God is good. Just thought you oughta know...
God bless!!!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Bearing Fruit...
One of my mentors in college asked me a very difficult question one time: “If you stopped living for Christ today, would anyone know the difference?”
How do people know we are Christians? Can they tell? As we live our daily lives, living among our friends, our co-workers, our fellow students, can they tell that there is something different about us? How do people know we are Christians?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches his disciples how to live their lives. Jesus’ request is that they live in such a way that they bear good fruit.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:15-19)
Our fruit is what identifies us. The actions people see, the words that we speak, the things that we stand for… this is the fruit that people see. We are called to be fruit bearers in our daily lives. But what fruit are we supposed to bear? If we are recognized by our fruit, then what are we supposed to bear out in our lives? I think Paul gives us a glimpse in Galatians 5, when he discusses the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… These are the qualities that we are called to display in our own lives. By this fruit we will be recognized.
How would our world be different if each of us determined that we would try to live out the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives? But, let’s be honest: we can’t force ourselves to bear fruit. We can’t grit our teeth, bear down, and force ourselves to display this spiritual fruit. Notice Paul’s statement: the fruit of the Spirit. This is the fruit that the Holy Spirit brings into our life. We can no more gain Godly patience on our own than we can make an apple sprout from our head. Rather, the Spirit is what brings the fruit. We are simply called to draw closer to God. If we draw closer to God in our hearts through prayer, worship, reading, etc, then this fruit will naturally begin to appear in our lives as well.
As Jesus reminds us, by the fruit the tree will be known. May we always bear good fruit in our lives in order to bless the lives of others. And when YOU are asked, “If you stopped living for Christ today, would anyone know the difference?”, may those around you be able to say, “Yes!”
How do people know we are Christians? Can they tell? As we live our daily lives, living among our friends, our co-workers, our fellow students, can they tell that there is something different about us? How do people know we are Christians?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches his disciples how to live their lives. Jesus’ request is that they live in such a way that they bear good fruit.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:15-19)
Our fruit is what identifies us. The actions people see, the words that we speak, the things that we stand for… this is the fruit that people see. We are called to be fruit bearers in our daily lives. But what fruit are we supposed to bear? If we are recognized by our fruit, then what are we supposed to bear out in our lives? I think Paul gives us a glimpse in Galatians 5, when he discusses the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… These are the qualities that we are called to display in our own lives. By this fruit we will be recognized.
How would our world be different if each of us determined that we would try to live out the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives? But, let’s be honest: we can’t force ourselves to bear fruit. We can’t grit our teeth, bear down, and force ourselves to display this spiritual fruit. Notice Paul’s statement: the fruit of the Spirit. This is the fruit that the Holy Spirit brings into our life. We can no more gain Godly patience on our own than we can make an apple sprout from our head. Rather, the Spirit is what brings the fruit. We are simply called to draw closer to God. If we draw closer to God in our hearts through prayer, worship, reading, etc, then this fruit will naturally begin to appear in our lives as well.
As Jesus reminds us, by the fruit the tree will be known. May we always bear good fruit in our lives in order to bless the lives of others. And when YOU are asked, “If you stopped living for Christ today, would anyone know the difference?”, may those around you be able to say, “Yes!”
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
He who is without sin throw out the first pitch...
For those of you who don't already know, Alex Rodriguez took steroids from 2001-2003. He admitted as much two weeks ago after he was outed by a friend. Yesterday he held a press conference verifying his steroid use and apologizing for his behavior. I am proud of the way A-Rod approached this head on. But two questions always arise in the back of my mind. 1) If he hadn't been caught, when A-Rod have ever fessed up to his steroid use? 2) Does it really matter?
The answer to question number one is, "Absolutely not." Yesterday, when asked by a reporter whether or not he thought of himself as a cheater, A-Rod replied, "I don't know. That's not for me to decide." First of all, yes you were cheating. It was the easiest question on the list. A-Rod showed no penitence, so remorse for his decision. The closest thing he has said to remorse was that he was sorry he had shamed the game. There's not much in there about personal culpability or personal responsibility. If he hadn't been caught he never would have shared his steroid use.
Does it matter? Absolutely not. Do steroids provide an advantage in the game of baseball? Yes. Do steroid users have an unfair advantage? Absolutely: steroids present an unfair advantage for the steroid user, as they are bigger and stronger than the non-steroid users that they face. (Their balls are also smaller and their voices higher, but that is beside the point.) Most guys in baseball AREN'T using steroids. However, many of the big names in baseball DID use steroids at some point in their career: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, Mark McGuire, Miguel Tijada... The biggest names in baseball were doing it. A-Rod simply joined the list. Plus, there are just as many pitchers doing steroids as batters. The bigger you get, the harder and faster you can fling the ball. A-Rod was blasting out steroid fueled pitches with his steroid propelled bat; maybe he was just leveling the playing field.
The real question in my mind is this: Why is Congress poking their nose into baseball at all? Aren't there bigger fish to fry? Our economy is in shambles, we just passed a MASSIVE (impotent) stimulus package, more investors on Wall Street are crooks, we are sending 17000 more troops to Afghanistan... Honestly, does the baseball controversy really matter at all?
According to President Obama it does. The Rodriguez controversy was mentioned in his first prime-time address of the American people. With so many other things to wrestle with it's amazing that we are focused on steroids in baseball.
Here's what I would really love to do: Walk into the Congressional hearing with a rock and place it on the arbitrator's desk. I would love to tell the Congressmen on the panel, "If any of you have never cheated to get to where you are, go ahead and throw the stone. But let's be honest... you took money for your campaign from shady investors looking for kickbacks and government contracts. You shamelessly add pork for pet projects into bills to fund education. You lie, cheat, and steal because it is "good" government. So shut the heck up about baseball players! If one of them goes to jail for lying, ALL OF YOU SHOULD GO TO. Bunch of stupid hypocrites."
Did A-Rod cheat? Absolutely. Did A-Rod cheat anymore than the executives on Wall Street, the petroleum profiteers who drove up the prices, the housing execs who sold houses for more than they were worth to people buying outside of their means? Did he cheat more than the Congressmen who are putting other baseball players on trial? Absolutely not. So... let's get down to some real work and leave sports alone.
The answer to question number one is, "Absolutely not." Yesterday, when asked by a reporter whether or not he thought of himself as a cheater, A-Rod replied, "I don't know. That's not for me to decide." First of all, yes you were cheating. It was the easiest question on the list. A-Rod showed no penitence, so remorse for his decision. The closest thing he has said to remorse was that he was sorry he had shamed the game. There's not much in there about personal culpability or personal responsibility. If he hadn't been caught he never would have shared his steroid use.
Does it matter? Absolutely not. Do steroids provide an advantage in the game of baseball? Yes. Do steroid users have an unfair advantage? Absolutely: steroids present an unfair advantage for the steroid user, as they are bigger and stronger than the non-steroid users that they face. (Their balls are also smaller and their voices higher, but that is beside the point.) Most guys in baseball AREN'T using steroids. However, many of the big names in baseball DID use steroids at some point in their career: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, Mark McGuire, Miguel Tijada... The biggest names in baseball were doing it. A-Rod simply joined the list. Plus, there are just as many pitchers doing steroids as batters. The bigger you get, the harder and faster you can fling the ball. A-Rod was blasting out steroid fueled pitches with his steroid propelled bat; maybe he was just leveling the playing field.
The real question in my mind is this: Why is Congress poking their nose into baseball at all? Aren't there bigger fish to fry? Our economy is in shambles, we just passed a MASSIVE (impotent) stimulus package, more investors on Wall Street are crooks, we are sending 17000 more troops to Afghanistan... Honestly, does the baseball controversy really matter at all?
According to President Obama it does. The Rodriguez controversy was mentioned in his first prime-time address of the American people. With so many other things to wrestle with it's amazing that we are focused on steroids in baseball.
Here's what I would really love to do: Walk into the Congressional hearing with a rock and place it on the arbitrator's desk. I would love to tell the Congressmen on the panel, "If any of you have never cheated to get to where you are, go ahead and throw the stone. But let's be honest... you took money for your campaign from shady investors looking for kickbacks and government contracts. You shamelessly add pork for pet projects into bills to fund education. You lie, cheat, and steal because it is "good" government. So shut the heck up about baseball players! If one of them goes to jail for lying, ALL OF YOU SHOULD GO TO. Bunch of stupid hypocrites."
Did A-Rod cheat? Absolutely. Did A-Rod cheat anymore than the executives on Wall Street, the petroleum profiteers who drove up the prices, the housing execs who sold houses for more than they were worth to people buying outside of their means? Did he cheat more than the Congressmen who are putting other baseball players on trial? Absolutely not. So... let's get down to some real work and leave sports alone.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Don't Worry? Man, I am anxious about that!!!
What do you worry about?
Let’s face it, we all worry. We worry about the future, we worry about the present, and we worry about the past. We worry about finances and not having enough. We worry about our health and the health of our loved ones. We worry about what people think about us. We watch the news and worry about the things that we hear, or we pick up the newspaper and worry about the headlines.
We are a worried people. According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety disorders are the leading mental health diagnosis in America. An estimated 40 million people live with anxiety problems. But the truth is, 100% of us worry about something.
As Jesus is speaking to his followers on a mountainside, he spends a significant portion of his time talking about worry: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…” (Matthew 6:25) Jesus tells his disciples to stop worrying about the things of this world: food, clothes, possessions. Jesus wants his disciples to put their anxieties aside in order to live a happier, more productive, more God-filled life.
But let’s be honest: this seems almost IMPOSSIBLE for us. After we got done discussing this passage at Refresh the other night, one of my students told me that she had already broken her resolution and had begun to worry about school. How can we follow Jesus’ teachings? How can we move beyond our anxious thoughts?
I think Jesus gives us the secret in the passages that come before this. Jesus begins his discussion of worry with the word “Therefore.” Thus, we have to figure out what it is there for. Jesus’ immediate words talk about not being able to serve two masters; serve God only (Mt 6:24). Jesus discusses storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth (Mt. 6:19-21). Jesus tells his disciples to fast; he calls them to intentionally abstain from the things of the world (mt. 6:16). These three admonitions teach us that God is more important than the things of this world.
But I think the real secret comes in the passage right before. Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done… Give us this day our daily bread…” (Mt. 6:9-11, emphasis mine). Did you catch the secret? Did you hear how we can begin to overcome our worries? It doesn’t just start with prayer; it starts with how we pray! We must pray that God’s will may overcome our own, that we will seek his kingdom. And we are called to pray for our daily bread; it doesn’t talk about storing up bread for the future, but simply worrying about today, for “each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I pray that each of us may learn how to trust God with our future, because he knows (and provides for) all of our needs.
Let’s face it, we all worry. We worry about the future, we worry about the present, and we worry about the past. We worry about finances and not having enough. We worry about our health and the health of our loved ones. We worry about what people think about us. We watch the news and worry about the things that we hear, or we pick up the newspaper and worry about the headlines.
We are a worried people. According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety disorders are the leading mental health diagnosis in America. An estimated 40 million people live with anxiety problems. But the truth is, 100% of us worry about something.
As Jesus is speaking to his followers on a mountainside, he spends a significant portion of his time talking about worry: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…” (Matthew 6:25) Jesus tells his disciples to stop worrying about the things of this world: food, clothes, possessions. Jesus wants his disciples to put their anxieties aside in order to live a happier, more productive, more God-filled life.
But let’s be honest: this seems almost IMPOSSIBLE for us. After we got done discussing this passage at Refresh the other night, one of my students told me that she had already broken her resolution and had begun to worry about school. How can we follow Jesus’ teachings? How can we move beyond our anxious thoughts?
I think Jesus gives us the secret in the passages that come before this. Jesus begins his discussion of worry with the word “Therefore.” Thus, we have to figure out what it is there for. Jesus’ immediate words talk about not being able to serve two masters; serve God only (Mt 6:24). Jesus discusses storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth (Mt. 6:19-21). Jesus tells his disciples to fast; he calls them to intentionally abstain from the things of the world (mt. 6:16). These three admonitions teach us that God is more important than the things of this world.
But I think the real secret comes in the passage right before. Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done… Give us this day our daily bread…” (Mt. 6:9-11, emphasis mine). Did you catch the secret? Did you hear how we can begin to overcome our worries? It doesn’t just start with prayer; it starts with how we pray! We must pray that God’s will may overcome our own, that we will seek his kingdom. And we are called to pray for our daily bread; it doesn’t talk about storing up bread for the future, but simply worrying about today, for “each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I pray that each of us may learn how to trust God with our future, because he knows (and provides for) all of our needs.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Gift of Hope
The Gainesville State Tornados ripped through a huge banner with their team name on it as the charged onto the football field. The Gainesville athletes ran through a tunnel of 300 cheering fans as they heard people cheering their names, calling our their numbers, cheering them on as they played against Grapevine Faith Christian School. They played their hearts out, it turned out to be the best game of their season: they lost 33-14. But the most amazing part of the story? These athletes are from the Juvenile Corrections Center, and their “fans” were parents of the Grapevine team.
Grapevine coach Kris Hogan wanted to do something special for these players. Hogan saw a team that the world had given up on, a team that had no hope. They were in the system for assault, drugs, robbery, and the world had simply written them off. Hogan took matters into his own hands: he asked half of their fans to cheer for the opposing team and go out of their way to help the Gainesville players have hope. The Grapevine players (and their parents) were confused; “Why would we cheer for the other team?” But Hogan responded, “Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you." Imagine what a difference it could make! And the fans responded: they painted posters, memorized rosters, recruited cheerleaders. The Tornados responded by playing better than they had all year, doubling their touchdown total. As they walked off the field, heads held high while under guard, they were handed sacks of burgers, fries, and a Bible with an encouraging letter inside. The Gainesville players returned to their life in prison.
After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us." Hogan told reporters he was glad their heads were bowed so no one could see his tears.
Isn’t the power of hope amazing? Isn’t it amazing to see how lives can change when someone starts believing in you? When one person gives you hope and a chance to succeed? This is the power of the Gospel! As Jesus talks about his true followers, he tells them that when we visit those in prison (or do other good deeds), we did them for him. When we serve the “least of these,” we are serving Jesus.
As Christians we are called to show the world that there is hope. We are called to make a difference by touching the lives of those that the world has written off. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to bless the less fortunate, to cheer on the brokenhearted, to encourage the downtrodden… We are called to be messengers of hope to the world. Let’s get out there and cheer them on in the name of Jesus; I’m sure people will respond.
(Excerpts taken from Rick Reilly, ESPN)
Grapevine coach Kris Hogan wanted to do something special for these players. Hogan saw a team that the world had given up on, a team that had no hope. They were in the system for assault, drugs, robbery, and the world had simply written them off. Hogan took matters into his own hands: he asked half of their fans to cheer for the opposing team and go out of their way to help the Gainesville players have hope. The Grapevine players (and their parents) were confused; “Why would we cheer for the other team?” But Hogan responded, “Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you." Imagine what a difference it could make! And the fans responded: they painted posters, memorized rosters, recruited cheerleaders. The Tornados responded by playing better than they had all year, doubling their touchdown total. As they walked off the field, heads held high while under guard, they were handed sacks of burgers, fries, and a Bible with an encouraging letter inside. The Gainesville players returned to their life in prison.
After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us." Hogan told reporters he was glad their heads were bowed so no one could see his tears.
Isn’t the power of hope amazing? Isn’t it amazing to see how lives can change when someone starts believing in you? When one person gives you hope and a chance to succeed? This is the power of the Gospel! As Jesus talks about his true followers, he tells them that when we visit those in prison (or do other good deeds), we did them for him. When we serve the “least of these,” we are serving Jesus.
As Christians we are called to show the world that there is hope. We are called to make a difference by touching the lives of those that the world has written off. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to bless the less fortunate, to cheer on the brokenhearted, to encourage the downtrodden… We are called to be messengers of hope to the world. Let’s get out there and cheer them on in the name of Jesus; I’m sure people will respond.
(Excerpts taken from Rick Reilly, ESPN)
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