The Chiefest

I am a sinner. I have fallen.
I deserve hell. I deserve the worst.
He came. He suffered.
He was beaten. He was spit on.
He was flogged. He was mocked.
His flesh was ripped off. He was stripped naked.
They nailed His hands. They nailed His feet.
He never cursed. He never regretted.
His blood dripped. His side pierced.
He breathed His last. He gave His Spirit to His Father.
He obeyed. He was rewarded.
He rose. He lives.
Savior. Propitiation. Satisfaction.
I am a sinner. He is a Savior.
I have fallen. He was raised up.
I deserve hell. He satisfied God's wrath.
I deserve the worst. He experienced separation from God.
I see grace. I see mercy.
I see love. I see Him.
I see my rewards. I see His work.
I see my filthy rags. I see His blood.
I see my sin. God sees His Son.
I try to make things better. I mess things up more.
I try. I fail.
I work. I push Jesus away.
I see the point. I see why I am so wrong.
I long for self-control. He longs for me to be Christ-controlled.
I long for recognition. He longs for glory.
I see me. I need to see Him.
I am so weak. He is strong.
He doesn't need me. He wants me.
I want to be closer. He is drawing me to himself.
I'm crying for Him. He is crying for me.
I am screaming for Him. He is gently knocking at the door of my heart.
I am broken. He begins to smile.
I surrender. I hear Him sigh with relief.
I raise my hands. He takes hold.
He places His hands on my face. I can't look at Him.
I'm unworthy. He is my worth.
I'm unrighteous. He is my righteousness.
I'm dirty. He washed me.
I have a new name. He calls me son.
I owed a debt I could not pay. My Father paid it for me.
He paid with a life. The life of his Son.
I was so far away. I placed the world in between us.
He moved mountains to get to me. He never lost sight of me.
I don't understand. He is the Author.
I give Him my life. He uses me.

Bread of Life

In my class, "The Book of John" I had to write a research paper on the bread of life discourse given by Jesus in chapter 6. It is so weird to think about how many times I have read passages of scripture but I'm just now learning comprehend them. It all really starts in verse 22, but you need to know that Jesus just fed 5000 men with 2 small fish and 5 loaves of bread. He just refused the people who tried to make Him their king for a political revolt against the Romans, and then walked on water. So now He is sitting with the people and they ask for Jesus to do what Moses did for the Israelites in wilderness, make bread fall from heaven. Here it is...the best part of the whole story: "My Father gives you the true bread of Heaven. For the bread of heaven is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." I love it!! Jesus makes His claim to be equal with the Father. He tells the people that this bread is not about satisfying you physically but spiritually. The people then say, "Give us this bread." Verse 35, Jesus says, "I am the bread of life."

Many of us are like the people Jesus was talking to. They wanted to be independent from Rome. That wanted to make sure their physical needs were taken care of. They wanted some type of position in the new government they believed Jesus would set up. They wanted, they wanted, they wanted!! That's just like us. We want all these things that Jesus can do for us but we refuse to give Him our lives. We are wanted all of our physical needs met, but Jesus came not so that we may have these comfortable lives in our nice houses. He came to live a perfect life and then die. HE came to be the ultimate perfect sacrifice we needed so we can be forgiven and restored. Don't get so wrapped up in this world that you forget to take the true bread of life.

Just like bread is a necessity for us to live physically...Jesus is a necessity for us to live spiritually.

A Generation Enslaved

I'm more concerned today than I believe I have ever been about the views of Christianity by students. The more I talk and spend time with these teenagers, the more my heart breaks. The reason today's students are struggling so much with salvation is because they do not understand the work of Jesus on the cross. Everyone I talk to expresses his/her desire to stop sinning. Which is great news but we can't stop sinning. It's our nature. It's ingrained into the deepest part of our being. It takes Christ overcoming us, changing our desires, and transforming our hearts. Today's person tries to work for salvation or to not do things to be saved when that is not what Christ has asked us to do. Salvation is more than just not doing things against God's will...it's Him coming into our lives and becoming our Master, our Savior, our Lord. It's His desires becoming our desires. I can't explain how it happens. It's more than a feeling. It's more than a one night experience. It's God radically transforming you. How as a youth pastor can I communicate this message. We, sinners, are saved by grace, unearned favor from our God, through faith, belief in Jesus Christ. I do nothing to earn it. I deserve hell. I deserve God's wrath. I deserve eternal separation, but through Christ I receive this ridiculous free gift of an eternity with Christ because He loved me enough to pay for my sins with His blood. I want to see students, adults, senior citizens become so freaking saturated with the love of Christ that the thought of surface Christianity makes us sick. We can't do anything, but Christ can. Allow Him to change you. Meditate on the price Christ paid for you. He died. Philippians 2:1-11 tells us that not only did He die, but He left His Father in Heaven and all the glory to become a lowly man. To humbly die the worst death any person could ever know just for ME!! Just for YOU!! Don't you see He is worth it. He pulled me out of the pit. I can do nothing to repay Him for what He did. I can only give Him my life and be obedient to his every call. Examine yourself today...Are you working to try and earn His favor? You can't. It's all about Him and what He did.

Church Ain't My Bag

Last night, as most of you know, was basketball night. The night where we old guys try and make ourselves feel young by running around with some high school students. On a quick side note I feel myself starting to play like and old guy. I remember when I was younger playing with Matthew Murphy and his dad Mr. Robert. Me and Matthew would run around like crazy while Mr. Robert was fundamental. Last night I saw myself being...fundamental. That's not me. I was blocking out, playing tough defense, fouling hard and often, moving my feet, and using HEAD FAKES!! I'm past the age where I try to out jump everybody. Anyway, back to the orignal point here. I tried to witness to this guy I have been playing ball with every Tuesday night. A really cool guy who is a heck of a ball player. He said he was 28 just trying to have some fun and meet some guys. So I told him me and my wife teach this really cool Sunday School class that has about 10 or 11 couples our age. I encouraged him and told him we would love to have him and his wife come and visit. OK. Just so you know, with students I'm pretty blunt, adults I'm really gentle. I didn't just start talking to this dude about church. I got to know him a little, and we had some really good conversations. I thought I was really easing into this. Told him the impact Jesus had made on me...His response, "Church ain't my bag." Alright, so I'm witnessing to Austin Powers. Honestly, who says bag??!! Church has gotten a horrible reputation somewhere down the line. People don't want anything to do with it, and I don't understand. Most of my family doesn't go to church. We have gotten this idea that all the people in their suits and ties and dresses are going to judge us the whole time. Hebrews 10:25 tells us that we should not stop gathering with believers...IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER. I believe that's it. We have so many people who believe they truly know Christ because they said a magical formula of words. Salvation is a transformation of the heart not words, baptism, or any other thing you could do. This incredibly cool guy told me he didn't want anything to do with the Body of Christ. What about you?? Are you denying the gathering of believers?? Do you truly know Christ for who He is?? Is Jesus your bag??

Would Jesus have played basketball?

Tonight is basketball night. Tuesday's around 5:30 I go to the community center and meet up with some older guys and we play for a couple of hours. If you remember last week I came away pretty stinking frustrated because of a couple of guys who were being...umm...jerks. While I was spending some time with Jesus this morning, He just spoke peace to me. He allowed me to remember I was lost too once, and if it wasn't for some die hard Jesus Freaks who looked past my obnoxious personality I may have never learned of His great love. I would be doing nothing for the kingdom if I met up with 12 other strong believers in a church gym every week to play basketball. I was commanded to go out into the world. Read your bible and that's where you will always find Jesus....with the dirty, the poor, the obnoxious, the whores, the liars, the thieves, and any other person who just didn't know Him. He didn't save me so I could sit in my office and bask in my great discovery because I didn't discover anything. He found me. I never looked for Him. He called me to Himself. Why, oh why, would I ever think that a lost person is looking for Jesus??!! We have to take Jesus to them. So I need to quit expecting people who are lost to act saved. So I need to get off my lazy butt in my incredibly comfortable chair and go into the fields. Let's go hang around some sinners....and be light in a dark world.