Unified Journey

The other week I preached Unity. Psalm 133 is such a beautiful passage that really speaks to the heart of this topic. There is so much that we do separately that working together often gets overlooked. Unity does not uniformity. I can be unified around a certain vision and still not flesh it out the same. I may have a similar vision with another person but actualizing this vision becomes the challenge. It seems from Psalm 133 that there are two great blessings from unity and one is seeing the blessing of God on the work being done and the other is that unity produces growth and life. How is unity a active part of your life? Is there someone that you are struggling with? How have you faced the challenge of making amends in a relationship gone bad? What is one step that you can take to bring about the restoration needed?

A Pilgrim's Promise

Today is Columbus day and it fits with what I shared yesterday. Today is the actual date in which Columbus found this great land we enjoy. October 12, 1492 Columbus landed and began the exploration of our grand land. The Pilgrims were on a Journey and on this journey they experienced every emotion possible as they walked through very challenging moments.
The series I am preaching is on the Psalms of Ascent and they are a group of passages written and sung by the people of God in travel mode. Yes, these Psalms a part of the people's pilgrim heritage. On this journey there was the sense of needed help. Psalm 121 asks this very question, "Where does my help come from?" Our help comes from the Lord. He does not sleep, rather He is very aware of what is going on in our lives. Not only does the Lord watch over us, he is also our keeper. He keeps us and longs to meed the very needs we have.
Take time to read Psalm 121...
We all look for help at some point in our lives. When have you most recently sought help?

Where have you looked for help?

How does it make you feel that the Lord is watching over you at all times?

The Psalm concludes with the thought that the Lord is our keeper. How does this make you feel?
Consider these questions as well as your own as you read through the text. May you sense the Lord's presence as you seek Him daily! This is Lord's promise to those who seek Him!

Step Up - Take a Step Up

I started a new sermon series yesterday on selected Psalms of Ascent. These are 15 different Psalms from Psalm 120 to Psalm 134. They are rich meaning and very thought provoking. It has been a great to study them and consider how the people of God utilized them down through the years. Consider that these very Psalms being sung as the people came out of exile or consider them being sung on the way to the annual festival celebrations.
How awesome to consider how these provide us with a window in the lives of those who have gone before us. When you read these passages you will see the authenticity by which they address God and even contemplate how He will make Himself known to them. What a joy it is to see the genuine nature of these passages and how they challenge our sanitary way of addressing the Lord. We clean up good and make things look mighty nice for our Sunday morning services, but the truth is my life is anything by clean and neat. In fact our lives are messy, but Jesus gets down in the middle of our mess with us. This means that God longs to walk with us as we deal with junk in our lives. Let me tell you, I need this. I need the Lord to work in my life. Cause my life is messy maybe just like yours. Take some time and begin reading the Psalms of Ascent. I think you will enjoy the dialogue you find there. The word ascend means to "step up" and these passages take the reader on a journey upward to meet with the Lord. So take a hopeful step and meet the Lord in a new place. May the Lord make Himself known to you in fresh way as you seek in these ancient passages.

Taveling Light

The title of this blog is not unique, rather it came from the book title I saw several years ago. The point of the title fits, because I will be traveling with the GSU football team again this year and certainly need to travel light. I really don't need much with me on the road, but I still have a hard time packing less than I can possibly use.
It is hard to distinguish between what I need and what I might need. I can't seem to figure out just should take with a willingness to leave the other stuff behind. How about in your life? What stuff do travel with that you should leave behind? You, like me, have stuff in your bag that you don't need. I am sure you carry with you past failures that should have been long since dropped. We must not let the past mistakes in our lives to define our present or determine our future.
With this said, we must take what life brings us and see it through the eyes of Christ. When we live with a God perspective, we are able to discern what God is saying to us and wants to accomplish in and through us.

Talking with Jesus

Everything changes when you have a conversation with Jesus. When was the last time you sat down and had a conversation with the Lord. This morning I preached a sermon from Luke chapter ten where Jesus pays a visit to the home of Mary and Martha. Martha is busy preparing for the visitors, while Mary is at the feet of Jesus listening to His words. Martha is frustrated and "distracted" by all that she has to do. Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen what is better and to basically reevaluate her own priorities. Hmm... kind of hard words to take. I know it would nice have some help from time to time.
So let's think about this plot in our world. How does this same story line play out in your daily life? Do you find yourself in the same situation? Do you find yourself running around only to find out later that you are not only physically tired, but spiritually exhausted as well? Jesus is highlighting a great principle for us: we must pause our life to sit with Jesus, because a conversation with Jesus changes everything. When we fail to stop with Jesus, we are implying that our activity is more important, that God's hands are idle when ours are, as well as revealing that we have a lack of trust in God's leadership in our circumstances.
God wants to be involved in our lives even more than we realize. Take time this week to press the pause button and intentionally involve the Lord in your life. Ask God to make a daily difference in and through your live and know that He will.

Remember: A conversation with Jesus really does change everything.

Wisdom

I have been reading the Proverbs lately. It has been fun to see how practical and helpful these short sayings really are to my life. There is great wisdom to be found there and it is easy to read. If you have not made it through each of the chapters I encourage you to take a chapter a day or a portion of a chapter and see how God reveals Himself to you and applies a truth to your life.

I like this one in 10:9 says:

The man of integrity walks securely

but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

Or this one in 3:34-35

He mocks proud mockers

but gives grace to the humble

The wise inherit honor

but fools he holds up to shame.

Or a personal favorite 4:23

Above all else guard your heart

for it is the wellspring of life.

This is just a smattering of the great insight presented in the book of Proverbs. I am sure these nuggets of wisdom will push and challenge you just as they have my life and marriage. Take time to read and reread the passage each day and in the process I think you will find the scripture reading you. When this happens you won't just be getting through the Bible, rather the Bible will be working through you. I need this and I am certain you do as well!!

Walking Across A Room

I am reading a book by Bill Hybles, Just Walk Across the Room, about evangelism. He presents a very simple idea that is hard for us to grasp. Hybles says that if we will take the time engage people in conversation about Jesus, then we will see God begin to work in their lives. Often we overlook people or dismiss them as unreachable, when God wants to share His grace with them. It all begins with a simple conversation about life and then proceeding onto weightier matters of faith. God can and will use the conversation to help draw the person to Himself. This is the miracle of the way God works. Certainly this is a an act of faith and trust in God, but as we step out in an act of faith God will show Himself faithful.
So, let me ask you a series of questions.

Is there someone in your life that you need to talk with?

Do you believe that the Lord wants to work in each person's life?

What steps do you need to take to begin sharing Christ with people in your life?