Day#2 began without a cloud in the sky which lasted all day. After morning prayer, a devotion from the life of Joseph, and a great breakfast, we hit the road. First stop: bonding over rock climbing and repelling. Nothing walking backward over a cliff to get the adrenaline going! Here is a shot Matt Kessler took of me heading over the cliff... And of course he took a video. If you listen closely you will hear me saying I just learned from Cory our guide that the HUGE mistake I made 3 years ago trying to show off (and scraped my whole leg up in the process!) made it into the Noah's training Manuel of how NOT to repel! I took it slow this year to enjoy the ride! Day #1of castle construction for Kingdom Rock complete! John Buxton, Greg Gambill, Griffin Waldhauser, Griff Atkinson, Jim Herring, Ed Morse, Dave Martak, and Patrick Cunningham crushed it as castle, rocks, paint, furniture moving and artistic design kicked off our countdown to Kingdom Rock. Thanks guys for a great work, a great attitude and for some great laughs! Lots more to come!
Ok, I’ll admit it. I love the music in the new hit movie Pitch Perfect. My kids tell me I am the only 44 year old man in the world who will get up on a chair during dinner clean up and lip sync Bulletproof. (I take it as a compliment!).
One of our favorite songs is the Barden Bella’s rendition of “Price Tag.” The opening line goes like this: “It’s not about the money money money, we’re not about the money money money, we just want to make the world dance, forget about the price tag.” We’ve played that song so much I caught Storie singing it in the bathtub the other night. I am convinced that many who have honest and sincere interest in Jesus, the Bible, and God never ask a Christian or a church leader because they think we are all about "money money money..." Or perhaps, "guilt, guilt, guilt " or "rules, rules, rules." Of coure there is the conception Christians are all about behavior management, or judging those who don't agree with them, or even the constant and mostly correct characterization that we Christians are all just a bunch of hypocrites. If I were to sum up the gospel in a nutshell, I might sing a song like . . . "It's all about Life, Life, Life, its all about Life, Life, Life, He just wants to make the world dance, forget about the price tag." Why? * Jesus said, "I came that they might have Life and have it to the full" (John 10:10) - Jesus is all about giving Life. * The Fruit of the Spirit of Life? "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control" - Galatians 5:22 provides the ingredients and power for dancing through life. * And the Price Tag? It costs Everything. Which is what HE gave. So the price has already been paid. What do you think? How can Christians better communicate what the gospel is all about to those who have questions but would never ask? Jesus says in John 10 that His sheep follow Him because they know His voice (vs 3). In preparing for my sermon a few weeks ago, I read a great book on prayer by Anglican Missionary Bishop, Alfred Stanway. Here are a few gems:
* We only learn to pray by praying. We only learn to hear God by listening. * In prayer we not only get answers, more importantly we get God. * When we pray God listens not as much to our words but the real needs and desires of our hearts. - (He has our long term best interests in mind.) * God speaks and answers usually with the purpose of increasing faith not fireworks. Do you remember when Peter asked Jesus to let him walk on water? (Mt 14:28-31). Jesus called his bluff and responded with an invitation to act in great faith. When we come to the Lord in prayer, Jesus sometimes answers by inviting us out into a place requiring greater faith. Our Bishop John Guernsey is a man of prayer who has spent decades walking with God and learning to pray and listen to the Lord. He tells the story of coming to God in prayer about participating in the $7 million dollar capital campaign for their new church. You can imagine his surprise when one day in prayer he sensed God asking him to give 10 times more than he and Meg were thinking they could afford. Wisely he sought counsel with wife Meg. To his greater surprise, she had heard the same thing from the Lord! So they decided together to begin asking God to provide for them the resources to give what the Lord was asking them to give. They took a step of faith in obedience to what they heard God say. Low and behold, God provided what He had ordered! Hearing God can be risky! Hearing God speak may mean having to respond with risks, faith, and stepping out of the boat. As we are in a period of listening to God not only about our lives but about how we will participate in the future of Resurrection, may we take the time to pray and hear God speak and have the courage to obey wand trust Him with what He says. Lord Jesus Christ, You stretched out your arms on the hard wood of the cross, that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace. So clothe us by Your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know You to the knowledge and love of Thee, for the honor of Your Name. Amen.
"Though our sins are as scarlet, we shall be made white as snow." - Isaiah 1:18
Thanks to Neil and Nancy Young, Kristin and I attended the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Fundraising Banquet last night with about 1650 other people. Ravens Coach John Harbaugh was the guest speaker with a slew of Ravens announcers, coaches and of course fans in attendance. A great night for a great organization. Frank Kelly III and a group of folks have done an amazing work for the Lord to bring the gospel to Maryland through FCA in the last 25 years. I hope that Resurrection will always cheerlead Christians who are bringing the gospel to places around our city, nation, and world we won't ever reach.
A couple other thoughts on the evening... When you are paid $20k to speak and donate it to help get kids to FCA camp to hear about Christ, it's called putting your money where your mouth is. Well done coach... At the same time, not sure what to do with taking scripture so far out of context to apply it to a football game... I guess none of us have perfect theology, but geez, I wouldn't want to be his brother and hear that talk...And finally, whether God gives victory or defeat, it's how you respond with gratitude and humility that reveals whether we join God in what He is doing or not. When we win, we use it as a platform to give glory and thanks where it is due while enjoying it for what it is, a gift. When we lose, we do the same while taking responsibility for our own shortcomings. Either way, God is glorified and the Kingdom advances. Super Bowl win or not, "Jesus is the same yestersay, today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) Thanks FCA, coach Harbaugh, and the Young's for a great night. One of the most amazing privileges of being a Christian is experiencing God's work in and through our lives, our character and our hearts over time. 2 Corinthians 3: 17 - 18 says,
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we ... are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory ...." (vs 17 - 18) When the gospel of Jesus Christ is embraced by faith, and as we learn to follow Christ daily, God's Holy Spirit transforms His people from the inside out, convicting and cleansing of sin and guilt, growing us in love, patience, and self control, and filling us with peace and joy. All this takes time. Last week I was in Michigan for a funeral of a good friend's mother. I had spent a lot of time in Michigan between the ages of 20 and 26. I even worked there one summer during college. Going back after almost 15 years, now married, with 4 children, and as a pastor, it made me realize again how God changes us. What struck me most was not the natural progression of life stage change, but how much God has changed my character, my desires, and my heart since those days in my early 20's. Some old friends reminded me how much more arrogant, judgmental, impulsive, insensitive and self absorbed I used to be. While I still have a long way to grow in these areas, I spent one morning's quiet time just praising God that He has not allowed me to stay stuck in myself. It has been primarily through daily reading the Bible, daily learning how to pray, great Christian friends, my awesome wife, and walking with Christ through times of challenge and heartbreak that God has brought this character and heart change. The fruit of God's work - new freedom, a new love for God and people, and renewed desire to follow Christ on His terms rather than my own - has been so worth it. As we approach Lent, a gift the church gives us to reflect on Jesus, the gospel, and ourselves, perhaps you might take some time to consider how God has been and is working to bring the "glory of His likeness" more and more into your life. On Wednesday nights beginning February 20th. Mike Donohue is going to be teaching an adult class on "Growing a Healthy Faith". What a great opportunity for all of us to grow more into the likeness of Christ. Grateful that God Grows and Changes us, ~ David In response to the Bishop’s December 2 sermon on “Giving out of Gratitude”, last week I wrote about the Biblical principles of why we offer our financial first fruits to the Lord. This week I am going to give a few practical tips about how to begin to tithe. Next week we will look at the benefits of honoring the Lord with our wealth. So how do we begin to obey God and honor Him with our financial tithes and offerings?
~ David Last Sunday Bishop John preached on responding to God’s grace with an “attitude of gratitude.” His main application was that one way we show gratitude to God is through the tithing of our finances to the Lord. I imagine that for some, the concept of money, church, and tithing brings to mind guilt inducing fundraising techniques, fear of giving up what you already have, or sincere questions about the motives of church leadership. Believe me, I understand and have felt all three on many occasions. As we all seek to grow in this area of giving out of gratitude, I want to remind us of the gospel and of our values as Christians in regards to money and giving.
First, Gospel giving is the fruit of Gospel receiving. We give as a response to what we already have received rather than as a way to satisfy our guilt or mollify a demanding God. 2 Corinthians 8: 9 says, “for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for our sakes He became poor, so that through his poverty we might become rich.” For those who have received the gospel, giving of our finances is just another way to respond joyfully and gratefully after experiencing His sacrificial, unmerited love. Second, giving financially to the church should never be obligatory. 2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us that the call from God is for us “to be willing and joyful givers.” Tithes are not dues to appease God or meet the needs of the church. As one clergyman once said, “we don’t tip God with our loose change in hopes we will receive the best He has for us – He doesn’t need our money and He gives us His best anyway!” Simply, let us not give unless we give willingly and joyfully to the Lord as a response to the gospel. If you are not willing or joyful in your giving, talk to God and others about why. Ask other believers how they became such joyful and sacrificial givers. Tell God you are willing to grow. Third, each of us is called to “give [ourselves] first to the Lord and then to [one another].” (2 Cor. 8:5) In other words, we don’t commit financially to others unless we have first committed our lives to the Lord. This year you might ask yourself if it is easier to write a check than commit to the Lord. If so, pray about why one or both is so difficult. Perhaps you might ask yourself (before you give another dime), ‘Have I committed my life to Christ?’ If yes, rejoice and give thanks for His faithfulness and ask Him to give you His heart for giving. If not, may I suggest figuring out the barriers that cause you to resist committing your life to Christ. Perhaps it is time to find a quiet spot, get on your knees, ask Jesus to forgive your sins and pride, and open your heart and receive Him as your Savior and Lord. You will be amazed how easy giving will become once you give yourself first to the Lord and receive His amazing grace. Willingly and Cheerfully Giving More and More with You Because of Christ, ~ David |
About the ResBlogMembers of staff and Vestry will be posting on the ResBlog to help us think through who we are in light of the gospel so that we might “spur one another on to love and good deeds.”
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