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The Weight of Preaching

11 Mar

Dear God, how easy is it to sit in a pew and grumble about the preaching on a Sunday morning? Pretty easy. Then you try to do it.

How easy is it to grumble about customer service at a some place? Then you fail a customer at your place of business and there’s no excuse for your failure.

How easy is it to grumble about social or economic problems in our communities? Then we try to be a part of fixing them and we realize the solutions are complicated and often come at someone else’s expense.

How easy is it to judge other people about how their children behave? Then our own children make choices the disappoint us and we are humbled before you.

Judging and grumbling are a great part of our human condition. I’m preaching this morning at a small church in my town. I’m filling in while the church looks for a new pastor. I’m nervous. I’ve spent more time thinking about this 10- to 15-minute talk than I’ve spent on most of my other talks. Why am I so nervous? Because I feel the weight of this responsibility. I have people in front of me who have actually come to hear something from you. Have I heard you this week? Will my words advance your Kingdom in Fredericksburg? Will they impact a life that is sitting in the audience? Will they be as a clanging gong and accomplish nothing? Will I let you down?

Father, help me to love you with all of my heart and to love everyone in that room today. Be glorified through me. Make a difference in my life today. Start with me. And then do whatever you want through me. Holy Spirit, be my counselor. Preach to me and through me. Guide my heart in real time and use the preparation I did this week to bring Glory to the Father, to Jesus, and to yourself.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 11, 2018 in Miscellaneous

 

1 Pete 3:15-17

10 Mar

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

1 Peter 3:15-17

Dear God, what a nice passage from Peter this is. And it seems pretty basic. Worship Christ as Lord. Be ready to explain your love for Him. Live as a good example.

I heard a woman this week make a passing reference to her broken marriage. It kind of made me wonder what happened along the way. I wonder this a lot about broken marriages. At one time, presumably, the couple was in “like,” in “infatuation,” and in “love.” But time went on. Offenses happened. Bitterness grew. Self pity took over. Then hopelessness. Now it’s just a peaceful (or maybe not so peaceful) coexistence. How many of those marriages could be saved by a little more mutual worship of Christ and living as a good example? In fact, I need to go ahead and order my favorite Christian marriage book today for the woman from this week. It really takes the idea of marriage back to how the individual is doing living for you.

Father, help me to worship you like I should, live as a good example that glorifies you, and then be ready to point others to you at any given time. You give me hope. You give me peace. You give me life. Thank you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 10, 2018 in 1 Peter

 

John 6:53,66-67

09 Mar

So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

John 6:53,66-67

Dear God, I left our verses 54-65 because I wanted to link the subject to the verb, as it were. Jesus says some hard things here at the end of John 6, but it’s almost like he’s intentionally turning up the heat to clear off the chaff. The problem I have when I read this passage is that I’m pretty sure that, if I had come along with Jesus this far if I had been there at the time, I’m pretty sure this would have been the last straw for me. I would have been wrong, but I probably would have left.

With what was in Jesus’ future, I wonder if he was just really drilling down to see who would be with him post-resurrection after the real disillusionment of the crucifixion had happened. I recently read a book about special forces training in the army and what they put people through mentally, physically and emotionally. The trainee who made it all of the way through said (disclaimer, I don’t necessarily agree with this, but I think there’s some truth to it) that he used to think getting to the end and not quitting was about determination, but after going through it he decided that the people who didn’t make it were the ones who couldn’t make that final decision to not think for themselves and be completely subject to a superior’s orders. Those that made it, on the other hand, were willing to have individual thought completely purged from them and then have it rebuilt in the military’s image. Is that a little of what Jesus was doing here?

Father, this has always been a hard story for me. I know you loved the people who went away. I know you followed through with your plan for them as well as anyone else. But for the job at hand, perhaps you just didn’t need them. I wonder what happened to a lot of them. I guess, as for me, my hope is that you will forgive and allow for my failings.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 9, 2018 in John

 

Ephesians 2:1-10

08 Mar

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:1-10

Dear God, there is a disconnect between what I know your grace has done for me and the lack of sharing that news that I do. Why don’t I tell other people about it more? Why don’t I encourage them to make the same decisions I have and embrace your forgiveness and freedom?

Sometimes I’ve wondered if I would be bolder if I felt I had more of a story to tell. Having pretty much grown up in the church and not really gone through a BIG rebellious stage, embracing your love and grace and submitting to you was really more about experiencing your joy and peace than receiving forgiveness for a debaucherous or hedonistic life. Am I afraid that my lack of story doesn’t give me the right to speak into someone else’s life? Have you given me a different calling? Am I missing your desires for me in all of this, or am I doing what you have uniquely called me to do?

Father, at the end of the day I think I am doing a lot of things that are good, but I am still missing so much. I must do better. I must share your love more. I must be your ambassador to everyone I meet and not just those with whom I am more comfortable. Forgive me for being weak in this area and open my eyes so that I can see the opportunities for sharing your love that you bring to me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 8, 2018 in Ephesians

 

John 3:14-21

07 Mar

And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

John 3:14-21

Dear God, as I read this passage and try to compare it to the story from Numbers 21 I am trying to make the link between the viper-stricken person who had grumbled in the wilderness and me, the guy who needs to look upon Jesus to be healed. What are our similarities?

The first similarity is that I am on a journey. Even last night, I had what I would call stress dreams—being late for a plane, can’t get everything packed, etc. There’s a lot going on in my physical world and I’m obviously trying to sort through it and getting on top of it. But am I looking at Jesus and remembering the peace that comes with your provision? Am I remembering to pray in real time and look for your peace. Am I doing the work I need to do each day with your power, authority, and blessing?

Father, help me to look to you, do what is in front of me to do with your power, and absorb the notion that you are calling me to peace. I fail. I am sinful. I am often afraid my sins will be exposed. But your light brings freedom. Be glorified in me through my weakness.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 7, 2018 in John

 

Numbers 21:4-9

06 Mar

4 Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Seac]”>[c] to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, 5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”6 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people.8 Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!
Numbers 21:4-9

Dear God, 16 year and one week ago I left a stable job for the unknown. It was a scary decision, but one I felt literally called by you to make. It started a long hard process and nearly three years of unstable employment and money flow, fear in how I would earn a living, damage to my self-confidence, and strain on my family and my marriage. My wife and I have often said that if we had known how hard the next three years would be we wouldn’t have done it. I am convinced that’s why you keep us ignorant about the future. I came up with a line at the time, “God keeps me on a need-to-know basis, and I very rarely need to know.” I also came up with the line, “There’s a fine line between living by faith and living in denial.”

I think the same can be said of the Israelites. If they had know what was in front of them they might never have left Egypt. But you used those trials to make them stronger and to build their faith, just like you used those trials in 2003-2005 to make me stronger in you and build my faith.

One of the hard things as a parent is to allow your child to struggle through a trial. I remember talking to my dad after all of the unemployments were over and he told me, “You have no idea how hard it was to not just send you money sometimes.” I got that and I appreciate that he didn’t short circuit the lessons you were trying to teach me. Now, as a father of children who are out of the home, it is my turn to find that line between allowing my children to work out their own challenges so that they can grow as adults and in you, and when they need their dad to step in.

Father, thank you that you very rarely let me in on what the future holds. Thank you that you allow us to struggle. Thank you that you do everything just the way you do it. There are times it frustrates me, I must confess, but I can almost always see, in retrospect, what you were doing, and that what you were doing was good.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 6, 2018 in Numbers, Uncategorized

 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

05 Mar

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Dear God, I suppose that if there is one thing I am supposed to know and remember to pass on to my children it is what the Jewish people call the “Shema Yisrael.” You are God, you are one, and I must love you with my whole heart, soul, and strength. Boy, is that harder to pass down than it sounds.

Over 20 years ago, I was at a Promise Keepers conference at Texas Stadium in Irving. One guy was talking to us and he used an illustration of three chairs. Each chair represented a level of love for and commitment to you. Chair #1 was VERY committed. Chair #2 was kind of committed. Chair #3 was not committed at all. He said that it usually goes that of generation #1 starts out in the first chair, it is likely that the next generation will be in the second chair and the third generation will be in the last chair. I think this is probably true which is why you gave Moses this passage to Still into the Israelites. We need to do everything we can to keep our children (and their children) in the first chair.

Father, you know what my wife and I tried to do with our children when they still lived at home. Now, they are both out in the world, and they will take those lessons (some of them anyway) with them. Give them what they need to live in that first chair. Help my wife and me to live in that first chair and stay there. It’s hard to not be distracted or tempted to follow our own way. But you are our God, you are one. I will love you above all others and with everything I have.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 5, 2018 in Deuteronomy

 

Joshua 1:6-11

04 Mar

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel, “Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

Joshua 1:6-11

Dear God, I e heard the phrase “be strong and courageous” before in relation to you and Joshua, but I don’t think I realized you said it three times. And then, when you said it, for Joshua, it was go time. Within three days, he started their new lives.

I have some friends who are on the precipice of big decisions. In fact, they are the three friends I’ve been praying for a lot lately. Of course, there are more than these three, but these three have been especially on my heart. But I can see this passage being for them as well. Daunting things are in front of them. I think it might be time for you to communicate to them, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Father, first, help me to internalize this passage for myself. I have some things to deal with at work that I don’t like dealing with. It’s going to take some conflict, but not nearly as much conflict was Joshua was facing. But you are with me. I must have faith in that. I must be strong and courageous and not think about the potential downsides or difficulties from the conflict because you are with me wherever I go. And I pray this for my friends too. Help them to be strong and courageous so that they might each live the life you have for them and so that others might be touched by you through their lives and their stories of faith.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 4, 2018 in Joshua

 

“Beautiful Trauma” – Pink

03 Mar

“Beautiful Trauma” by Pink (Alecia Beth Moore)

I have no idea if people read this daily blog of my prayers to God, but if you’re out there then what I’m about to say will probably make you lose a lot of respect for me. I’m a fan of the singer Pink. Since I’m a middle class white guy in his late-40s, I figure she would probably be disappointed to hear that I’m the kind of person who really likes her music. If she saw me sitting out in the audience at one of her concerts, she’d probably curse to herself and walk of the stage thinking her career is over. But on the other hand, she might also be surprised to know that I am a devout Christian who spends time in scripture every day, prays regularly, very happy in my marriage, and works in a Christian faith-based nonprofit. I guess I’m an enigma.

So I woke up this morning with the song “Beautiful Trauma” going in my head. I really like this song although the lyrics make me sad. The song is an interesting combination of happy music with troubling lyrics. The lyrics are about a dysfunctional, unhealthy relationship. I’m not going to post the whole song here because they include profanity, and I don’t want to offend anyone in this environment. I’ll let you Google them for yourself. But here’s a phrase that’s interesting:

You punched a hole in the wall and I framed it, I wish I could feel things like you. Everyone’s chasing that holy feeling, And if we don’t stay lit, we’ll blow out, blow out…

When I think about Pink’s music, a lot of it leaves me with the same impression. Alecia Beth Moore (her real name) is writing and selecting songs that express her internal feelings and Pink gets to perform them. I’m concerned for Alecia and a fan of Pink’s. But even in my concern, she’s someone I like because she’s willing to be honest and open about her struggles. I admire vulnerability.

As a Christian who has tried to discipline himself into discipleship for the last 31 years, I have learned a lot of lessons through my mistakes and God’s redemption. And while I don’t have life or faith figured out by a long shot, I am in a position to be able to tell when someone is grasping for the wrong things that they think will bring happiness. In the case of too many of our marriages, we look to the spouse to bring us that joy we are looking for instead of trying to tap into the overall macro-level life that God has for us.

Have you ever looked at that couple that hardly speaks to each other anymore and wondered when things changed? You know that there was a time when they couldn’t get enough of each other. They kissed uncontrollably. They talked on the phone a lot before they lived in the same home. They held hands. They had room for the other’s faults. But now the initial emotion is gone and they are disillusioned. I’m not going to play marriage counselor here because I have no expertise in this area. And I’m not going to say that if they were Christians then their marriage would be better because that’s not necessarily true either. There are plenty of discipling Christians with marital problems. I’m just saying that there is an empitness in Pink’s music that I can see in a lot of lives around me. From family members, to friends, to coworkers, to our clients at work, there is a lot of pain out there, and I think music like this helps me to tap into it and understand it a little instead of isolating myself in a protected bubble–and did I mention that I think the music itself is great?

Father, help me to be in the world but not of the world. Help me to find the balance between exposing myself to the lives and perspectives that others have and feeding my soul with things that are of you. Help me to carry your salt into a world that is looking for taste.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 3, 2018 in Hymns and Songs, Uncategorized

 

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Job 23:1-11

02 Mar

Then Job spoke again: “My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud. If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me. Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing. Honest people can reason with him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge. I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.

Job 23:1-11

Dear God, the verses of the day were actually 10 & 11 (“But he knows…”), but I couldn’t look at those without looking at 1-9 as well. Those verses show the frustration in Job’s heart and his commitment to you. He loves you. He believes in you.

Yesterday, I prayed for three friends who are facing difficult situations. I have to say, it looks like two of them had very good days. I was very grateful for them. One of them moved completely through the stage of stress they were in and into a new light. I pray that that one will continue to look to you as Job did here. One seemed to settle into the situation they are facing. I pray that that one will find you in the midst of the struggle. As for the third, I think the struggle continues. Please be with that person and help them move to the next level of development in their lives.

Father, finally, help me. I have some situations in my life that require wisdom, discernment, compassion, and toughness. Please guide me. Help me to be your servant and to represent you well for your glory’s sake.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 2, 2018 in Job

 
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