Day of Praise

Hey y'all! I must've accidentally pushed cc (copies) instead of bcc (blind copies) and then somehow there were tons of bounce backs! I'm really sorry! Anyway, here's today's again. Thanks for your forgiveness, grace, and sense of humor.

Wed, 04/30/14, Easter Day #11, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 13:23 - "[Jesus said,] 'As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.'"

Okay, Parents, listen up!

Well, as long as you're somebody who cares about somebody else, then you can listen in too.

Okay, here's what I need to tell you. Ready? This is the information that will make you the best parents ever. Ready? Okay!

Here's the info: My grass is growing!

Yep, that's all the info you need to be super-parents.

Oh, I'm not talking about my regular grass. I mean, it's the end of April and it's been raining like crazy. Of course, the regular grass is growing. I'm talking about the two square feet of grass in the triangular area enclosed by the concrete of the curb, the sidewalk, and my driveway. That's the grass that's growing! It hasn't grown since I moved in this house in April 2004, which was a decade ago. And how could it have grown when it was totally sun scorched and whatever's-in-concrete fed?

Oh, yes! So what made it start growing now? Simple! Good soil! A one dollar and thirty-eight cent bag of good ol' top soil. Does this surprise us? It shouldn't. Jesus said in today's Bible verse that whatever is sown on good soil will be thirty, sixty, even hundred times more productive.

So what's this got to do with parenting? Simple. In today's verse, Jesus says that good soil is a person, namely, a person "who hears [God's] word and understands it." It's pretty hard for your child to hear God's word and understand it and bear fruit like Jesus describes , if you're never feeding your child both with God's word and an understanding of it. Feeding a child with God's word and an understanding of it so that, all other things being equal, your child can be "thirty, sixty, even hundred times more productive" has nothing to do with seminary training or serving as a pastor. No! Feeding a child with God's word and an understanding of it so that, all other things being equal, your child can be "thirty, sixty, even hundred times more productive" has to do with time. Your time. Your time to daily read a bit of the Bible to your child. Your time to weekly memorize the simplest of Bible verses. Your time to Google just a little bit of understanding from an internet source like Biblegateway.com. And your time to feed that bit of understanding to your child.

I'm a parent. I know it doesn't take that much time to read God's Word to your child and share a bit of understanding with your child. Even five minutes a day in God's Word with your child is better than leaving them out in the cold to get sun scorched and whatever's-in-concrete fed?

Try it! What do you have to lose? How about a little bit of time and a lot of anxiety over your children's future!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Wed, 04/30/14, Easter Day #11, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 13:23 - "[Jesus said,] 'As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.'"

Okay, Parents, listen up!

Well, as long as you're somebody who cares about somebody else, then you can listen in too.

Okay, here's what I need to tell you. Ready? This is the information that will make you the best parents ever. Ready? Okay!

Here's the info: My grass is growing!

Yep, that's all the info you need to be super-parents.

Oh, I'm not talking about my regular grass. I mean, it's the end of April and it's been raining like crazy. Of course, the regular grass is growing. I'm talking about the two square feet of grass in the triangular area enclosed by the concrete of the curb, the sidewalk, and my driveway. That's the grass that's growing! It hasn't grown since I moved in this house in April 2004, which was a decade ago. And how could it have grown when it was totally sun scorched and whatever's-in-concrete fed?

Oh, yes! So what made it start growing now? Simple! Good soil! A one dollar and thirty-eight cent bag of good ol' top soil. Does this surprise us? It shouldn't. Jesus said in today's Bible verse that whatever is sown on good soil will be thirty, sixty, even hundred times more productive.

So what's this got to do with parenting? Simple. In today's verse, Jesus says that good soil is a person, namely, a person "who hears [God's] word and understands it." It's pretty hard for your child to hear God's word and understand it and bear fruit like Jesus describes , if you're never feeding your child both with God's word and an understanding of it. Feeding a child with God's word and an understanding of it so that, all other things being equal, your child can be "thirty, sixty, even hundred times more productive" has nothing to do with seminary training or serving as a pastor. No! Feeding a child with God's word and an understanding of it so that, all other things being equal, your child can be "thirty, sixty, even hundred times more productive" has to do with time. Your time. Your time to daily read a bit of the Bible to your child. Your time to weekly memorize the simplest of Bible verses. Your time to Google just a little bit of understanding from an internet source like Biblegateway.com. And your time to feed that bit of understanding to your child.

I'm a parent. I know it doesn't take that much time to read God's Word to your child and share a bit of understanding with your child. Even five minutes a day in God's Word with your child is better than leaving them out in the cold to get sun scorched and whatever's-in-concrete fed?

Try it! What do you have to lose? How about a little bit of time and a lot of anxiety over your children's future!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 04/29/14, Easter Day #10, "Day of Praise"

Luke 24:31 - "And their eyes were opened, and they recognized [Jesus]. And he vanished from their sight."

Where did he go?

In today's verse, when we hear that Jesus, having been raised from the dead, "vanished from their sight," where did he go?

Well, in order to answer that question, we need to remember who "they" were. Yes, Jesus "vanished from their sight," but who were "they"? Yes, they were the ones whose "eyes were opened, and they recognized" Jesus, but who were "they"?

To answer that question, we need to look back ten verses from today's verse. And there in verse 21, we see and hear something very important about "them." After the crucified and risen Christ has joined them on the road to Emmaus, they don't realize that it's Jesus who's joined them, and one of the things they say to Jesus is, "we had hoped." In other words, the crucified and risen Christ came to and walked with people who "had hoped" because they'd lost hope. And after walking with and restoring the hope of these who had lost hope, he "vanished from their sight." So, back to the original question, "where did he go?" Well, he went to some more people who have lost hope.

Have you lost hope?

If you have lost hope, Jesus "vanished from their sight" to come to you!

Ya see, God's word plainly tells us many times that God brings hope into the midst of our grief. God brings hope into the midst of our sorrow. God brings hope into the midst of all that would erode and wash away our hope.

Just like a medical doctor works where there are sick people, so too a giver of hope works where there are people who need hope. The crucified and risen Jesus is a giver of hope.

Why have you lost hope? Why do you need hope? Maybe you're amongst the people like my daughter Cassidy in college in northern Mississippi and like my neighbors here in Alabama who last night huddled in hallways and basements as a string of tornadoes ripped through our states and killed at least 19 people, in addition to a long and wide path of physical destruction.

For whatever reason you've lost hope and need hope, Jesus is coming to you because that's one of the many things that the crucified and risen Christ does. He brings hope into the midst of our grief. He brings hope into the midst of our sorrow. He brings hope into the midst of all that would erode our hope and wash it away.

Believe, dear friends, and look to Jesus. Believe in the midst of your difficulty that Jesus is with you and so are my prayers that you will find comfort and hope in him today.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 04/28/14, Easter Day #9, "Day of Praise"

John 11:43 - "When [Jesus] had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.'"

I still love going to Walmart.

Generally speaking, people aren't shopping there for extras. They're buying necessities. And because they're buying necessities, their isn't really too much to get excited about. And it shows.

Boy oh boy, have you seen the look on people's faces while they're shopping for necessities? It's not a happy sight. 99% of the people look like they're the proverbial "this far" from being wrapped in grave clothes and sealed in a tomb. Like Lazarus was. In today's Bible verse.

But Jesus had something to say about that. And so do I. Hey, you can join in too, if you want. Jesus said, "Lazarus, come out." Well, actually he didn't say it. What Jesus did was he said it like he meaned it. Yes, meaned it, which, in my experience, is Southern for Jesus said it like he expected it was gonna work. (And since I was born in Georgia, grew up in Tennessee, and have lived almost a quarter century in Alabama, then I can say what Southern is.) Yes indeed, the Bible says, Jesus "cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.'" To be sure, Jesus was speaking to his dear friend, named "Lazarus." But since the name "Lazarus" means "God helps me," then we can responsibly say that Jesus was preaching an invitation to come out of death and come instead to Jesus to anybody who looks dead and needs God's help. Ya know, come to life! To abundant life! To stop focusing on how hard life can be (because it can be hard), and focus on the one who can help. Y'all, God helps. And I can see it when I'm focused on him and not on my attitude of I-still-walk-20-miles-uphill-in-both-directions-in-the-snow-to-school. Jesus calls us out of that weary existence into new life.

And I can do that too, when I believe in the strength of Jesus workin' through me. I just pick me out a person who looks spiritually dead at Walmart (and there are many to choose from), and I shout at 'em in a loud voice.

Like a couple days ago, I said to this employee, "Where are the greeting cards, please?" And she said, "Come right this way." And the next thing I know she's got me walkin' through the women's delicates. And I shouted out in a loud voice, "Lord, lookee where I am, please get me outta here!" And that employee, she just like instantaneously went from death to life. She started laughin'. And I said, "Well, God tells us to be fools for Christ. And I'm lookin' like a fool, so I might as well sound like one too." And we hugged. And she thanked me for makin' her day. And I thanked her for pointin' me toward the greeting cards. And I greeted some other dead people on the way. Really! And most of them came to life too.

See! You can do that! Anybody can act like a fool. All it takes is a little faith, a little silliness, and the ability to say, "Hey!" I mean, who cares if people think you're a fool? If they don't think that, they'll just think that you're dead, just like them. So who cares if they think you're a fool. After all, that's what the Bible people thought Jesus was when he hollered into something like Dixie Caverns to a man who'd been dead for days and told him to come out. They thought Jesus was a fool for thinking that the dead could come to life.

Well, obviously he wasn't.

And neither are we.

So, see ya at Walmart! I shouldn't be hard to spot. I'm the one lookin' and soundin' like a fool for Jesus Christ! Won't you join me?

Praise God!Mo, 04/28/14, Easter Day #9, "Day of Praise"

John 11:43 - "When [Jesus] had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.'"

I still love going to Walmart.

Generally speaking, people aren't shopping there for extras. They're buying necessities. And because they're buying necessities, their isn't really too much to get excited about. And it shows.

Boy oh boy, have you seen the look on people's faces while they're shopping for necessities? It's not a happy sight. 99% of the people look like they're the proverbial "this far" from being wrapped in grave clothes and sealed in a tomb. Like Lazarus was. In today's Bible verse.

But Jesus had something to say about that. And so do I. Hey, you can join in too, if you want. Jesus said, "Lazarus, come out." Well, actually he didn't say it. What Jesus did was he said it like he meaned it. Yes, meaned it, which, in my experience, is Southern for Jesus said it like he expected it was gonna work. (And since I was born in Georgia, grew up in Tennessee, and have lived almost a quarter century in Alabama, then I can say what Southern is.) Yes indeed, the Bible says, Jesus "cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.'" To be sure, Jesus was speaking to his dear friend, named "Lazarus." But since the name "Lazarus" means "God helps me," then we can responsibly say that Jesus was preaching an invitation to come out of death and come instead to Jesus to anybody who looks dead and needs God's help. Ya know, come to life! To abundant life! To stop focusing on how hard life can be (because it can be hard), and focus on the one who can help. Y'all, God helps. And I can see it when I'm focused on him and not on my attitude of I-still-walk-20-miles-uphill-in-both-directions-in-the-snow-to-school. Jesus calls us out of that weary existence into new life.

And I can do that too, when I believe in the strength of Jesus workin' through me. I just pick me out a person who looks spiritually dead at Walmart (and there are many to choose from), and I shout at 'em in a loud voice.

Like a couple days ago, I said to this employee, "Where are the greeting cards, please?" And she said, "Come right this way." And the next thing I know she's got me walkin' through the women's delicates. And I shouted out in a loud voice, "Lord, lookee where I am, please get me outta here!" And that employee, she just like instantaneously went from death to life. She started laughin'. And I said, "Well, God tells us to be fools for Christ. And I'm lookin' like a fool, so I might as well sound like one too." And we hugged. And she thanked me for makin' her day. And I thanked her for pointin' me toward the greeting cards. And I greeted some other dead people on the way. Really! And most of them came to life too.

See! You can do that! Anybody can act like a fool. All it takes is a little faith, a little silliness, and the ability to say, "Hey!" I mean, who cares if people think you're a fool? If they don't think that, they'll just think that you're dead, just like them. So who cares if they think you're a fool. After all, that's what the Bible people thought Jesus was when he hollered into something like Dixie Caverns to a man who'd been dead for days and told him to come out. They thought Jesus was a fool for thinking that the dead could come to life.

Well, obviously he wasn't.

And neither are we.

So, see ya at Walmart! I shouldn't be hard to spot. I'm the one lookin' and soundin' like a fool for Jesus Christ! Won't you join me?

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 04/26/14, Easter Day #7, "Day of Praise"

Mark 10:29-30 - "Jesus said, 'Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.'"

I left a whole field yesterday.

Well, actually, it was a whole flower bed.

Well, actually, it was one flower.

Ya see, I had this beautiful, jumbo, white iris blooming in my yard, and some kid ripped it right off its stem and literally left it wadded up in my yard so that it looked like a wadded up paper towel until I bent over to pick it up out of my grass and realized "Hey, this is not a paper towel; it's my precious, jumbo, white iris that some kid has destroyed." So I threw it back down in my yard, mad as an hornet at the neighbor kids, and stomped away.

Juuuuuuskiddin'.

I didn't get upset at anybody nor throw anything down nor stomp away. My goodness, at any one time, I have hundreds of beautiful flowers blooming, literally. What is one little, jumbo flower?
People have given so many kinds of flowers to me through the years that I have literally only spent ten dollars on two weigela plants to have my beautiful yard, or should I say "field," of flowers.

So, why did I tell you I got upset and threw stuff down and stomped away? Because that's, at least, in part what Jesus is talking about in today's verse when he talks about losing fields and houses and relationships.

Ya see, because of sin, we tend to have an unhealthy death grip on the things and people in our lives so that whenever we lose possession of a thing or control over a person, then we get so emotionally bent out of shape about it that we wind up forgetting about our many other blessings, in addition to usually hurting some people in our lives with our sour, stay-away-from-me attitude.

But God wants us to say, "Ok, so I lost a flower, but not only do I have the blessing of hundreds of other flowers, but I'm also blessed to have a neighborhood full of kids who love to play wiffle ball in my yard and climb my trees and jump on my trampoline and swing on my swing and slide on my slide. I'm so blessed that they know they're welcome and their parents trust me for their kids to be here." So now all of a sudden, I have hundreds of fields and nieces and nephews and brothers and sisters and houses where I'm welcome in my land, er, I mean, neighborhood.

But I totally miss out on those hundreds and hundreds of blessings when I protect and hold onto my things and my life with a death grip.

We gotta let go, friends. We gotta let go.

This is what Jesus is talking about. He, who died for us and has been raised, has restored all things to himself and entrusted them anew to us. The question is this? Are we gonna share them, as if they're the Lord's anyway, and therefore enjoy them all as a gift? Or are we going to possess them, as if they're ours to keep, and wind up losing them all not just in the end but right now too?

We are rich, friends. We are rich. Because Jesus is alive and reigns over all and has entrusted the treasure of his kingdom to us, then we are rich, rich, rich, rich, rich, immeasurably rich!

Let us share and gladly lose our bounty because, in so doing, God promises to multiply it a hundred times over. Wow!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 04/25/14, Easter Day #6, "Day of Praise"

Luke 5:33 - "And [the Pharisees] said to [Jesus], 'The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.'"

You are about to live a parable. The parable is called Friday.

Let me explain.

A dear friend of mine once told me that the great Warren Wiersbe said, "A parable begins as a picture and then becomes a mirror in which we see ourselves and then, through faith, becomes a window, through which we see God."

So you're about to live the parable called Friday. The picture of Friday is HAPPY! Then that happy picture becomes a mirror, namely, when you look in the mirror on Friday, I bet you see happy a lot more than on Monday! And now the mirror reflecting your Friday happiness becomes a window, through which we see God.

Don't you see God? That's what today's Bible verse is about. Jesus and his disciples eat and drink. In other words, they're happy, happy, happy! Oh sure, Jesus fasted some, like in the wilderness at the start of his ministry. But Jesus feasted more than he fasted. I mean his first miracle was at a wedding with dancing and laughing where he turned yucky water into 180 gallons of happy, happy, happy wine! How 'bout we say that Jesus made a significant contribution to everyone's happiness at the wedding!

Just as he contributes to ours.

I mean, here's the deal. Jesus is alive, People!!!!!!!!!! He conquered death and sin!!!! They have no power over us anymore. Putting it back in parable form, we can rightly say that Jesus conquered Monday! The parable of Monday has no power over us! Because Jesus rose from the dead, there are no more Mondays! Now everyday can be Friday! Everyday can be happy!

Oh sure, there are times for Monday, times for mourning and grieving and confessing. But because Jesus feasted more than he fasted, ya might say that Jesus sprinkled some Friday into Monday and invites us to do the same because whatever life serves up, you can't change the fact that Jesus is alive, transforming grieving into joy and Monday into Friday!

So, Happy Friday today! And Happy Friday tomorrow! And Happy Friday forevermore!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 04/24/14, Easter Day #5, "Day of Praise"

2 Chronicles 7:3 - "When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, 'For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.'"

This coming Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter, is sadly known as Low Sunday because historically, throughout the whole church, there are fewer people in worship than on a regular Sunday. It's quite a contrast from the overflow attendance of Easter Sunday. And it's also very sad because God's word tells us in today's verses, and in all the Easter accounts in the New Testament, that the natural response of all who know the love of the Lord and believe the resurrection of the Lord is to fall humbly before the Lord and worship him.

Realistically, Pastors contribute to the sad reality of Low Sunday by often taking vacation the week after Easter Sunday. Additionally, right after Easter Sunday, people in general go into "end of the school year" and "summer" modes, which translates into a different rhythm to the week, so worshiping the Lord is not a priority. I understand these things.

However, I appeal to all of you to recognize that the testimony of God's word never changes as to why our hearts hunger for worship and are motivated to worship:
1) God always remembers us and shows he's with us,
2) In remembering us and visiting with us, God tells us he knows our afflictions, which are all the things that we need God to set straight and provide for in our lives, and
3) God promises to set our afflictions straight.

Hungering for these treasures that God provides and that are emphatically poured out in the cross and resurrection of Jesus, I encourage you not to cut back on your worship of God for the next few months but instead to increase it seven times over. In sum, worship God daily, and, in so doing, feed the hunger of your heart and be ready to feed your family, ball teams, coworkers, and fellow humanity. Read your Bibles together each day in your homes. Take your Bibles with you in your cars to work and to ball games. Tell your coworkers and ball teams when and where you're going to read your Bible out loud and share a prayer so they can join you in your worship. If you're not in your town on the traditional worship days of Sunday and Wednesday, then find and attend another church.

The bottom line is that your heart is just as hungry for God's remembrance of you, God's knowledge of your woes, and God's promise to minister to you during the days and months after Easter Sunday as your heart is on Easter Sunday itself. So feed on God's word. Bow humbly before the Lord, worship him, and hold fast to his word.

God is alive daily and eager to feed you with his word. Come daily to the table of his presence and eat.

Trust Christ, and you'll see.

Praise God!!!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 04/23/14, Easter Day #4, "Day of Praise"

John 20:22 - "And when [Jesus] had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'"

My mom grew up on a farm. Lots of critters. Though I grew up in a suburban neighborhood, our house was often like a farm. One time, we had 22 critters, counting dogs, cats, gerbils, birds, fish, and rabbits. Yesterday, I saw a guy who might've grown up on a farm. He sure looked comfortable catching the critter and putting it in his "Animal Control" truck.

Animal Control is different from Pest Control. Animal Control puts critters back in the right place; Pest Control usually gets rid of critters.

When Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on the disciples in today's verse, he was like Animal Control, not Pest Control. He didn't want to get rid of anybody. He just wanted to get people back in place. That's what the Holy Spirit does; it works on us in the Spirit of Christ to get us back where we're supposed to be.

When Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on the disciples in today's verse, they had locked themselves in a room with fear. That's not where they were supposed to be. They were supposed to be out in the world, living in the strength and power and conviction and assurance and love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control of the Holy Spirit. So Jesus was kind of like the highest level of Animal Control and sent them on out in the world to live with all that strength and power and conviction and stuff. And immediately that's where they went, out of the locked room and back into the world to make a difference in other people's lives as instruments of the Holy Spirit, just like Jesus had done in theirs. Because that's where they were supposed to be. And that's what they were supposed to do.

Just like us.

So come on, Friends. Let's go have a day like we're supposed to have and be where we're supposed to be and be what we're supposed to be! After all Jesus is alive! And he has poured out the Holy Spirit so we can go into the world to live with all that strength and power and conviction and stuff of the Holy Spirit and testify to others that Jesus has a wonderful place in his family and kingdom for them too!

Trust Christ, and you'll see!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 04/22/14, Easter Day #3, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 116:2 - "Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live."

Have you ever been talking to someone and it was as if they were looking right through you? Or, with those new cell phone ear buds, have you had someone looking right at you, but they are talking to someone else?

Neither of these ever happen with Jesus.

When Jesus was raised from the dead he showed the disciples that he was listening to them and speaking to them.

Remember yesterday's devotion and the celebration of peace from Christ? Well, right between the two times that he said "Peace be with you," he also breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit!" In other words, Jesus wasn't giving them peace as if he was doling out chocolate bunnies and jelly beans. He was also giving them himself. By the power of the Holy Spirit, which was just as he'd taught them, Jesus was assuring the disciples that he himself was and always would be with the disciples, personally dwelling in all who would believe.

Ya see, when somebody listens to you, that's what they're giving you, namely, themselves. When somebody really speaks to you personally, that's what they're giving you, namely, themselves. It's a rare thing nowadays for someone to take even a short time and give us him or herself. People have so much going on and therefore their hearts and minds are pulled in a million different directions like they're trying to watch every cable channel at once.

But with Jesus, he has one interest, namely, you and your salvation and your network of healthy relationships in the Body of Christ. Jesus is focused on you. He listens to you. And he speaks to you. Always has. Always will. That's why, even long ago, the psalmist was inspired to write in Psalm 116:2, "Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live."

Trust Christ! And you'll see!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 04/21/14, Easter Day #2, "Day of Praise"

John 20:21 - "Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you.'"

On the day of his resurrection, the word "again" is just as important in Jesus's encouragement to us as is the word "peace." Very simply, when Jesus says, "Peace be with you" again (and therefore twice) to the disciples, then he's saying that he's determined to give peace to them and to us. Wow!

Friends, with whatever is going on in your life, no matter what is unsettled, no matter how big the storm, you can take this to the bank: Jesus is determined to give you peace in the midst of your storm.

Easter is not a day; it's a reality. And the peace of Christ in the midst of your storms and difficulties is as real as your storms and diFficulties. Jesus conquered the ultimate storm, namely, the penalty of the sin of the whole world. So, he is more than capable of breaking into your storm and imparting peace to you too!

Trust him and you'll see!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 04/19/14, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 74:10 - "How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?"

Today is Holy Saturday. In sum, we remember how Jesus lay dead in the grave and the forces of evil thought they'd prevailed. However, the Sovereign God was, is, and always will be Sovereign, so the "victory" of darkness over Jesus would be short-lived. Jesus, the Light of the World, was soon to be raised up by the Glory of the Father.

And so it is true for you who believe in the power and grace of the Living God. There may be something in your life that seems dead in the grave, like your marriage, some other relationship, your job, your own health, a loved one, your peace about life, or your hope for the future. And it may seem as if the forces of evil have prevailed. However, the Sovereign God was, is, and always will be Sovereign, so the "victory" of darkness in your life will be short-lived. Jesus, the Light of the World, was raised up by the Glory of the Father. And He will transform your griefs and sorrows into joy and dancing.

Do not lose heart, friends.

The Lord is near.

Praise God!

(An archive of Day of Praise can be found at my daughter Calley's blog: http://dayofpraisepc.blogspot.com/?m=1)
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 04/18/14, Good Friday, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 5:44 - "[Jesus said], But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

Luke 23:34 - "And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'"

May I be honest? Brutally honest. No, I don't want to tell you about you. I need to tell you about me.

Here's the thing. As I look at my life of almost fifty years, I see that I'm not good at all about loving my enemies. There. Now it's out there.

Ya see, I hear Jesus telling me in one of today's verses to "love my enemies" (Matthew 5:44). But what I find myself doing is not caring about my enemies. Ya know, I feel good about not being bitter and resentful towards them because I've gotten to a point over time where I don't care about them. Remember, the opposite of love is not hate; it's apathy and not caring. So, I don't really love my enemies, as Jesus commands; I just don't care about them anymore.

There are two reasons that's important for me to confess. One is that, I don't know, maybe you need to confess that too, and hearing somebody else confess something sometimes makes it easier for us to confess the same.

But the other reason to confess it is to point out the contrast. On the one hand, Jesus commands me to love my enemies. He commands me to actually care about my enemies. Ya know, care about their salvation. And I find it hard. I mean, they're my enemy!!! And yet, in contrast, on the other hand, there's Jesus in today's other verse from Luke 23:34, showing that he cares by praying "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Wow! That's amazing. He's hanging on a cross, the cross that I deserve. And he cares. He really cares. To his last breath on the original Good Friday, Jesus cares about his enemies. Jesus cares about us sinners. Man, that's love. True love. Divine love. The kind of love that I'm clearly incapable of. The kind of love that I'm only capable of having come out of me, if Jesus, who is capable, comes into me. So, he loves me, his enemy, so much, that he dies, asking forgiveness for me so that he can come live in me so that I can pass on his love. Because by myself, there's no way I'm passing on his love. But if he'll die so he can pour out his Holy Spirit and come live in me, then he can pass on that amazing love through me.

Try wrapping your head around all this. May I be honest? Brutally honest. You can't. You can't wrap your head around the mystery of Christ's love for you, a sinner and his enemy, on the cross. You just can't.

What you have to do is this. Instead of trying to wrap your mind around his amazing love, you have to believe him in your heart. You have to believe that he cares. That he truly cares about you. That when he prays "Father, forgive them," then he means it. Because he loves you. Because he cares about your soul.

And if you do, if you truly believe that he wants you to be forgiven, then you will be saved. Ya know, from yourself and your sin, sins like not praying for your enemy.

Wow, Jesus cares about me and about you and about all us poor sinners. That's why he prayed "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And that's why it's called Good Friday.

May God continue to bless you as you take time today, Good Friday, and everyday to remember and believe and pass on God's amazing love for you through Jesus.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 04/17/14, "Day of Praise"

Hebrews 12:3 - "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted."

I was maybe eight years old, so it was four decades ago. But I will never forget what I remember as my first Maundy Thursday worship service. There were thirteen men at our church, Holy Trinity Lutheran in Kingsport, Tennessee, who reenacted the Last Supper of Our Lord with his disciples. I especially remember Mr. Frank DeNobriga. He was a tall, big-boned man with a deep voice that filled our beautiful sanctuary when he spoke. Whenever I think of their reenactment, and I have thought of it frequently through the years, it stirs my heart to a warmth and love and thankfulness and inspiration for the amazing sacrificial love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I feel energized to keep looking to and living thankfully for Christ.

And that impact of one night, forty years ago shouldn't surprise. After all, God's promise, in today's Bible verse, is that we will not grow weary whenever we consider the events surrounding the death and resurrection of "him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself." (Hebrews 12:3)

Friends, today is Maundy Thursday. Tomorrow is Good Friday. Find a way to consider him. Emphatically. More than you usually do. Many churches like ours help you to do that with, if I may say so, some amazing and well-prepared and moving considerations of the Passion events of our Lord. If you live in the Birmingham area, just "reply" and I can give you more info. If you live elsewhere, find a church that does something to help you and your community "consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." (Hebrews 12:3)

May God continue to bless you with strength as you consider the loving sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 04/16/14, "Day of Praise"

Hebrews 12:1c - "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Hey, you! Yes, you, the one who's discouraged. The one who's ready to give up and about to throw in the towel. Don't do it. These words are for you! To help you keep going.

Yesterday was April 15. Ya know, the income tax filing deadline. I went by the Post Office after our nightly, Holy Week worship to get a mailing box for Easter. But no sooner had I gone in, then there was this stream of people who came in and asked me, "Can I get this postmarked for April 15?" They, of course, had an envelope with their tax return inside. I told them that they'd need to go to the downtown branch, which is only fifteen minutes away. Surprisingly, all but one of them said, "Aaaaaa, I don't care if I get the penalty." And then they just put their tax returns in the mail slot. In other words, they had done all the work to get their taxes in on time, and just fifteen minutes from their goal, they quit. They quit. So close. But they quit.

This is what today's Bible verse is about. God tells us to keep running the race of faith. Run with endurance. Don't quit. Whatever's going on in your life, the Lord is working on it and walking with you. And therefore you are always so close to seeing God's encouragement with your situation and maybe even God's resolution that brings your problem to an end.

So don't just "mail it in." Hang in there. Keep going. The Lord is with you to be your strength so that you can "run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1c)

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 04/15/14, "Day of Praise"

Luke 22:19 - "And [Jesus] took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'"

Yesterday, I saw my brother and me on a neighbor's front lawn, playing catch with a ball and gloves. Well, it wasn't actually us. But that seven year-old boy sure did look the height and build of my brother forty-four years ago. He was tall and slender. And that five year-old boy sure did look like me. He was, well, not tall and not slender.

Isn't it amazing how we can see something, like kids playing, or smell something, like freshly cut grass, or hear a song, like Billy Joel's "Movin' Out," and it takes us to a memory as if we are actually in that place in time and with those people that we shared those days?

That's what Jesus established in today's Bible verse, which took place a few days before Jesus's death and resurrection that we remember emphatically this Holy Week. Jesus established a memory. Jesus spoke of bread and how it would be a powerful memory tool when they ate the bread remembering Jesus.

The memory that Jesus established was very much like my seeing those boys playing ball and the flood of memories that spilled forth.

With one huge exception.

Jesus does not tell the disciples that it's as if he is there when they give thanks and eat bread in his memory. Jesus says that he actually is indeed there with them when they give thanks and eat bread in his memory. Note the words in the verse! "And [Jesus] took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you.'" (Luke 22:19)

Friends, may you know Jesus's presence and his fellowship with you as you remember his great love poured out for you both on his cross, once and for all, and also when the fellowship of believers shares the gift of Holy Communion as many churches do on Sundays and on this coming Maundy Thursday of this special Holy Week.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 04/14/14, "Day of Praise"

Leviticus 16:30 - "For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins."

I am very grateful for all the people who, in various settings, clean up after me. Really.

The problem sometimes, though, is that I can't find something because I knew where it was, but after somebody cleans up after me, then I don't know where it is. Like yesterday in our morning worship. I had a scripture sheet in the pulpit that I needed for both worship times. At the beginning of our second worship, I noticed that someone had cleaned up after me. That was a problem because I needed my scripture.

On the other hand, the good thing sometimes is that I can't find something because I knew where it was, but after somebody cleans up after me, then I don't know where it is. Like in today's Bible verse. God tells how he cleans up after me, namely, how he cleans up my sin. My sin was there. But, pooooof!!! God cleans up after me, and it's gone. So I can't find it anymore. Ya know, to worry about it, to feel guilty about it. My sins are gone. I've been set free. My sinless Savior has died for me. And that's a good thing.

Today is Monday of Holy Week, which is the week leading up to Easter Sunday. Many people take each day in Holy Week to focus on the work of Jesus, who went to the cross for us all.

Let's start Holy Week by thinking about and thanking God for cleaning up after us through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Thank you, Jesus.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 04/12/14, "Day of Praise"

Colossians 1:9-10 - "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

I got tickled yesterday. I drove past a church sign that on two lines read, "Is your life pleasing to God?" And then on the next line, it said, "Zumba - Wednesday 7:30." You can do all sorts of things with the sequence on the sign, but when I first read it driving by, it sounded as if a Zumba exercise class was their suggestion for pleasing God. So I chuckled.

Setting all humor aside, today's verses from Colossians are amongst sixty or so Bible verses that tell us what does and does not please God about our lives. In sum, God is pleased with our lives when we walk with Him and therefore walk in His blessings.

Walking with God is not difficult. Walking with God means surrendering to the faithful work of God's Holy Spirit so that we:
1) have faith in Christ, (both in Him personally and in His saving work),
2) look for Christ, (for example, look for the many chances to serve him daily by serving people in love), and
3) listen for Christ (for example, daily Bible reading, prayer, and at least weekly worship).

The result of such a walk with God, according to today's verses, is that we are:
1) filled with Christ and, therefore, his spiritual wisdom and power,
2) increasing in the knowledge of God, and
3) bearing fruit in every good work.
In sum, we are a blessed. The result of walking with God is that we are blessed in such a way that we become a blessing to others and a glory to God.

To bring it full circle, when, through faith in Him, we are a blessing to others and a glory to God, then God is pleased indeed.

Happy Saturday!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 04/12/14, "Day of Praise"

Colossians 1:9-10 - "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

I got tickled yesterday. I drove past a church sign that on two lines read, "Is your life pleasing to God?" And then on the next line, it said, "Zumba - Wednesday 7:30." You can do all sorts of things with the sequence on the sign, but when I first read it driving by, it sounded as if a Zumba exercise class was their suggestion for pleasing God. So I chuckled.

Setting all humor aside, today's verses from Colossians are amongst sixty or so Bible verses that tell us what does and does not please God about our lives. In sum, God is pleased with our lives when we walk with Him and therefore walk in His blessings.

Walking with God is not difficult. Walking with God means surrendering to the faithful work of God's Holy Spirit so that we:
1) have faith in Christ, (both in Him personally and in His saving work),
2) look for Christ, (for example, look for the many chances to serve him daily by serving people in love), and
3) listen for Christ (for example, daily Bible reading, prayer, and at least weekly worship).

The result of such a walk with God, according to today's verses, is that we are:
1) filled with Christ and, therefore, his spiritual wisdom and power,
2) increasing in the knowledge of God, and
3) bearing fruit in every good work.
In sum, we are a blessed. The result of walking with God is that we are blessed in such a way that we become a blessing to others and a glory to God.

To bring it full circle, when, through faith in Him, we are a blessing to others and a glory to God, then God is pleased indeed.

Happy Saturday!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 04/11/14, "Day of Praise"

Let God's Word speak joy into our hearts.

Philippians 4:4 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Psalm 13:5 - "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 40:16 - "But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, 'The LORD be exalted!'"

James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Romans 5:1-4 - "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Psalm 28:7 - "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

Romans 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Psalm 64:10 - "Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!"

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 04/10/14, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 23:5 - "You prepare a table before me, even in the presence of my enemies."

Here's an image for being at table with your enemies. A five-year old sits by himself in a booster seat at the kitchen table with a plate of green beans and a green glass filled with red kool-aid in front of him. By the way, the green beans won and it wasn't a pretty sight. Enough said.

Here's a better image for today's verse. Whatever difficult and anxiety-producing situation, person, or reality is set before you today, God prepares a table before you as God says to you, "Sit down and eat. I've got the other stuff covered." Enough said!

So, have a great day!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 04/09/14, "Day of Praise"

Proverbs 10:12 - "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."

1 Peter 4:8 - "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

As one who can talk, I've been told more than once in my life to "put a lid on it." But one of my family's greatest memories was when the lid went flying off and through the air.

It was almost thirty years ago. My parents, my little sister, and I went from east Tennessee to Dallas to visit my brother who was located there with his first job out of college.

For one of our last meals together, my brother suggested we go to a barbecue place called "Judge Beans." We were enjoying visiting and had just prayed over our food when I grabbed the bottle of ketchup by its base. I assumed the lid was on tightly, which proved to be a bad assumption. Holding the base, I gave that bottle a great big shake with a flick of my wrist. And before any of us knew what was happening, the lid flew off, and the ketchup flew out, and my father was absolutely covered in ketchup. I mean covered!

Literally, everyone stopped breathing to see what my dad would do. And not only us but also the people at both tables next to us stopped breathing too. It seemed like an eternity. Reliving this memory with my brother just yesterday, we both recalled how we thought our dad was going to fly off the handle and get angry. The silence was deafening as we all waited for dad to react. He looked down at himself, kind of thought for a moment, then, to our wonder, a smile started to shape on his face, and he laughed. Belly laughed. And all of us, including strangers, joined in the biggest hee-hawing that I know I'd ever experienced.

A man who was covered in ketchup was the man who covered us (namely me) in grace.

'Cause that's what love does. It covers. Accidents. Oopses. And sins.

That day my dad was a picture of Jesus. He was covered with the consequence of my carelessness, coupled with the carelessness of whoever used the ketchup before us and didn't secure the lid in its place. But the man who was covered in others' mistakes was the man who covered us with grace. Thank you, Jesus!

So live today remembering the grace of a man who was covered in ketchup and, even moreso, the Son of Man, Jesus, who was covered in our sin. For God's Word in 1 Peter 4:8 is true: "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 04/08/14, "Day of Praise"

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 - "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"

I have a dear friend who's always said that the church is notorious for killing its wounded. In other words, when someone is hurting, the church is notorious for heaping additional burden on the hurting person by way of heaping additional blame or neglect or accusation or withholding forgiveness or lack of compassion.

I am pleased to say that I saw many examples today that bucked the trend. Today, I saw the church care for its wounded. I saw one person rush to a hospital to sit for hours with a person who'd fallen and broken bones. I saw another person take a surprise gift of thousands of dollars to an inner city ministry for at risk kids that operates merely on pennies. I saw a single parent minister patiently to his son who vomited repeatedly to soak through the bedroom carpet. I saw a few men and women minister to another by trusting the spirit to guide an extremely difficult conversation.

And so it is true, as noted today in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"

Dear Friends, in the strength of Christ let us love and lift up one another.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 04/07/14, "Day of Praise"

Mark 4:8 - "And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

Charlotte is about eighteen months old. Yesterday, her dad was rightly excited to tell me how he and his wife had given their daughter a cracker. After a moment, this sweet little one put down the cracker and held out both hands in a way that plainly said, "Let's pray." Wow!

Friends, God is eager to see the seed of His word "growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold" as is recorded in today's verse from Mark 4:8.

Spread the seed of God's word, especially to those in your family, but also to others in your day. God is eager to bless and amaze all who do!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 04/05/14, "Day of Praise"

Luke 15:20 - "And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him."

Great friends are such a blessing because they're always looking for ways to bless you. In contrast, other people are either not looking for ways to bless you, or they're only looking for ways to get something from you.

My friend Steve Wilson is a great example of a great friend because he's always looking for ways to bless. Like yesterday, Steve blessed me in a number of ways, but one of his ways is standard, namely, he always has some Bible insights that I hadn't seen before. Steve has these insights because he's looking for them, spending time with God's word, looking for things that will bring a blessing to his wife and his friends and the new people that he takes initiative to meet at his work.

It shouldn't surprise then that, as Steve is a great friend who is always looking to bless and is always looking for Bible insights that bless, it shouldn't surprise that Steve found and passed on a great blessing in today's Bible verse from Luke 15:20 where the wayward son went home to his father, but while the son was "still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion." What Steve looked for, found, and pointed out was that the father was on the lookout, looking everyday to see if his wayward son was coming home from his wayward past. And even better than a great friend, the father was not only on the constant lookout for his wayward son, but the father was also constantly thinking about and looking for ways that he could bless his wayward son if his son should ever come to his senses and come home.

Ya see, all this is a picture of how God was looking to bless us all to begin with. God clearly didn't make a thing until he had a plan to bless what he made. And part of God's plan was to give us great friends who would look for ways to bless us so we could be reminded that that's what God is always doing, looking for ways to bless us.

So that we might look for ways to do the same for others.

So, have a great day, Friends! Look for God's blessings; they're there! And look for ways to be a great friend to others because those opportunities are there too!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 04/04/14, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 27:26 - "Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified."

So, what would you have done? Ya know, if you had seen Barabbas on the street after his release? I mean, he was in prison for murder. But he was set free because of Jesus. So, what would you have done?

I have some friends in law enforcement. They're responsible for some people being in jail. They also often work traffic shifts, and sometimes they help traffic get in and out of large churches. Consistently, they speak of seeing someone pulling into or leaving church who they had helped to put into prison. Every policeman I know says that it warms their heart when they see someone whose life has been turned around by Jesus.

But, the question is still out there: what would you do? Ya know, if you saw Barabbas on the street after his release? He was in prison for murder. But he was set free because of Jesus. So, what would you do? Would you, like my police friends, rejoice in seeing someone have their life turned around by Jesus? Or would you harbor ill feelings, and say that they should be locked up forever?

Now, what if I told you that "Barabbas" literally means "son of the Father" and more broadly means "child of God"? In other words, what if I told you that Barabbas represents all of us? Ya know, Barabbas represents the fact that all of us are set free, in spite of our sin, because of Jesus. Jesus bears the penalty of our sin so that we don't have to.

God tells us plainly, in the Bible, for example, in Luke 15, that God rejoices and angels rejoice and heaven rejoices when someone's life is turned around because of Jesus. Luke 15 has the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Wayward or Prodigal Son. God rejoices when the lost are found, when the imprisoned are set free, and the wayward child comes home.

So, though it broke God's heart to see his own son suffer, it warmed God's heart that Barabbas and every other child of God is set free because of Jesus. And that's what God would stir in us. When we see Barabbas or any other human being, because we all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, God would have us see each other like God does (and my police friends do). God would have us rejoice in the new beginnings that are made possible for us all both through the death of Jesus and also through our faith in Him and His love.

Dear God, help us to see each other and all people through the eyes of your love. Amen!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 04/03/14, "Day of Praise"

Philippians 3:8-9 - "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith."

So we're at Taco Bell, and this guy comes in and presents this big sheet of coupons to the cashier. She calmly says to the guy, "You can't use those here." He replies, "But they sent 'em to me in the mail." She kindly says, "Hold on," as she goes to get a manager. The manager comes out, looks at the coupons, and kindly says, "I'm sorry, sir, you can't use those here." The man's now getting a little excited and says, "I don't understand. They sent these to me in the mail. Why can't I use them here?" The manager calmly replies, "I'm sorry, sir, but this is Taco Bell, and these coupons are for Steak 'n Shake next door." The man realizes how silly he's been looking, starts to humbly but enjoyably belly laugh, and walks out the door.

Presenting Steak 'n Shake coupons at Taco Bell is what St. Paul is writing about in today's verses. We can present our own works and deeds and merits and goodness to God all day long as if they're supposed to get us something in exchange. But God can only say, "I'm sorry, sir, you can't use those here." And we can argue all day how we've come to have these good deeds and they should therefore count for something. But the only thing that's going to get us anything with God is the righteousness of Christ, which becomes ours through faith in Jesus.

Oh, sure, it's very important for us to do good works and strive for excellence. But we do these things, not to get something from God, but instead we do them to thank God that we already have everything from God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Thank you, Jesus!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 04/02/14, "Day of Praise"

Genesis 3:8-9 - "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, 'Where are you?'"

So, don't you think that when "the man and his wife hid themselves" that the Lord God knew where they were? I mean the Lord God is the Lord God so he's all-knowing. So why did "the Lord God call to the man and say to him, 'Where are you?'"?

Simple. On the one hand, God was giving room for the man and woman to tell their story. And on the other hand, God was not backing them into a corner to make them feel trapped. In this way, God was inviting them to confess their wrongdoing in a way that would bring them back into freedom and fellowship with God.

When you know someone has done something wrong, how do you deal with them? It's easy for all of us, well, I'll speak for myself, it's easy for me to get on my high horse and get all upset and rant and rave and tell people what they did wrong and back them into a corner so they feel totally worn down and ashamed when I know they've done something wrong. (I'm not saying I do that; I'm saying that that would be so easy for me to do.)

However, God's way is not my way. From the beginning, as in today's verse, when God knows someone has done something wrong, God deals with us in a way that maximizes the possibility for restoring not just the person but also their dignity too. God invites us to tell our side of the story, which includes recognizing our error and asking for the forgiveness that God is eager to give so that our freedom and dignity can be restored.

We will all encounter mistakes today. May God help us to handle them as God does so that mistakes will be overcome with the wisdom and love of our Lord.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 04/01/14, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 119:87 - "They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts."

It's no joke on this April Fool's Day to tell you that I thought I was a goner.

I was driving down the long, steep hill with a hard left curve out of our neighborhood at the posted speed limit of twenty-five (no joke) just like I always do (which is a joke). I was going back to church for a six-o'clock meeting (no joke), while a bunch of cars were streaming into our neighborhood from a totally delightful day of work (which probably is a joke). Just as I was coming into the hard left curve, this other guy was coming really fast out of the hard curve. And texting (no joke), which I never do while driving (which is a joke). He was at least ten feet over the yellow line (no joke), while I stayed totally calm (which is a joke). My life flashed before my eyes (no joke). I immediately thought of the first part of today's verse from Psalm 119:87a, "They have almost made an end of me on earth" (which is a joke). I actually looked it up later (no joke). The guy looked up in the nick of time, swerved back into his lane, and waved at me calmly as if the whole thing was a joke. Me? I can't say I thought of the second part of today's verse ("I have not forsaken [God's] precepts"), but I did keep a precept when I said, "Thank you, Jesus!" And that's no joke!

Praise God! (Yes, no joke; come what may today, April Fool's joke or otherwise, praise and thank the Lord!)

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson