Day of Praise

Fri, 06/01/18, "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, Cheryl, 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. Even reliving this memory with my brother a couple years ago, 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

Thur, 05/31/18, "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

Wed, 05/30/18, "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

Tues, 05/29/18, "Day of Praise"

Luke 23:43 - Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

So as I write this for Tuesday, it is Monday. I remember a Monday in my recent past when I was at the room in a hospital where pastors go to sign in, and it happened again. A person greeted me, nice and cheerful. But, when I asked how they were, they said, "Well, I've almost made it through Monday, and I hope God will help me make it through Tuesday."

And I thought, "Here's another who doesn't understand." So I said, "Ya know, God wants us to more than just make it through a day. That's a weary existence. God wants us to be genuinely joyful in every moment as he lives in us by His Holy Spirit."

The person stopped and said, "Wow! That's exciting! I feel better already! I guess I was just thinking about normal days where it seems we go it alone."

Ah, it seems! 

Friends, whatever may seem true to you, here's the truth in today's Bible verse: Today, you will be with Jesus in Paradise.

We tend to hear this as, "Well, someday down the road, when I die, I'll get to be with Jesus. But for now, I hope I can make it through the day like I did yesterday."

But this is what Jesus wants us to hear, "Dear Children of God, whenever I tell you something will be today, it's my promise to you for today. And when you believe my promise, it's immediately your reality in that moment. So, when I promise that today you will be with me in Paradise, if you will believe it, you'll immediately have a joyful Paradise with me. And your weary existence is no more."

And that's the way it is in the whole Bible. Whenever God speaks and uses the words "will" and "today" together, God is making a promise that immediately becomes reality when we believe. God's blessings are right in front of us to claim in faith: His Victory, His Presence, His Preparing the Way, His Prosperity, His Providence, His Provision, His Paradise and more, as are listed in the Bible verses after today's "Praise God!"

So, don't just survive the day; instead, you can thrive today! All you need to do is believe the promises of God, and you will!

Praise God!

——————————————

Exodus 14:13

And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.

Leviticus 9:4

and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a cereal offering mixed with oil; for today the Lord will appear to you.'"

1 Kings 14:14

Moreover the Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jerobo′am today. 

2 Kings 2:3

And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Eli′sha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?" And he said, "Yes, I know it; hold your peace."

2 Kings 2:5

The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Eli′sha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know it; hold your peace."

1 Chronicles 28:7

I will establish his kingdom for ever if he continues resolute in keeping my commandments and my ordinances, as he is today.'

Zechariah 9:12

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.

Matthew 6:30

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?

Luke 12:28

But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O men of little faith!

Luke 23:43

And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Day of Praise

Mon, 5/28/18, Memorial Day, "Day of Praise"

Having just visited last week with our now three grown children, here's one of my favorite devotions I've written for Memorial Day. 

John 15:13 - "[Jesus said,] 'Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.'"

As we take time this Memorial Day to thank God for the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and the freedoms we enjoy, let's remember that Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the spiritual freedom of every nation, was raised from the dead to pour out his life everyday to set people free.

My three kids and I are on vacation for a few days. As we worshiped together in our hotel room yesterday morning, my oldest, Calley, concluded our worship by asking God to cross our paths with His choices so we could be a blessing in Christ here like we ask to be at home. 

Well, no sooner had we finished worship than we walked 50 yards to our bus and got there just in time to be the last on board so that we were standing at the yellow line next to the driver. The driver started having a grand time, looking in the mirror and engaging everyone on the sound system. His name was Tito, and he was from Carolina, Puerto Rico. 

I turned to Tito and said, "I'm so excited because I've always dreamed that when I retire from pastoring that I'll become a Disney bus driver and minister to people like you're doing." 

Tito replied, "Oh, I'm a big believer, but I don't do the church thing."

I said, "Just look at all the joy you're bringing to people on this bus who weren't even looking for it. Just think how much you'd bring to the many people who come to church because they're looking for God!"

Tito's face turned white as a sheet. Then he asked if, after we got to our destination and everyone else got off, we'd stay and listen to something about God as Creator that he'd recently downloaded to his phone. 

Of course, we said, "Yes!" because Calley had asked God not ten minutes beforehand to cross our paths with His choices. 

After the bus unloaded, we stayed with Tito, and he played his download about God being the greatest Artist who created all the other great artists. And then we encouraged him to find a church home and use his God-given gifts toward others. 

He started crying, which is a Biblical mark of revival, and shared how he wasn't even supposed to be driving that bus yesterday, but two others bailed out on the company, and he was the next driver they called. He also shared how God told him to close the door right after we got on the bus instead of cramming in 20 more like he was supposed to do, which led to our standing right next to him. 

In sum, y'all, Christ poured himself out through worship in a hotel room and Calley's prayer and a willingness by Tito to serve by driving a bus you're not supposed to be driving and to talk to the most important person in your world, namely, the person who is right in front of you. Tito, Calley, and the rest of our family, we're just plain ordinary people like all of you, who God wants to work through extraordinarily, as with all of you, so He can get the glory because we were all made to love to praise the Lord. 

So stop right now, like Calley did, and ask the Lord to cross your path today and everyday with the people of His choice. Yes, it's kind of scary because it's laying down your life both for others and for God's glory. But we can lay down our lives for these purposes because 1) others have poured out their lives for us, as we celebrate today on this Memorial Day, and 2) Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, continues to pour out his life for us everyday!

To God be the Glory!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Sat, 05/26/18, "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."

When I was a kid, just 3-4 years old, living with my family in the Fox Meadows section of Memphis, Tennessee, one of my favorite activities in all the world was standing on the front porch of our house at 3117 Flint Drive and watching my older sister, Cathy, and brother, Ben, Jr., walk home from school. I loved spotting them in the distance of our long, straight, treeless street. As if it was yesterday, I remember how excited I was for them to get home, after their long, hard day at elementary school, so my mom and I could greet them and welcome them home. 

How much more does God, through Christ, eagerly wait to welcome us home?

In today's Bible verse, from Luke 15:20, the story has gotten to the point where a son who, in essence, had told his father, "you're as good as dead to me, so I want my inheritance," has come to his senses, realizing that it's better to be a slave in his loving father's house instead of being free in his own pig pen and pig slop. So the son "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."

I, as a young child, eagerly watched everyday for my sister and brother to appear in the distance so I could greet them and welcome them home. So too, God, who is the father in today's Bible verse story, eagerly watched everyday for the son to appear in the distance so he could greet him and welcome him home.

Ya see, Friends, we all know people who have been away from the Lord, maybe their whole life, maybe just for a season. Maybe that person is you.

But no matter who it is or how long they've been away, God is eager to welcome you home and spread his arms wide as we see on the cross of God's Son, Jesus Christ. God loved you enough to let you go and explore and see for yourself that there is nothing as joyful and satisfying and lasting and life-giving as daily fellowship with our God through His Word. 

Have you been away from daily fellowship with our God through His Word? It's about more than reading a devotion at the start of the day. Do you know His presence and listen for Him and call on Him through the day? As His child, you have been given access, through faith in Jesus, to all the power and wisdom and riches that belong to God. 

Arise and come to Him.

He will welcome you home. 

He will eagerly greet you.

And he will shower you with gifts in 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

Fri, 05/25/18, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 34:14 - "Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."

1 Timothy 6:11 - "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness."

What shall we pursue today and this weekend? May God help us to pursue what is truly valuable! 

A couple years ago, our young church member, Sydney Estill went to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to work in a protection zone for the critically endangered Black Rhino. Sydney's trip reminded me of what I learned years ago as to why Black Rhinos are almost extinct in the wild, with barely 5,000 remaining. The reason for their downfall is that people keep pursuing and killing the Black Rhino to get its large, front horn, and the tragedy in this is that the Black Rhino's horn is worthless in substance because it's made of the exact same material as human hair and finger nails. In essence, people are wasting a lot of time, endangering their own lives, and threatening the end to a beautiful creature because they're pursuing something that, in substance, is worthless. 

Such pursuit of the Black Rhino's horn is a tragic parable for what many people will do today and this weekend, namely, waste a lot of time, endanger their own souls, and threaten the end of the beautiful creatures they influence by pursuing things that are worthless.

But God calls us, in today's Bible verses, to turn away from, even flee from, worthless pursuits, and calls us instead to pursue peace, righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.

Every man, woman, boy, and girl, should ask the question each morning, "What am I ultimately pursuing today?" And if we go a small step farther each day and ask God to help us see the true worth of our pursuits, the Living God, who is a God of clarity, will help us to truly see our pursuits for what they are, namely, a worthy and lasting pursuit or not. And then if we ask Him, God will gladly help us to not only shape and mold what we pursue but also our motives and reasons for our pursuits so that our own lives both are truly worth living and also serve to encourage the same substantial reasons in others!

Dear God, please help us to "turn away from evil and do good; [to] seek peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34:14) and to "flee [worthless] things [and instead] pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness" (1 Timothy 6:11). 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

Thur, 05/24/18, "Day of Praise"

Ephesians 5:21 - "Submit to one another out of reverence for Jesus Christ."

In my silly moments, thinking about today's Bible verse, I picture two people endlessly bowing in honor back and forth to each other. How does anything ever get done if all they're doing is bowing and submitting to each other? Doesn't someone need to take charge and make something happen?

However, in God's economy, submitting to one another is not an endless waste of time where people constantly bow and do nothing while waiting for the other to act. To the contrary, submitting to one another is a mutual affirmation and a mutual encouragement. Submitting to one another is a way to say to the other person, "I value the gifts that God has given you. Please use them so that we'll both be blessed. I value the perspective that God has given you. Please speak so I can see what I'm missing. And I value the work you do. Let's work together so we can do what needs to be done."

Mutual submission works when two people share Jesus Christ, because it's not about knocking yourself down, but, instead, it's about valuing, building up, and celebrating the other person. And when both people are doing this, as I like to say, "Everybody wins!" And so it is, when Jesus is in it: Everybody Wins!

So in our society where everybody loves to win, let's be found heeding the Great Coach's strategy for victory in Ephesians 5:21, "Submit to one another out of reverence for 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

Wed, 05/23/18, "Day of Praise"

1 Corinthians 13:12 - "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

It's wedding season around here and most everywhere else. And 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the all-time favorite Bible chapters that brides and grooms choose to have read at their weddings. 

You know 1 Corinthians 13 - Love is patient; Love is kind; Love keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13 is all about love. That's why couples choose it. It's clearly about love.

But towards the end of 1 Corinthians 13 is this part in today's verse that is not so clear, "For now we see in a mirror dimly." Say what? That's not clear. And that surely isn't about love. 

As they say, "Not so fast."

Some, hey, maybe all of you may know that seeing "in a mirror dimly" refers to the quality of mirrors that they had in Bible days. My training on the matter was that mirrors in Bible days were like pieces of glass that people often use decoratively today where you can see both a little reflection of yourself and also a foggy view of things on the other side. I think they call it bubble glass nowadays. Bottom line is that your own reflection in that kind of mirror is dim, at best, and you actually can also see through it, but dimly also at best. In sum, as the verse goes on to say, the mirror glass of Bible days only let you "know in part" both your present (your reflection in the glass) and your future (your seeing through the glass). 

Such dimness and knowing in part is also, like the rest of 1 Corinthians 13, about love - God's love. 

God's love reminds us that we often don't see ourselves too clearly. We often kick ourselves over things that God (and others) have long ago forgiven and/or forgotten. We often see ourselves as far less beautiful and handsome than the child of God that our Heavenly Father adores. And we often see ourselves as far less worthy than the worth that God obviously attaches to us by deeming that we're worth it to him to send His Only Son to die for us and our sin! We have a dim view of ourselves, but God sees us clearly as His own, so he calls us to listen to his voice about us instead of our own voice about us. God loves us far more than we could ever love ourselves!

Similarly, God's love reminds us that we don't see our future too clearly either. The future looks unclear to us, but it's perfectly clear to God. We look through the bubble, and our future looks most uncertain, but God certainly knows what's ahead, namely, He Himself. In other words, God doesn't want us to see clearly all the details of our future. Instead, God wants us to see Him! God wants us to focus on the fact that, though the "whats" of our future are unclear, the "who" of our future is very clear, well, when we look in faith, because nothing about our future is clear apart from faith. But, in faith, we clearly see who is in our future, yay, the Sovereign Loving God. And since God is already there, our future will clearly be blessed.

So right now take a look in the mirror or better, before you hop in your car today, look in your car window, which is kind of like the dim mirrors of old. And, as you see a dim reflection of yourself and a little bit through the glass, remember the love of God that sees you and your future clearly. He loves you right now and will be present in all that's ahead to clearly guide your ways.

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

Tues, 05/22/18, "Day of Praise"

Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths."

What does God mean by "all your ways"? God has taught me, through his word, that "all my ways" can be summed up as follows. Knowing and trusting God through Jesus is the only "Way" (John 14:1-7) for us to live if we want to live abundantly now and forever. And then, within the overall Way of Jesus, there are two smaller "ways" that cover everything also, namely, the way of praising God and the way of thanking God.

For example, I think about how I often am with a big meeting. Through the day, God stops me at various times to pray for the meeting and entrust it to him, I find myself either being quite calm and peaceful about it. Or I find myself becoming a little nervous and anxious about it. When I'm calm and peaceful, I thank God, for God alone can give peace (Galatians 5:22-23). And when I'm a little nervous and anxious, I praise God as the One who alone can promise to give peace (Galatians 5:22-23) and then does! In other words, I either thank God for what he does (give peace). Or I praise God for who He is and, therefore, what He alone can and will do (give peace).

Ya see, when we're in Jesus Christ, through faith, in everything that comes upon us in the course of a day, there are only two possible ways to see it, namely, thank God for the good thing he's already done or praise God for the good thing that he will do because he is a good and gracious and mighty God all the time!

So, may we be found acknowledging the Lord in all our ways today! May we taste the Way that is the Life of Truth in God through Jesus Christ as we thank him for the good thing that we're tasting or as we praise him for the good thing that he'll surely bring about!

Trust him in these ways, and you'll see!

Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths."

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

Mon, 05/21/18, "Day of Praise"

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday, and it reminded me of this devotion I wrote years ago.

Deuteronomy 4:29 - "But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul."

It happened again, just like it has before! It's a little over-dramatic to say that I was in a panic, but how about we say that it was not comforting that I couldn't find my red stole before our 8:00 a.m. worship service? Pentecost Sunday is the celebration of God pouring out the Holy Spirit on Jesus's disciples, and worship leaders traditionally wear a red piece of fabric, called a stole, over their robe. Furthermore, the whole congregation tries to wear red. So when I couldn't find my red stole in the little closet of my office, I started a singsongish, "Ooooooh nooo-ooooo, thiiiiiiis is not goooooood." I even started to think of alternative plans, but none were really viable. None were capable of working successfully.

And that's when I heard God speak as plainly as if He were standing right next to me and thinking with me what to do. God simply said, "Keep searching; it's there."

And sure enough, there, stuffed at an angle in the back corner of the hanger rack, was the hanger with my red stole. And I shouted to the Lord, "Thank you, Jesus!"

Now here's the point, yesterday in worship, I preached from the scripture about Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I preached that many Christians have a sense that something is not quite complete and fulfilling about their life. And God's testimony at Pentecost is that the missing piece is the personal reception of the Holy Spirit, which brings all sorts of previously unknown treasure, such as a daily ability to see God working wondrously in our lives. And just as God spoke to me yesterday to keep looking for what, in the grand scheme of things, is an unnecessary piece of fabric, God speaks to you today to keep looking for what, in the grand scheme of things, is the most important piece of your life, namely, the daily presence and blessed work of the Living God in your life.

God wants to be a present help for you with your daily work. God wants to encourage you and cheer you on with each situation that arises. God wants to counsel and guide you with each person and conversation that's before you today.

The question is, have you gotten so used to doing the day on your own that you don't even think about God's presence and help? Or maybe you "wish" God would help, but you feel so pressured to get it aaaaaaall done that you don't leave enough time for God to speak.

Friends, in God's economy, taking more time to heed God's call in today's Bible verse ("you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul") is much more efficient than taking less time to leave him out.

It's a faith proposition.

God is with you, whether you acknowledge him or not. And God is eager to help you whether you accept his help or not.

So, just like He encouraged me yesterday morning with a piece of fabric, He encourages us all today with His presence and blessings, saying, "Keep searching; it's there."

May God bless us, as He promises, that as we patiently look, we will indeed 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

Fri, 05/18/18, Easter Day #48, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 126:2 - "Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.'"

God has done and continues to do great things for us all in Jesus Christ! And if believing in Him, we'll watch for, listen for, and follow Holy Spirit into the great things God has prepared for us today, then we'll all be blessed with a laugh-filled, joy-filled, hope-filled, rest-filled, praise-of-God-filled Friday!

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

Thur, 05/17/18, Easter Day #47, "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.'"

Memory is a powerful tool in life that God has given us.

The thought of where I grew up in Tennessee brings back a flood of memories. Mostly good. But some that I wish were different. Like I have this memory of throwing an ice ball at an unsuspecting friend who really got hurt from my antics. At the time, as teenagers, all of us, except Brad, who got pelted, thought it was hilarious. Now I'm not laughing so much. 

When we remember things that we regret, memory has the power to invoke that wonderful feeling called "guilt".

When you remember your past, do you ever have guilt stirred up? Or what about that self-destructive memory that's called a "grudge"?

Jesus knew the power of memory. That's why in today's verse he calls us to use the best memory. He calls us to remember that He, as the Son of God, has poured His life out for us in order that the most powerful memory might rule in our lives, namely, that God's love and forgiveness have no limit in our lives. Well, actually, our unbelief can keep God's love and forgiveness at arms length in our lives. But when we remember daily, and multiple times through a day, that God sent Jesus to pour out love and forgiveness, then the memory of Jesus trumps all others.

God's love and forgiveness trumps guilt. God's love and forgiveness trumps grudges. God's love and forgiveness trumps regret. God's love and forgiveness is a memory of the past action of Christ that is powerfully present in this very moment because the Christ who died to give that love and forgiveness is with us now, risen from the dead, and dwelling in the hearts and minds of all who will believe that the memory of Jesus's love and forgiveness is greater in lifting us up than any past memory that would pull us down.

Remember Christ today, the Christ who died for you in days gone by and who lives for you today and the days ahead, so that your past, present, and future may be filled with positive, life-giving memories that transform our past to share in the present and enduring victory of God's amazing Son, 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

Wed, 05/16/18, Easter Day #46, "Day of Praise"

Because we walk in faith in a broken and sinful and fallen world, today will be a hard day for many. The burdens that many of you have make me think of my most difficult season in life and the Bible passage from Psalm 71 that someone sent to me during my roughest season. In that season, God spoke to me through Psalm 71 in a way that I felt encouraged to press on even though I was heart-broken and body-weary. 

May God bless you all to press on even in your sorrows and difficulties, as I commend Psalm 71 to you. Trust God himself to speak to you through His Word. Listen for his voice. God himself promises that His voice and His words will comfort you. 

Psalm 71 - In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame!
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me, and save me!
3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
    to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
    you are he who took me from my mother's womb.
My praise is continually of you.
7 I have been as a portent to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
    and with your glory all the day.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
    forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me;
    those who watch for my life consult together
11 and say, "God has forsaken him;
    pursue and seize him,
    for there is none to deliver him."
12 O God, be not far from me;
    O my God, make haste to help me!
13 May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
    with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
    who seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually
    and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
    of your deeds of salvation all the day,
    for their number is past my knowledge.
16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
    I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs,
    O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
    your power to all those to come.
19 Your righteousness, O God,
    reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
    O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
    will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness
    and comfort me again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp
    for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
    O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy,
    when I sing praises to you;
    my soul also, which you have redeemed.
24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been put to shame and disappointed
    who sought to do me hurt.

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

Tues, 05/15/18, Easter Day #45, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 6:8 - "[Jesus said,] 'Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.'"

When Jesus says, "Do not be like them," there are many things that he's referring to. But they're all tied to two fundamentals, namely, being anxious and having peace. Come what may, Jesus is calling us to trust that God knows what we need so we don't need to be anxious, and because God knows what we need, we have the miracle that is peace in the face of storms.

Let me illustrate. I know pastors who serve small churches that have a hard time paying the bills and who've gone to the church mailbox and found an envelope of cash with just enough to cover that month's shortfall. God the Father knew what they needed before they even asked. 

I also remember some years ago a member of our church calling to give an update on their child's overnight hospitalization and release. This young couple had grown in trusting God more and more each day to provide as God promises. However, the cost of their child's ambulance ride, emergency room visit, and overnight hospital stay had the potential to create a great deal of anxiety. Yet, of course, the importance of their child's health was non-negotiable, and they trusted that God valued the same. They had peace in trusting God to provide.

So, when the dad went home from the hospital in the wee hours to get some necessities, he also checked the mail, of course. And what do you know? There was an envelope from some loved ones, who, weeks before these hospital costs came about, had decided to pass on some encouragement in the form of a check that would wind up covering more than their child's ambulance ride, emergency room visit, and overnight hospital stay.

Just as Jesus said in today's Bible verse, "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

So, what's upon you, Dear Friends? What has the potential to stir anxiety in you? Or what has already stirred your pot of concern? Jesus invites you to give it to God and trust God's promise that "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

No, it may not be with a check in the mailbox, but somehow God has a plan to bless you and provide, even before you know the need.

Dear Heavenly Father, we tend to be anxious and wonder how things will work out. But you more than tend to be faithful each day, for faithful in provision you are. Thank you for your promise to have a plan of provision long before we know our need. So move us, Dear Lord, to turn all our cares and concerns over to you. For in your hands, our cares will be blessed, and we ourselves will have peace. In Jesus's name we ask this, 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

Mon, 05/14/18, Easter Day #44, "Day of Praise" 

Psalm 77:1 - "I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me."

God is amazing. The things he sees. The things he hears. They're often invisible to the rest of us. But God is always focused on the heart, which is plainly seen through the eyes and body language, if someone will just look. 

God is looking.

And therefore sees and hears our cries. 

He sees us in a vast humanity, suffering, silently pleading for someone to come sit at our booth of life and look us in the eye and take our hand and pray with us.

I've cried out that way. Stood in my office. Sat in the sanctuary. Or my car. Countless times. Heavy-hearted with my own or someone else's brokenness. Looking up toward God. Tears rolling. Begging for some help. 

And you have too. In your own places. With your own or someone else's brokenness.

And God saw. And God heard.

And God did something about it. With his presence. With his hands. Reaching to us in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sitting down in our booth of life. Taking our hands. Bowing his head to say, "Pray with me. I hear you. I see you. I know your pains and your sorrow."

It is given to us only to believe. 

And to look for hearts.

And to sit down next to someone and pray as in Psalm 77:1, "I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear 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

Sat, 05/12/18, Easter Day #42, "Day of Praise"

Leviticus 26:34 - "Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its Sabbaths."

God made all recreation, including the land, to have a rest and enjoy it!

I pray that you're able to join in the restful enjoyment 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

Fri, 05/11/18, Easter Day #41. "Day of Praise"

John 21:17 - "[Jesus] said to [Simon Peter] the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'"

Even beyond the simple fact that Simon Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times, there's a reason why Jesus asked Simon three times if Simon loved Jesus, namely, we tend to forget what it is to love Jesus. 

Jesus makes it clear for us, who tend to forget, that to love Jesus is to feed his sheep.

And what does loving Jesus by feeding his sheep look like? There was a time in an amusement park when I went to buy our girls' dinner. They wanted to share a turkey leg meal. So I walked to the place, ordered, and paid. The guy then gave me the bottled water, the bag of chips, and the cookie, and then said, "There you go!" I stood there literally for a minute, smiling, and finally his coworker said, "He doesn't have the turkey leg." Ya see, it's so easy to give some food to eat but forget to give the best food, the most important food. When Jesus said, "Feed my sheep," to Simon Peter, Jesus told Simon three times because we tend to get caught up in giving the lesser food, the least important food to our dependent sheep and forget about the best stuff altogether. It happens to all of us!!!

I distinctly remember a couple years ago when it happened to our family. We were leaving a Disney park in late morning and found ourselves to be the only ones at the bus stop until a short, quiet, young lady joined us. We started talking to her and discovered she was a Disney employee, so we started asking her about the realities of working at Disney. Then we realized we hadn't asked her the usual stuff, ya know, where you were born and reared, if you have siblings, etc. Then, noticing how shy she was, I guess my daughter Cassidy's and my entertainer gene kicked in and we started to sing a song to which we didn't know all the words, but the young lady knew some more of the words. At this point the bus came, and we continued singing and having fun with this quiet young lady with only one more passenger on the bus.

As we neared our destination, it dawned on us to ask her name as we introduced ourselves. We arrived, said goodbye, went our merry almost-at-the-end-of-our-vacation-way, and all of a sudden the kids and I simultaneously heard Jesus say, "Do y'all love me?" "Well, yes, Lord, you know we love you," we said. And Jesus replied, "Then why didn't you feed my sheep?"

We all felt horrible because we realized that Jesus was right. We'd given Hilary the bottled water, the bag of chips, and the cookie, and then said, "There you go!" But we too had gotten so caught up in the lesser food of getting to know her and her workplace and singing earthly songs with her that we totally forgot to feed her the best food and make sure she knew Jesus and his love.

Yes, friends, everybody makes mistakes, and God is forgiving. But some mistakes are bigger than others. And we found ourselves, during our prayers that night, asking God again for forgiveness for not sharing Christ and the Gospel with the quiet young lady, who God had clearly orchestrated sending our way at a lonely bus stop. I can remember all this like it was yesterday. 

So, what are you feeding your sheep? Is it the best food or something less? Children hunger for the best food from the time they're conceived. Are you feeding them by talking to them about Jesus? Spouses long for a word of hope and encouragement and power which God's word alone can truly provide. Are you speaking God's word into your spouse's heart? Coworkers are real people who hunger for the best food. Are we ever feeding them with more than the daily diet of "what have you done for the company lately?" And on and on and on.

There are so many sheep. They're all hungry. And Jesus is asking if we love him. We're eager to tell him, "Absolutely, Lord!" And he's eager to reply, "Then don't forget to feed my sheep!"

Dear Lord, pleeeeeease help us all to remember and care and feed all your sheep with the best food of your word.

And He who feeds us faithfully will!

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

Thur, 05/10/18, Easter Day #40, Ascension Day, "Day of Praise"

Ephesians 4:32 - "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

So our youngest child, son Caden, loves to poke fun at his sisters, especially the one right next to him in age, Cassidy. 

So one time, when I saw an amusement park wheelchair rental station with a very young man and woman pull up in their wheelchair and the guy says, "Get up!" and she replied, "Will ya give me just a minute!!!" and he replied, "Ge-e-e-et UUUUUp!", then I just assumed they were brother and sister. 

And so I said, "Are y'all brother and sister too?!?!" 

And she replied, "No!" 

And I said, "Well, y'all just sounded like my teenage son, pokin' at his sister." 

And she replied, "No, we're on our honeymoon!"

And then Caden, who's standing right there, says, "Nice start!"

So, other than a giggle, what are we to take from this? Simply this: relationships work when we are kind to one another.

Specifically, in today's Bible verse, God is telling us to be kind to one another as God, in Christ, has been kind to us. And what does God's kindness in Christ look like? Well, Jesus came down from heaven to lift us up. Specifically, Jesus stooped down and took on the form of a servant, even unto death on a cross, in order to lift us up from the weight and penalty and power of sin and death. He forgave us!

And his forgiveness becomes ours when we believe in him. And his forgiveness is offered to others when we are kind to them.

Furthermore, one of the messages specific to today, Easter Day #40, which is the celebration of the Ascension of our Lord, is that when we are kind to others in God's ways then we ourselves are lifted up by God just as Jesus was lifted up when he finished his ministry of kindness and forgiveness to us.

So! Are you feeling down? Be kind to someone else. And God will lift you up!

Are you feeling a weight on your soul in a relationship? Maybe you need to forgive someone. And God will lift you up!

Are you feeling like God is far away? Remember and believe that Christ who stooped down in kindness on the cross is the same Christ who stoops down to you now by the power of the Holy Spirit. And God will lift you up!

So, Happy Happy Happy Ascension Day, celebrating both the lifting up to heaven of Christ and all who believe in him and also celebrating his kindness and forgiveness as he was lifted up on a cross for us!

And may God grant you the fruit of lifting up others as God invites us in Ephesians 4:32, saying, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

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, 05/09/18, Easter Day #39, "Day of Praise"

Luke 9:62 - "Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'"

Backwards is a fascinating phenomenon to me. 

A couple times through the years, I've seen this car show with our kids that's really fascinating and action-packed! Part of the fascination was watching this one driver do chases and spins and jumps driving backwards that most people can't do driving forwards. But then they reveal that the car is specially set up so that it looks like he's going backwards, but the driver is actually facing forwards. So in the end, backwards isn't such a great thing.

The same is true with some guys I played football with in college. They could run as fast backwards as most people can forwards. But they were still faster going forward than back.

Or take time travel. Many people think that's so cool. But nobody ever does it (even in the make-believe world) without messing something up.

In sum, backwards is never as good as forwards, which is what Jesus is talking about in today's Bible verse. Basically, we're all tempted to spend a lot of time looking backwards and wondering about this and worrying about that and regretting things we wish we'd done differently. When we do that, when we're preoccupied with the past and looking backwards, Jesus is saying that we're missing out on the kingdom of God.

The reason that looking backwards causes us to miss God's kingdom is because the God in Jesus, who says, "Follow me," is calling us forward. Forward is where God is leading us. Forward is where God shows us how he takes our past and uses our past regrets with all things together for good. Forward is where God casts a vision. Forward is where God works out our wonders and deals with our worries. But we'll never see all these works of God if we're always looking back.

So, as one cartoon character says, "Put your behind in the past!" And better yet, as God often says plainly, "Onward, ho!", because forward is where God, God's blessings, and God's kingdom are found!

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

Tues, 05/08/18, Easter Day #38, "Day of Praise"

Isaiah 53:6 - "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

So vacation talk is picking up steam as May has coming roaring in with warm temperatures, all of which makes me think of people at Disney World. It is really quite impossible for anyone there to watch where they're going. It's true that there are some, in fact, many, who clearly aren't paying attention to anything at all and, therefore, are just plain old wandering aimlessly. But even for those who are seemingly paying attention, there are just too many directions; in other words, people are flying at you from every conceivable direction, which makes it impossible to not get into someone's way. 

In sum, if you want to get angry because somebody's not watching where they're going, then you could be angry all the time!

It's the same in today's Bible verse, if God wanted to be angry because somebody's not watching where they're going, then God would be angry all the time! After all, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way." (Isaiah 53:6)

But instead of being angry all the time, God chooses to do something about the problem, namely, "the Lord has laid on [Jesus] the iniquity of us all."

Praise God that God is not like a negative person who has a problem for every solution! Instead, God has a solution for every problem!!!

What this means is that God chooses to do something that makes a difference to the spirit of the world instead of promoting the spirit of irritation and anger amongst people who are constantly getting into each other's way. 

And God created us through Christ and redeemed us by Christ to do the same.

For example, today, someone will not pay attention to where they're going, and they'll bump into you. You have two choices: 1) get all bent out of shape, or 2) say, "No prob!" 

Or someone today will mindlessly wander directly into your path, literally or figuratively, and you could plow right over them. Or you could calmly slow down, give them a moment to come to their senses, and just smile at them as they move on. You might even pour yourself out and say to them, "God bless you!"

In sum, people in this world, generally speaking, wander like they're lost. And we can get angry about it, and therefore stay perpetually angry. Or we can be world changers, where, in the strength of Christ, we meet people with God's calm and mercy and grace, and, in so doing, offer some direction to a world that sorely needs it, so that, one person at a time, the whole world is transformed to find it's Way in Jesus Christ. 

As the great preacher, Steve Brown, says, "Now you think about that!"

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

Mon, 05/07/18, Easter Day #37, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 19:14 - "But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'" 

To hear Jesus talk about children, you realize that God must have infinite love and a gigantic sense of humor. So, in the bounds of God's word, my kids and I try to make people laugh. 

We'll go through the Taco Bell drive-thru, and we start by complimenting them on their menu board and the landscaping they've planted around it. After a momentary silence from shock, you usually hear a chuckle, and then they thank you for your kindness. Then we pull up to the window and as payment we'll hand 'em some Chik-Fil-A gift certificates, maybe a BoJangles, which they'll look at, read, and say, "Are you for real?" 

Or maybe we make a trek to a fancy sit down eatery, like for one of our Baptism Birthdays. And we'll pull out my wife Amanda's phone and show our waiter some crazy pictures of us, and we'll tell him from the git-go what we'd like him to give us for free. We tell him that if he gives us some stuff, then we'll give him a nice tip, like "don't serve banana pudding to a monkey." And we laugh all through dinner and talk about memories and make some new memories too. And our waiter smiles a lot while other tables ask him if they can order whatever we're eating. And then we tell him Jesus loves him, invite him to church, and leave him a nice tip (and this time it's money). 

In the bounds of God's word, make someone laugh today. After all, Jesus says heaven belongs to children of God, no matter what your age may be. 

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

Sat, 05/05/18, Easter Day #35, "Day of Praise" 

Acts 7:55 - "But [Stephen], full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." 

Many think Stephen was killed for his faith in Jesus. But actually, according to Acts 7, Stephen was killed for telling others about Jesus in a way that moved them out of their proverbial "comfort zone." 

Most people love the thrill of being moved out of their comfort zone until they're out of the zone that's thrilling. I'm not trying to be cute. I'm just telling you what Stephen's witness displays, namely, people love a thrill, that is, a momentary thrill, until the momentary thrill is tied to implications that aren't so momentary, in other words, the implication that you've got to change the way you're living day after day after day. 

But even though people killed Stephen for telling people about Jesus in a way that truly made them uncomfortable, Stephen clearly believed that the price he paid was worth it because not only did Stephen see God as we see in today's verse but Stephen's witness also led to the single most important conversion to faith in Christ, namely, the conversion of a persecutor of Christians, Saul of Tarsus, who would later, because of Stephen, come to faith in Jesus and would himself taste persecution from many for doing exactly what Stephen did, namely, tell the world about Jesus in a way that moved people out of their comfort zone to an authentic faith and trust in Jesus Christ. 

What follows therefore is what we can call,  "Learning from Stephen: How to Tell a Faith Story (What Stephen did, and how he did it)" - Acts 7:55-60. I pray this is a blessing to you. 

WHAT Stephen DID to share his faith story.: 
1) He looked up, took a deep breath of the Holy Spirit, and invited others to do the same. 
2) He cast a vision by telling them what he saw God doing and invited them to look and see it too. 
3) He was prepared for their resistance and attack because casting God's vision will always run counter to what despairing sinners see. 
4) He entrusted both his own life and also the life of others into God's power to make things right. 

HOW Stephen WAS ABLE TO DO 1-4: 
5) He regularly stopped to both spend time with God and also remember how God had acted mightily and graciously in his own life. 
6) He was at peace because, in stopping regularly, he was able to both turn any ill-sentiments against others over to God and also remember his purpose in life to reflect God's might and grace, which he did by praying for God to forgive the very ones who were killing him. 
7) He was hospitable to God's word and all that it commands because he knew that God only asks us to do what we will need God's strength to do which increases our faith, brings us closer to God, and unveils our eyes of the heart so we can see God! 

May God bless you as you share your faith story!!!! 

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

Fri, 05/04/18, Easter Day #34, "Day of Praise"

Luke 9:3 - "And [Jesus] said to them, 'Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.'"

As the month of May has come, my mind turns to Memorial Day because the older I get, the more I value those who have been willing to live less so that I could live more. It has been said to me that Veterans Day celebrates the heroes who came home. Memorial Day celebrates the heroes who didn't come home. In essence, all these heroes took one thing and only one thing into battle, namely, a willingness to die for their country, coupled with the belief that earthly freedom was worth the price.

In today's Bible verse, Jesus sends out the disciples and basically tells them to take one thing and only one thing into their mission field, namely, a willingness to die for the kingdom of God, coupled with the belief that spiritual freedom was worth the price.

Do you see the parallels?

You could say that there's at least an implicit charge here from Jesus to us; Jesus sends us out as disciples and basically tells us to take one thing and only one thing on our trip, namely, a willingness to die to self for the kingdom of God, coupled with the belief that spiritual freedom is worth the price. This dying to self will happen when we use time with family and friends to remember, speak of, and celebrate both those who have died for our freedoms and how those sacrifices have blessed our lives.

Many military personnel have died for our earthly freedoms. Many a missionary and Jesus Christ himself, most of all, died for our spiritual freedoms. Let us be found using our time to remember, speak of, and celebrate both those who have died for our freedoms and how those sacrifices have blessed our lives.

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

Thur, 05/03/18, Easter Day #33, "Day of Praise"

Luke 21:34 - [Jesus said,] "But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap."

I was sixteen. And I'd had my license two weeks. And there was this nice, used car; we'd had it two weeks. It was the Fall of 1980. And there was this dance at school. You had to dress up. I'd asked this girl to go; I'd never been to her house. So I'm driving down her street to pick her up; I'm going real slow because it's dark and because I'm looking for her house number. All of a sudden, I hear this horrible metal on metal noise; I look up to see that the nice, used car we've had for two weeks had kissed the nice, used car that somebody's had for two decades. What made hitting a parked car even more humiliating was that I looked at the house number where I'd crashed, and it was hers. There were about to be two deaths. My date was going to die laughing at me; and my father was going to kill me. Praise God that she didn't and he didn't. 

That doesn't change the fact that I should've been watching better. 

Just like the other three times that I've backed into objects that weren't there the last time I backed out of those places: one was a dumpster in the parking lot of the church where I grew up and the other two were cars in my driveway. Hey! At least I've never hit anything that was moving. 

That doesn't change the fact that I should've been watching better.

And I wasn't watching better in every case because my mind was on something other than where I was going. 

Spiritually speaking, that's what Jesus is talking about in today's Bible verse. Our minds get on something other than where we're going. So we're not watching, and we run into things. It causes damage to both cars, er, I mean lives. Our eyes are supposed to be on Jesus. 

Good thing his eyes are on us. Or the whole world would be a big ol' pile up.

Y'all, Jesus warns us that the world is eager to grab our attention with all the "cares of this life" (Luke 21:34). He also reminds us in many scriptures, like John 10, that he's raised from the dead to put his attention on us because he cares for our life. He's a very, very good shepherd. And he's watching out for you. 

But he also wants you to watch for him. Ya know, so you can see him, see his blessings, and see the car you're about to otherwise run into.

Dear Heavenly Father,
You know what's in front of us this day. There are so many things demanding our attention. It's impossible to see 'em all and not run smack into something or somebody and cause some damage. So Lord, we just ask that you help us to trust that you're watching out for us so that we can watch out for you and see your gracious guiding hand and provision. We ask for this, and all that you know we need, in the most precious name of your only Son, Jesus Christ, our crucified, risen, and indwelling Lord and Savior. 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