from personal experiences covering seven challenges that we will all more than likely face at some point. They include; Cynicism, Compromise, Disconnection, Irrelevance, Pride, Burnout, and finally Emptiness.

Starting towards the end of August (maybe September) we are going to be going through a sermon series looking at each one of these challenges that Carey covers. While the book will be a small part of the series, we will be looking at these challenges in scripture. I’m sharing this with you now because some of you may want the opportunity to read along with the book during this series. Didn’t See It Coming will be supplementary to the series, and will not be necessary to keep up with us. The series itself will not just be straight our of the book either.

If you are interested in the book, Amazon has it for the Kindle for $11.99 or Hardcover for $14.69. The following is an excerpt from a review that I posted on Thoughts From a Crosseyed Jesus Freak blog at crosseyedjesusfreak.com last year: 

“Carey writes with a style that is so easy to read, yet he deals with topics that are not always the easiest to diagnose. His mix of stories from his own life that relate to the topics along with practical steps to get ahead of the issues hits so much on a personal level, that many of the pages felt like I was reading my own story. He is relatable and it is very easy to understand that Carey is writing from a genuine desire to help others through some of the hardest issues that he has personally faced in his life and in his leadership.

All leaders in the Church NEED to read this book. All leaders in any kind of organization need to read this book. Honestly, and I am not trying to exaggerate, everyone needs to read this book. Carey exposes some of the greatest threats to living a life of purpose, and shows how to overcome them. He suggests a relationship with Jesus is the best way to live, yet he writes in such a way that those that do not know Jesus will be able to benefit from this book. Don’t get me wrong, he presents the gospel, but he is not overbearing in his presentation.”

Christian Living, Encouragement, Life

Freedom!

Freedom!

The Fourth of July is just around the corner. It’s actually been my favorite holiday to celebrate for as long as I can remember. There is just something special about it. In fact, when Kelley and I first got engaged, we had planned to get married on July 4, 2009, but due to some employment issues for both of us at the time, we had to postpone that date. 

I don’t know if it’s the fireworks, the food, the fact that it’s summer, or a combination of it all that makes it my favorite to celebrate. One of the biggest factors, however, is obvious. It’s celebrating this nation’s birth. Our freedom. This country was founded on the idea of freedom. And while some of that freedom seems to be under attack today, we still stand proudly as a free nation.

We have the freedom to have the jobs that we want, to live where we want, to own whatever type of vehicle that we can afford, to travel around the country, and most importantly to me, to practice religion openly and freely. That’s what the colonists came here from Europe for. Religious freedom.

But it’s not this nation that gives us true freedom. As much as I love this country, and celebrate the freedom we have, our true freedom comes from a relationship with Jesus. Jesus, with His willing sacrifice on the cross, and God bringing Him back to life, set us free from the constraints of sin. We now only have to accept this freedom. And that should be what we celebrate more on the Fourth of July, and every other day of the year, for that matter.

Freedom found in Christ doesn’t necessarily mean that we are free to do absolutely anything that we want, but neither does the freedom that we have as Americans. We are free to choose, but there are consequences for our actions. Jesus set us free from being slaves to sin, but that means we have to walk away from sin. We are still going to mess up and sin, but it means that we are not controlled and constrained by sin anymore. 

I remember when this first clicked for me. It was such a freeing and exhilarating experience. Sin still tries to reign us in and control us, but as Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:13-14; “For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

We are free, but we should not use this freedom to continue to sin. That is Paul’s thrust in Romans 6 when he writes about not continuing to sin so that God’s grace would increase. We are free from sin, and should use that freedom to become more and more like Christ, not continue in our sin. 

If you’ve never realized the freedom that we have found in Christ, I encourage you to dig in and study this idea. It is such a freeing experience. Jesus has not only paid the price for our sins, He has broken the chains that sin has had on our lives. While I remember when I realized this freedom for the first time, it is something I long to help others experience. I’ve had the privilege of helping others make that realization in the past, and I don’t know that there is anything better other than a first time confession of Christ. 

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t celebrate the Fourth of July and the freedom that we have in this country. I’ll still be celebrating that this year. There is nothing wrong with that. There are a lot of great things about this country. But what I am arguing is that we should be celebrating the freedom that we have found in our identity as a Christ follower above and beyond celebrating this country. We are free in this country. But even if those freedoms get stripped away, if you are a Christ follower, then you are still truly free.

Jesus stated in John 8:34-38; “34 Jesus responded, ‘Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. 37 I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill me because my word has no place among you. 38 I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father; so then, you do what you have heard from your father.’”