"HELLO. My Name is CHRISTIAN."

Juliet:  "What's in a name? That which we call a rose

by any other name would smell as sweet."

Good question . . . what is in a name? Do they really matter? Juliet's point was that they don't . . . or at least not in this particular case - and I would have to agree. She was in love with Romeo regardless of his family name and heritage.

But, "names" . . . do they matter? You know, in the grand scheme of things, who you are and that by which you identify yourself . . . does it matter.

Running The Rugged Red

2014 Rugged Red

Back in the spring, while looking through some Half-Marathon races, I came across The Rugged Red Trail Half-Marathon . . . 13.1 miles in the Red River Gorge.  I really don't even remember where I first found out about it, but it intrigued me so much that I registered the same day.

At that time, I'd NEVER run a trail in my life . . . I was the quintessential trail-running newbie.  I had no idea what trail running was like, but I knew that this one was for me.

The Trails Are Calling

The Swinging Bridge

I'm less than two weeks out from 13.1 miles in Red River Gorge . . . September 6th is The Rugged Red.  This trail-running thing is quickly becoming the one of the highlights of my week.  Of course I have several things that trump running the trails (aka: spending any time with my wife and kids), but this new hobby is a great way for me to enjoy the outdoors, stay/get in shape, and challenge myself physically and mentally.

Last Saturday was one of those physical and mental challenges.  I decided to cover the upper half of The Rugged Red course (which I hadn't been on yet) and also to make it my longest trail run yet.

Chronicles of a Trail-Runner-Newbie

Morning on the Trail

I've enjoyed running since 2010 when I completed my first half-marathon.  Over the past 4 years, I've run off and on and typically gone too far too soon and ended up with a layoff due to an overuse injury . . . IT-Band Syndrome, Peroneal Tendinitis, ruptured lining between my heel bone and whatever the other bone is called that meets up with that one.

After almost a year off from running, I began easing back into it and then . . . it happened.

Spiritual Myopia

Sitting down this afternoon to plan out worship sets for this Sunday morning . . . struggling a bit.  My mind is constantly invaded . . . distracted by this heart-ache that punches me in the gut.  So, I thought I'd post my thoughts.

I was reading back over this post from June 7th of 2013 . . . the year I turned 40 . . . and thought I'd share the content of that post again.  It's a good reminder for me as I continue on the journey of getting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Right now I'm training for two runs that are coming up in . . .

Teach Them Diligently

Families choose homeschooling for many different reasons, but the main reason for our family has always been a deep seated desire to be THE primary influence in our children's lives.  We felt strongly that we would not be able to be that influence . . .

Words Matter

"Wise men speak because they have something to say;

Fools because they have to say something." --Plato

Words matter . . . what we say, how we say it, when we say it, why we say it . . . it all matters. When we speak, it reveals what's on the inside. Jesus said, "The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." [Matthew 12:34] What do the words you say reveal about your heart?

Renewed Purpose

“For you have been called for this purpose

 since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example

for you to follow in His steps.”

 

For most of us, if we’re honest, we’ll discover that our lives have very little to do with the purposes of God . . . with following in His steps . . . with denying ourselves and following Him.  We have bought into what is called “The American Dream.”  In his book Radical: taking back your faith from the American dream, David Platt describes it this way. 

Beginning a Life-Style of Prayer

 

          Learning to pray is an important part of any Christian's life.  Prayer is a vital aspect of our walk with the Lord.  Sometimes we view prayer as . . . that thing we do when life gets tough.  But, we are called to pray daily, even continually, in all circumstances.  We are called to live a life-style of prayer.

          Often people think that they must use memorized prayers or special words or language . . . all the Thee's and Thou's . . . think Shakespearean or King James-ish "churchy" language.  Some also worry about the proper posture . . . hands raised, on their knees, face down, hands folded, head bowed, eyes closed, etc.  It's not so much about the words you say or the physical posture you take, rather it's more about the condition and the "posture" of your heart.

          When it comes to learning how to pray, I think of two events in particular from Jesus' life.

          The first is in Luke 18:9-14.  Jesus tells a story of two men at the temple.  The first is very religious, self-righteous and prideful, praying to God . . . going on and on about all the good things that he does in life – basically thinking that if he’s good enough, then God will accept him.  The second man stands at a distance and is unwilling to even lift his eyes to heaven as he prays.  Instead he beats his chest and prays, “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.”  That’s it . . . simple, short, but so powerful.  Jesus says that the humble sinner went home justified before God, not the other man.

 

          As we come before God in prayer, it begins here . . . in humble acknowledgement of our sin and our need for God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  We are sinful – God is holy.  Even our righteous deeds are like filthy rages to Him.  God says through the prophet Isaiah that He looks to those who are humble and repentant in spirit [Isaiah 66:2].  This is what the attitude of our heart must be as we come before a holy God in prayer.

 

          The second example is when the followers of Jesus ask Him to teach them to pray [Luke 11:1-4].  I’m sure you know this . . . the Lord’s Prayer.  It’s also found in Matthew 6:9-13.  This example is also very simple (it’s funny how we tend to make things so overly complicated).  Jesus begins with a humble statement about God:  Our Father in heaven, your name is holy.  He then prays for some specifics:  God’s will to be done, daily provision, forgiveness, and deliverance from temptation.  This is a great model for us.  No need for flowery language or special words or memorized prayers – just simple heartfelt expressions to God.

 

 

". . . pray about everything. Tell God what you need,

and thank him for all he has done." [Philippians 4:6; NLT]

 

 

Here’s an acronym that many people use for prayer (it’s a good beginning point and not original with me):  A.C.T.S. – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.

Adoration – praise God for who He is . . . like Jesus did as he began in his prayer:  Our Father in Heaven, holy is your name.  Speak of His greatness, His majesty, His glory.  Proclaim that He alone is worthy to be praised.  The Book of Psalms would be a great place to find some more examples.

Confession – it’s that idea of humble acknowledgment of your need for God’s forgiveness.  “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.”

Thanksgiving – there is so much to be thankful for!  Express those things to God.

Supplication – this is a “churchy” word that simply means making requests of God.  Like Jesus did.  Pray for God’s will to be done in your life and in your family.  Pray for God’s provision and protection.  Bring your needs to Him.

A.C.T.S. – It’s an easy outline to remember and a great way to begin the discipline of prayer.

          It's important to remember also that when we come to God, we do so through Jesus Christ.  Jesus himself said that no one comes to the Father except through him [John 14:1-6].  Scripture also tells us that there is but one mediator between God and man . . . and that is Jesus Christ [I Timothy 2:5].  This is true when we come to God for anything, whether that is salvation, forgiveness, or even in daily prayer.  We come to God through Jesus Christ.  Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can now have access to God through Him.  And, we can "approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" [Hebrews 4:16].

 

 

 

Worship Minister, Gateway Christian Church - www.gcch3.com

The Church in Jerusalem

A message I preached during a series in the Book of Acts:

Here is the Introduction:

 

"By modern standards they may have been naïve, but perhaps because of their simplicity, perhaps because of their readiness simply to believe, to obey, to give, to suffer, and, if necessary, to die, . . . the Spirit of God found that he could work in them and through them so powerfully that in Acts 17:6 (KJV) it is declared that they were turning the world upside down!"

 

Here is Lesson #1:  Obedience Outweighs Opinion

 

"When culture stands in opposition to the ways of God, the people of God must stand in opposition to the ways of culture. The 1st Century Church was constrained by God’s commands above the Law of man. We, now – in the 21st Century - are compelled to obey God rather than man."

 

 

Here is Lesson #2:  Prayer Precedes Power

 

"Before we will ever move in the power of the Holy Spirit

we must spend time in the presence of our Holy God."

 

 

Here is Lesson #3:  Reproof Requires Response

 

When reproof or conviction is brought into someone’s life, there is always a response.  We typically respond in one of three ways (or some weird combination):

Apathy – we ignore it and go on living as before

Anger – we lash out at the messenger
Attrition – we respond in sorrow and repentance

 

 

 

 

I enjoyed this message.  It was a challenge for me as I prepared and I hope that it challenges, encourages, and convicts us to move beyond "church" as usual and begin to live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

Worship Minister, Gateway Christian Church - www.gcch3.com

Church . . . it's not what you think



"Heaven is my throne and Earth is my footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for me?" ~ Isaiah 66:1

 

"The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands" ~ Acts 7:48

 

I often hear people declare to their children as they zip down the hallway . . . "Stop running!  You're in Church" - which I suppose is appropriate if there are several other folks in the hallway and you don't want them to run into someone.

 

I've also heard folks say something like:  "Don't use that language . . . you're in church" or "Don't tell lies . . . you're in church" or "Don't [you fill in the blank] . . . you're in church."  What confuses me is the line "you're in church" . . . as if being in "church" makes all the difference.

 

Funny how we confuse the church building with being The Church.  We have some major misconceptions going on here.

 

I recently read an short post from Ransomed Heart Ministries about The Church that REALLY resonated with me.

 

Here's what it said:

 

Church is not a building. Church is not an event that takes place on Sundays. I know, it's how we think of it. "I go to First Baptist."   "We are members of St. Luke's."   "Is it time to go to church?"

Much to our surprise, that is not how the Bible uses the term. Not at all. When the Scripture talks about church, it means community. The little fellowships of the heart that are outposts of the kingdom. A shared life. They worship together, eat together, pray for one another, go on quests together. They hang out together, in each other's homes.

When Peter is sprung from prison, "he went to the house of Mary the mother of John . . . where many people had gathered and were praying" (Acts 12:12).

Anytime an army goes to war or an expedition takes to the field, it breaks down into little platoons and squads. And every chronicle of war or quest will tell you that the men and women who fought so bravely fought for each other. That's where the acts of heroism and sacrifice take place, because that's where the devotion is. You simply can't be devoted to a mass of people; devotion takes place in small units, just like a family.

We have stopped short of being an organization; we are an organism instead, a living and spontaneous association of individuals who know one another intimately, care for each other deeply, and feel a kind of respect for one another that makes rules and bylaws unnecessary. A group is the right size, I would guess, when each member can pray for every other member, individually and by name.

This is the wisdom of Brother Andrew, who smuggled Bibles into communist countries for decades. It's the model, frankly, of the church in nearly every country, but the U.S.

Now, I'm not suggesting you don't do whatever it is you do on Sunday mornings. I'm simply helping you accept reality—that whatever else you do, you must have a small fellowship to walk with you and fight with you and bandage your wounds. This is essential. [from Ransomed Heart Ministries]

Some excellent thoughts here!  It's the reason being plugged into a small group is SO essential . . . regardless of the attendance of the worship gathering you are a part of . . . mega, large, medium, small . . . it's all about true community/fellowship in Christ with others - walking with one another through the ups and downs of this life. 

Yes, the 1st Century church was a large body of believers . . . THOUSANDS.  There was exponential growth from the second chapter of Acts onward, but these believers met consistently from house to house in small groups to strengthen, encourage, support, and "be there" for one another.  You simply can't do that in a mass of nameless faces.



Worship Minister, Gateway Christian Church - www.gcch3.com

In Church, but not In Christ

          In his book, not a fan, Kyle Idleman tells of his encounter with a father after one of his speaking events.  The man came with tears in his eyes and began to tell the story of his prodigal daughter, how she went to college and totally turned her back on her belief in God.  When he was finished, he didn’t ask why she was doing this or what had gone wrong.  He wasn’t looking for an explanation.  Instead, with one sentence he put his finger on what he thought happened.  Here’s what he said . . . “We raised her in Church, but we didn’t raise her in Christ.” [not a fan, p.83]

 

          As a father of four of the most amazing children in the entire world (from my perspective of course) . . . this hit hard somewhere deep in my heart:  raised in church, but not in Christ.  You see, I’m not only a father, but I’m also a minister serving in a local Church.  So, my children are “churched” in every way possible.  Since I work at the Church, the only time they might not have attended a gathering is if they truly are ill . . . otherwise they are being raised in the church.

 

          Being raised in the Church is not in and of itself a bad thing.  But in the midst of having a faithful commitment to the Church (the Body of Christ), I must ask myself the question:  “Are my children also being raised up in Christ?”

 

          You see, if they are being raise up in the church only, the focus is not on relationship, but on religious ritual.  Faith is not an essential part of who they are, but simply one more thing to do on their religious check list.  They “look right” and maybe even “act right” on the outside (at least on Sundays), but there is no inner-life transformation taking place.  They will learn to keep all the rules, but they’ll never experience the relationship.  They will feel guilty for the wrong things they do, but will somehow miss God’s amazing grace.

 

Church Involvement is not Enough

 

          Often, parents have the misconception that as long as we keep our kids involved in church activities . . . that’s all they need in regard to spiritual development.  Think about that.  How much time does that give your children when it comes to their spiritual growth in Christ?  Only an hour or two per week . . . at most.  They spend 6-7 hour PER DAY in school having their minds developed academically – that’s 30-35 hours per week!  No wonder most of our children are biblically illiterate.  Sadly they are only following in the steps of their parents.  As I consider these things, I’m drawn to Judges 2:10 which says, “. . . there arose another generation . . . who did not know the Lord . . . .”

 

Be Intentional in the Home

 

          As parents, we must be intentional about the spiritual development of our children teaching them the truth of God’s word and the importance of living in relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Helping them realize that being raised in Christ is not a weekly ritual, but a daily walk.

          Use Deuteronomy 6:6-7 as a template for your family:  “These words . . . shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children . . . talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”  Basically . . . we are to saturate our lives with the things of God.  Our relationship with God is to be top priority.

          Unfortunately, this is not the pattern I see within the Body of Christ.  We elevate education and sports (or some other extra-curricular activity) to the highest priority and the things of God get relegated to a ritualistic observance on Sunday . . . and maybe Wednesday.  Oh, we wouldn’t say that, but our actions betray our words.  My challenge is to take a step back and evaluate your family’s priority.  Look at what you do as a family.  What do you spend the most time doing?  By your actions . . . What is the highest priority?  Be intentional as you raise up your children in Christ.

 

Live it out – Be a Living Example

 

          As you know . . . actions speak louder than words and our children are masters at recognizing hypocrisy.  We must be a living example of God’s love to our children.  We must daily walk in relationship with the Lord and live that out before our children.  They need to see your faith in action.  None of this:  “Do as I say not as I do” rubbish.  If we make our faith simply a ritualistic observance – a religious obligation – our children will be quick to recognize the insincerity of our faith and will adopt that same attitude.  It is critical that we live out our faith following the ways of Jesus daily in relationship with him:  dying to self, living in Him and for Him, serving and loving those around us, being a living example to our children AND to the world around us of God’s unfailing love.



Worship Minister, Gateway Christian Church - www.gcch3.com