Day of Praise

Tu, 02/18/14, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 139:14 - "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

When God, in His word, talks about having made us and many other things, the word "fear" is regularly a part of the equation. Very simply, that "fear" and being "made" go hand in hand is a testimony that we, and all things, are made by the almighty God. It follows, therefore, that there are things about us being made that are "wonderful," which means "beyond our understanding."

Like the precision.

The precision with which we and the universe are made is the proverbial "mind-boggling." There's this guy at our church. Whenever he folds a letter to go into an envelope, it takes a while. He makes a fold without creasing it. Then he pulls the envelope next to the fold and measures it up, making sure the letter's going to fit precisely. After all, he doesn't want the letter to spill out of the "sealed" envelope. Who knows what might happen to the letter?

It's the same, and so much more, with God fitting you precisely into the unique mold that God made for you. To be silly, can you imagine if all your intestines weren't folded precisely and they spilled out of the envelope, ya know like, intestines hanging out of your belly button. That wouldn't be pretty. Kinda awkward. And, like a letter spilling out of an envelope, who knows if you'd ever get where you were trying to go because of all the holdups? (Can't you see yourself running late into a meeting and saying, "Oh, I'm sorry, my small intestine got hung up on the parking meter"?)

But God made you with precision. In fact, God made you with Almighty Precision, like the whole universe, where the calculations are so narrow that there is like no room for error or the sun would burn the earth to a crisp and every one of the billions of billions of the stars of the heavens would be bouncing into each other like a big pinball machine that has way too many balls (say, more than one?) going at one time, or like a dirt-track smash-up derby in Kingsport, Tennessee where it's fun to watch until you start wondering would happen if all those colliding cars got out of the boundaries that have been set for them, and then you realize that you'd need to run for your life.

But you don't.

You don't need to run for your life because the colliding cars have a boundary and because the colliding stars, well, they aren't colliding because they too were fearfully, wonderfully, and precisely made by the same God (make that, only God) who fearfully and wonderfully and precisely made you with almighty power and incomparable wisdom and unmatched care, like a guy at my church fitting a letter into an envelope.

In sum, you are an amazing person. God fit you uniquely into your own, made-just-for-you, mold.

Take some time today for you. Use the amazing tools, like Google and Bing and better yet the Bible, to learn about yourself. Discover and discern and deploy your God-given gifts. In the strength and wisdom and care of the Almighty, become master over your self-destructive "leanings" instead of letting them rule your life. (Leanings? Sure, we can talk more about that. When would you like to get together?)

Let's say it again, you are an amazing person. God fit you uniquely into your own, made-just-for-you, mold. So let's all join the inspired Psalmist, who in Psalm 139:14 says, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Praaaaaaaaise 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, 02/17/14, "Day of Praise"

Galatians 6:9 - "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

We have two monetary offerings in worship. The one is the standard, pass-the-plate offering for all the ministries of the church. The second is what we call the "Mercy Ministry Basket," which is for a very specific mercy ministry. The Mercy Basket goes to something different each week.

The thing about the Mercy Basket is that it's not passed around. It's just placed on the floor in the front of the church at the same time the standard offering plates are being passed. People young and old must get up and go put something in the Mercy Basket. If nobody, gets up and goes, then the Mercy Basket stays empty. The Mercy Basket never stays empty.

Today is Monday. I know it's a holiday for many, but let's pretend that today is an ordinary workday. In an ordinary workday, just like we have two worship offering opportunities, we all have two workday offering opportunities. There's the work that comes our way that is our job for which we get paid or volunteer. And then there's the Mercy Work which will only get done if we get up and go put something into it. The Mercy Needs are the work of taking an interest in the people connected to our work. They're not just there to help us make money. They're people. They, like us, need mercy. If nobody, gets up and goes, then the Mercy Needs stay empty. Ya know, like Jesus put some energy, not to mention all his blood, into having mercy on us.

There's more to a workday than the work that comes our way. Let's look at the people in our workday like Jesus looks at us. Our world is a better place to live when the Mercy Basket doesn't stay empty. Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, puts mercy into the basket of our soul so we can put mercy into the basket of others.

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, 02/15/14, "Day of Praise"

Isaiah 51:3 - "For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song."

The work week can feel like a wilderness, leaving your soul in waste.

But in today's verse, God tells us of the renewal he will bring to Zion, that is to all people who would place their faith in Him.

Then after resting up, after finding comfort and finding Eden Paradise where you were feeling drained, we are plainly commanded by God to go find some joy and gladness by going to give thanks and sing.

It's a rhythm, Friends. It's a rhythm. Work, rest, worship, renewal. Work, rest, worship, renewal. Work, rest, worship, renewal.

So you've worked this past week. Today you're resting up. So, tomorrow? Well, I'll see ya in worship. Ya know, for some renewal, joy, and gladness!

Love, y'all! 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

Fr, 02/14/14, "Day of Praise"

2 Corinthians 4:8 - "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair."

Ever been perplexed? To be perplexed means to watch someone complicate a situation so badly that it's totally baffling and confusing.

I was perplexed recently. My son has a biology project due next week, and I was at Target to get the required neon-orange poster-board. I searched the stack of poster-board to find a piece that wasn't already wrinkled so Caden could have a nice presentation. And then, at the check-out counter, I laid it carefully on the conveyor so it stayed unwrinkled. I thought that surely the cashier would see that the poster-board couldn't fit if moved down the conveyor, so certainly the cashier would scan it while it was flat. But before I knew it, the cashier looked at the poster-board, started the conveyor, watched the poster-board get scrunched like an accordion as the conveyor pushed it through, and said, "How are you? Kid got a project?"

I was perplexed, baffled, and confused. My son's poor, carefully-chosen, unwrinkled poster-board was carelessly destroyed by a person that I'm now going to have to pay.

But in spite of my perplexity, God reminded me of today's verse in 2 Corinthians 4:8, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair." God reminded me that life in this world can be a lot like that poster-board. You plan for it, pick it carefully, take care to keep it nice. But when you put it out there, it gets plowed into by the world. But the reason we're not "crushed" or "driven to despair" is because God has shown us in Jesus's crucifixion (being plowed into) and resurrection that God has the power and uses the power to (pardon the pun) straighten things out. And if we (pardon the pun) get all bent out of shape about our things, like poster-board, that just got bent out of shape, then we usually miss what God's about to do.

In the case of the poster-board, the young cashier started telling me how she was watching me interact with the others in line, and she wondered if she could ask me a faith question about how she should look at the chronic problem of pain that she had in her life. Of course, in light of that question, poster-board now became nothing, and God again showed what's most important, namely, the people in our lives who are perplexed and plowed over instead of the things that they might blemish.

So take a deep breath, y'all! Even when life gets a little hurtful, baffling, and perplexing, God's gonna straighten it out. Just trust him, and give him a moment. God's gonna smooth the way.

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, 02/13/14, "Day of Praise"

Daniel 1:9a - "And God gave Daniel favor and compassion."

Being a dad and being smart don't always go hand in hand.

As dads, we like to hang with our kids. Not just hang with them as in be with them, but hang with them as in do what they do. Ya know, keep up with them. Like when my brother and I were in our teens and my dad was in his forties, he would hang with my brother and me. We played church softball, so he played church softball. We'd hit the ball and run fast. He'd hit the ball and, well, pull a muscle.

Now I understand. My son's in his teens, and I'm in my forties. Barely. But I want to hang with him. So he lifts weights. I do push ups. He lifts weights. He asks me to lift with him. I do push ups, so I think I can lift weights. And I did start to lift the weight, kinda like my dad hit the ball, and then I slap tore my right labrum, ya know, my shoulder rotator thingy. Right, Doc? Just like my dad pulled a muscle.

Being a dad and being smart don't always go hand in hand.

So, what I do is what my dad did. I favor it. Ya know, my dad favored his pulled hamstring. I favor my shoulder rotator thingy. You do know what it is to favor something, don't you? You take it easy on it. You lighten the load. You take some weight and burden off it. You favor it.

That's what God did with Daniel in today's verse. God favored Daniel. God took it easy on him. God lightened his load. God took some weight and burden off Daniel. God favored him.

In Psalm 84:11, God says that God favors anybody who walks uprightly. "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly."

Throughout God's word, walking uprightly simply means to trust God and His word so much that you really listen for God and listen to God and ask God for His strength to do what He tells us to do.

And why would anyone want to do what God tells us? Well, because the opposite of walking uprightly is walking slumped over, ya know, like you're injured, bum hamstring, bum shoulder rotator thingy. Some people actually think walking apart from God, walking slumped is better, like a guy I met in Target yesterday. I tried so hard to tell him about God's favor, how God's Son, Jesus, lightens the load, takes some weight and burden off, favors those who trust Him. But Mr B wouldn't hear of it. Why? Because being a human and being smart don't always go hand in hand.

Hey y'all, life's hard enough as it is. God wants to show you some favor, heal the injuries of your soul, lighten your load, take some weight and burden off. Be smart; trust Him; follow His lead, and, like Daniel of old, claim God's promise in Psalm 84:11, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly."

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, 02/12/14, "Day of Praise"

Last night, my smart, athletic, newly-fifteen year old son was talking about his love for our church, Christ the King Lutheran in Hoover, Alabama. His unsolicited testimony moved me to pass along the following testimony from another man who loves his church that sounds a lot like ours. Enjoy! And Praise God!

Saturday, August 10, 2013
Indispensable <http://sheepdogger.blogspot.com/2013/08/indispensable.html>

God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor. (1 Corinthians 12:18-23)

Sitting with my son through an entire church service is no easy task. As a matter of statistical fact, most parents of special needs children choose to not attend church (or they attend sparingly) because of the stress that accompanies potential, attention-grabbing disturbances caused by their child's disability.

It's easier to stay home and stay out of the congregational eye-the eye that seemingly stares and judges and blinks and winks.

"Yet the eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you.' On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable."

Indispensable: Not subject to being set aside or neglected; absolutely necessary; essential. (Merriam Webster)

My son is a 20-year-old autistic man with the cognitive mentality of a 2-year-old child, yet he is indispensable to the congregation of Redemption Church. He cannot speak (although he can make plenty of noise) yet he is indispensable to the worship service. He constantly kicks the chair of the person in front of him, he claps during the quiet times and cannot sit still for five minutes, much less the length of a sermon. Yet he is indispensable to the church-indispensable to the Body of Christ.

How can the least become essential and the weaker become indispensable in God's seemingly backwards, upside down and inside out church body? With Jesus as the head, let me show you a picture of God's great grace in the Body of Christ-His Church.

It's Sunday morning and Jake is sitting in the very back row of the sanctuary. We are not placed in the back because we are unimportant; we choose the back mostly for strategic reasons. A hasty exit is sometimes required. Four seats are reserved for our family. This is just one of the ways our church ministers to us.

My wife sits on one side of Jake and I sit on the other. We take turns stroking his arms and his back to keep him calm enough to sit through an entire worship service. His mother runs her fingers through his thinning auburn hair. It has always been Jake's sedative.

But this service is different. The pastor has just preached one of his final messages from an entire sermon series in the book of Romans and has come to a key verse that obviously catches Jake's attention. The verse is Romans 16:16 "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you."

Jake perks up and listens as the pastor begins to apply the text, asking the congregation, "Why don't we do that anymore? Why don't we show affection in the church? Why don't we greet each other with hugs and kisses? Why are we afraid of touch?"

Jake nods in approval of the pastor's plea and gives an affirming grunt-his unmistakable, "Amen!"

I give my wife that silent look. She knows what it means. We have learned to speak clearly without words over the years-across rooms, through crowds, over noise, and in church. It's a head slightly tilted forward, wide-eyed, pursed lip look. A nervous mix of, "Isn't that cute" and "Batten down the hatches, something is about to happen!"

The pastor continues as he concludes his sermon. "We're going to try something new today. (Just what every good church member wants to hear) After The Lord's Supper, turn to the person next to you and give him or her a hug. And show some affection!"

You could feel the uncomfortable anticipation creep across the room as people began to think, "Is he serious? We have to touch each other, beyond a casual handshake?" I imagined what the visitors were thinking that morning; some after sneaking quietly into the room, now were exposed to their worst fear-being ousted from their anonymity and physically embraced by complete strangers.

People were looking around the room, checking out their neighbors, their prospective huggers, and the nearest exits.

I honestly remember thinking to myself, "If some guy tries to kiss me, I'm going to put him on the ground." My heart began to drift-like hearts do, when they are afraid.

But the man-child moved to the edge of his seat and leaned in to the pastor's words.

As the final prayer was prayed, the "amen" was sounded and the congregation dismissed, people began to mill uncomfortably towards each other. Some even tried to head for the door and avoid the offending invasion of their personal comfort zones.

The pastor gently prodded, "Come on now, find someone to hug before you leave!"

Two or three married couples at the front of the church, closest to the pastor, did a lean in shoulder bump with a patronizing pat on the back. Then a few more followed suite, as most of the congregation simply did not know how to respond to the awkward invitation and were content to go through the motions to please the pastor.

And that's when it happened.

That's when the broken little toe led the foot, and the foot led the leg, and the leg led the body, and the weaker member became indispensable.

Jake sprung from his seat and bolted into the isle before we could catch him. He ran straight over to an older gentleman (who was trying to exit the building unnoticed and presumably untouched) and nearly knocked him off his feet with a bear hug. It wasn't gentle and it wasn't pretty, and it wasn't short lived. Jake held onto the man until I could get through the crowd of people to pull him off. The stern look on the man's face told me this was an uninvited intrusion into his wide, impermeable bubble.

But just as I began to unwrap Jake's grip from the victim's shoulders and apologize for the inconvenience, I noticed wetness in the older man's eyes. Jake held tight and the man resigned his objection; his body went somewhat limp as sternness melted to a smile and unsure hands reciprocated the embrace.

My son finally released the man and I thought all was well and complete, but before I could redirect Jake back to his seat or to an exit door, he broke loose again. This time instead of restraining him, I let him go-because sometimes you have to set people free to experience the greatest freedom yourself.

He ran to hug another, and another, and yet another. He was laughing and jumping and hugging and loving. It was sloppy and loud and rough and painful. And the entire body was watching and learning and discovering what "indispensable" really meant.

Soon others joined in and the hugs spread like sparks jumping from a small, intense fire. As the wind of the Spirit blew where it pleased, the sparks turned to flames and raged through the church. But the only thing that burned up that day was the long-standing boundaries around comfort zones of personal pride and inward self-esteem.

People were laughing and talking and whooping and hugging-real hugs-feet off the ground, cheek to cheek, steal your breath hugs. And unbeknownst to most of the congregation, Jake was in the middle of it all, like an imprisoned apostle set free; like a preacher without a voice, called by God to "go and make disciples".

That Sunday started something new for Jake, and something new for the local body of Christ at Redemption Church-a sort of mini revival set afire by the unsuspecting, silent ember of one indispensable blazing heart.

Now every Sunday he sits, waiting for the end of the service. Waiting for the Lord's Supper, the closing benediction and the final "Amen". Not so he can get home and watch Sunday afternoon football or fix Sunday dinner or take a Sunday nap. Those things are the farthest from his simple mind.

He lives to apply the meaning of the message with complete lack of inhibition for his unbridled, bubble busting, in your face, knock you to the ground, God honoring, Jesus exalting, Spirit saturated -joy!

Sometimes it's loud and painful. Sometimes he pokes an eye, or lands a knee, or leaves a slobbered wet spot on someone's clean Sunday best. Sometimes we have to restrain his ambition just a bit for the protection of the elderly and the petite. Sometimes we wince when a visitor gets picked for the embrace. It's usually awkward and it's almost always uncomfortable.

But every Sunday after church, the real worship begins in the heart of obscurity. And an autistic, non-verbal, disabled, man-child shines like a white hot spotlight of God's grace for the motley, multifaceted church body to see and understand-

"God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you.' On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor."

Posted by Greg Lucas <http://www.blogger.com/profile/02450685964958516936> at 1:51 PM<http://sheepdogger.blogspot.com/2013/08/indispensable.html>

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. 02/11/14, "Day of Praise"

Lamentations 3:41 - "Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven."

Have you ever thought about a light switch? It's such a neat little thing. Powerful most of all. You switch it up, and there's always something good: light to see what you're doing, cool air from a fan to comfort you, an exhaust fan to clear the air.

Turning on a light switch is a lot like lifting "up our hearts and hands to God in heaven" (Lamentations 3:41). It's such a neat little thing. Powerful most of all. You switch it up, and there's always something good: light from Christ to see what you're doing, cool air from the fan that is the Holy Spirit to comfort you, an exhaust fan that is the Word of God to clear the air.

God in Christ has shown us that he wants all people to know his blessings, not just some crazy spiritual group. So c'mon people, aaaaaall people, "Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven" (Lamentations 3:41). You'll be blessed, and God will be praised.

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, 02/10/14, "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.'"

Do y'all think the Almighty laughs? I was so close to finding out.

Last night, twenty-four people came to our monthly prayer and healing service, which Almighty God has used to bring physical, spiritual, and emotional healing to many. It's an amazing service for those who come.

After a few calming songs and corporate prayer, we grab a chair and invite people to sit in it. Everyone lays their hands on the person in the chair and prays for them. Getting twenty people around one person requires some creativity.

I myself love this service and want others to have a great experience, so I'll assume one of the "creative" positions as we lay hands on the person in the chair. And, for those who don't know me, I not only love worship, but I also take worship very seriously. I mean, we're in the presence of the Holy God. So there's room to be real and smile and laugh but not to turn worship into Comedy Hour.

So last night, in all reverence, I creatively found a spot where I had to kneel down next to the person in the chair as we all gathered around. And then it happened. I started to cramp. Ya know, one of those wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-calf-or-thigh-stuck-in-pain kind of cramps. And I'm thinking that I'm about to fall over in pain and be rolling all over the floor and be unable to breathe let alone speak, but everyone's going to think that this moderately conservative, reverent in worship, believer in healing, Lutheran pastor has been slain in the spirit. So I'm picturing this imminent, comical, cramp scene in my head while we're all praying over the chair person. And, I'm serious y'all, God zaps me and tells me I've got to stop drinking so much Diet Coke.

And I'm just hoping that God has a sense of humor because I'm not feeling very reverent and spiritual through these three minutes. And all I can do is turn my heart to God and, in a way that only God could hear, I squeal, "Please, Lord!" And immediately, I was able to say as in today's verse, "The Lord has done great things," as the cramp immediately went away.

And not wanting to unnecessarily put God to the test, I did find a standing position when the next person sat in the chair.

So y'all, have a blessed Monday, believing that God loves you and wants to heal you. And don't forget, as is also in today's verse, to let your "mouth [be] filled with laughter, and [your] tongue with shouts of joy!"

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, 02/08/14, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 23:27 - "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness."

First, y'all watch out. My son turns fifteen today. New driver on the road!

Now, on to the encouragement. But let's start again with "Watch out!" Watch out because it's so easy for reality (whether destructive forces or God's blessings) to slip past us and get whitewashed and covered over by the subtle deceptions of the world.

Here's an example. I've started reading "The Big Truck That Went By" by Jonathan M. Katz. Katz tells tales of great suffering by masses of Haitians from the deadly 2010 earthquake that was centered in Port-au-Prince. In particular, many Haitians in the city thought that the history-making quake was merely a "Big Truck That Went By" because they were so accustomed to their poorly built, multi-level residences shaking like a leaf as big trucks went by daily. Though they couldn't have done anything about it, it's scary to think how masses of people couldn't tell the daily from the deadly.

Watch out because it's so easy for reality (whether destructive forces or God's blessings) to slip past us and get whitewashed and covered over by the subtle deceptions of the world.

How do we keep this from happening? Of course, the most important way is to stay in God's Word daily which is a vertical, us-to-God practice.

But there's a horizontal, us-to-others practice that's also very important, namely, searching one another's souls. In a nutshell, to search one another's souls is to acknowledge that all of us have stuff (that's just below the surface of our public persona) that's been white-washed. It's stuff that's been covered because of the values of this fallen world: in sum, we value things and achievements more than people. So people whitewash and cover the questions and agonies of their soul for fear that they won't measure up, for fear they'll get fired, for fear that people will think they're weird, for fear that a spouse will leave or grown children won't come around, for fear that they'll wind up alone.

Tragically and ironically, the result of white-washing, covering up all our soul-ache and brokenness is the very thing that was feared: the result of the cover-up is that people wind up alone.

Oh, yes, they're surrounded by people, but they're people who are doing the exact same thing: covering up. They're the people in your neighborhood, your workplace, your grocery store, your school, your pew at church, your home, and your mirror.

And here's all we need to do to attack this white-washing that is destroying the soul of our world, our nation, our families, and our own selves. All we need to do is ask, "How are you doing?"

And mean it.

That's what God does for us in Jesus.

So that we can, in Christ's love, do the same for 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

Fr, 02/07/14, "Day of Praise"

Genesis 22:8 - "Abraham said, 'God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.'"

Psalm 50:10 - [The LORD says,] "For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills."

PASTOR CHRIS'S WARNING TO READERS: Do NOT read further if you only have a minute, if you are feeling easily offended today, or if you want your life to stay the same. So if you read on, don't say that I didn't warn you.

I can almost guarantee that you're living too small. Noted American researcher, George Barna's studies show 90-95% of American Christians are living a life of scarcity. Most Christians forfeit their spiritual wealth and, therefore, unnecessarily live a life of scarcity instead of abundance.

Let's change that!

But you're going to have to not only believe, but you're also going to have to put your faith in action.

That's what Abraham did in today's first Bible verse. Abraham lived large; he lived a life of abundance. But it all started by putting his faith in action.

When Abraham walked up that mountain with his son, Isaac, so that he could sacrifice his son, his only son, as God had commanded, look what Abraham says, "God will provide for himself." In other words, Abraham claimed the character of God and the promise of God. Abraham believed that God would provide for himself out of the riches of God's own abundance, as noted in today's second verse in Psalm 50:10, "The cattle on a thousand hills [is mine, 'says the Lord.]"

Have y'all ever heard of a faith promise pledge? A faith promise pledge is pledging to give something before you have it because you believe that God is going to inexplicably provide it. That's what Abraham was doing. He was living large, a life of abundance, pledging to give something before he had it, believing God would provide out of God's own bounty.

I know you're saying you've never been given a test like Abraham and asked to sacrifice a child like Abraham, but actually that's not true. When God, in Malachi, chapter 3, calls all of us to tithe (which is to give ten percent of our income to God's life-changing work through His church), God is asking us to sacrifice our loved ones because the studies show that the main reason people don't give 10% as God commands is because they don't want to take away things from their loved ones.

But in God's economy, that "don't-obey-God-so-you-can-give-more-to-your-loved-ones" thinking is scarcity thinking. The bottom line is that scarcity thinking actually has the audacity to believe that you can give more to your loved ones than the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and promises to give them to you by opening the floodgates of heaven if you'll just trust Him by thanking Him with the Biblical tithe, the first ten percent of your income!!! Are you kidding me?

Friends, interestingly, more than ninety percent of y'all who receive Day of Praise don't worship at my church, so this isn't a fund-raiser for me. No it's a FUN-raiser for you. It's a call for you to live large, to live out of God's abundance instead of your scarcity, to live a faith promise, to tithe the Biblical ten percent, to give something to God even before you have it because you believe that God is going to inexplicably provide it, believing that God does what he promises to do.

God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and the storehouse of heaven, and He wants to pour it out on you!

Start living large like Abraham. Start trusting God and tithing today!

You can't outgive God, gang. You can't outgive God!

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, 02/06/14, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 24:7-8 - [Jesus said,] "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains."

Huh! Jesus says that earthquakes and other calamities are the beginning of something new. It reminds me of a friend last week who was marveling at the way people helped each other during our little ice-and-snow event last week. The kindness people showed here reminded him of the stories out of Joplin, Missouri when their horrible tornado hit where people climbed out from the rubble and immediately began looking for other people instead of dwelling on the stuff they'd lost.

All of these are testimonies to the good that can come out of bad.

Today, something is going to go wrong. It might be small. It might be large. Either way, it will be an opportunity to testify with Jesus and many before us that nothing is more important than trusting God and loving the people in our lives.

As always, God is with us to be our help so we can have a great day. God bless y'all!

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, 02/05/14, "Day of Praise"

John 15:12 - [Jesus said,] "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

What does that even mean? What does Jesus mean when he says, "as I have loved you?" Exactly, how did he love us? We need to know how he loved us before we can love one another in that way.

In sum, short version, Jesus loves us with mercy and grace.

Same thing, a little longer version, Jesus doesn't give us what he can (that's mercy), and he gives us what he doesn't have to (that's grace).

Illustration: When I was a kid, there was this one day that I did multiple things that deserved a whoopin' from my dad. Sure he should've whooped me because I showed my worst self, but he didn't because he showed me mercy. Just like Jesus, my dad didn't give me what he could've. That's mercy. That's loving one another as Jesus loved us.

But it didn't stop there. I distinctly remember us going out to eat that night, which most families rarely did those days. Also having multiple choices of fast food was relatively new to our little Tennessee town, and for some crazy reason I remember that I got to pick the place. My brother and sisters just looked at me like, "Are you kidding? You get in a heap of trouble, and you get to pick where all six of us have to eat?" I picked the best stinkin' place in town, Long John Silver's. You went in smelling like human. You came out smelling like fried fish and vinegar. I loved it! My dad gave me what he didn't have to. That's grace. That's loving one another as Jesus loved us.

Can you imagine what this world would be like if, not even all people, but maaaaan, I'd take most people; what would this world be like if we loved one another as Jesus loved us? What would it be like if even most people didn't honk back at everyone who honked at them even though they "deserved" it? If even most people just let stuff go? Not murder, for heaven's sake. Most of the problems in this world aren't murder; they're the little things that irritate that we could just as easily choose to release as to fuel with the lighter fluid of murmuring.

Uh! I've got to stop or we'll be here all day. And as much as y'all send kind words about this devotion, no one wants to be reading it all day. At some point, we've got to move on.

And that's exactly what Jesus is saying to us. Life moves on, from bitterness to reconciliation, from irritability to joy, from sour grapes to hope, from weariness to gladness, from darkness to light, from death to life, from cross to grave to resurrection when we love one another as Jesus loves us.

Mercy and grace, friends; pass on the mercy and grace. Just as God, through Jesus, keeps passing it to 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

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

Exodus 16:35 - "The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan."

I love Cap'n Crunch!

Ya' know? The cereal. Cap'n Crunch was a large part of one of my best seasons in life.

I was three or four. And I was sick.

I had chicken pox. As did my older brother, Ben. The way I remember it, my mom let Ben and me eat Cap'n Crunch for every single meal as we were quarantined in our bedroom at the top of the stairs on the right.

They might remember it differently, but it doesn't matter because I have a great memory of eating the same food for every meal of everyday for a week. And I never tired of it once.

A few years later, I got to eat Mac n Cheese almost every meal for a week. Then there was a season of Ramen noodles. And then there was a season of Solitude and Isolation. Every meal. The same thing.

And every single one of those seasons was connected to a wilderness, to something "bad": chicken pox, missing my parents, early marriage poverty, failed marriage.

But God provided for me everyday in every wilderness, just as God provided for His people everyday in the wilderness in today's Bible verse. Everyday God gave them "manna," which means "What is it?"

And that's what the people asked about that stuff, "What is it?"

And in essence, God said, "It's manna! It's my provision!"

"Noooooo," the people replied, "what iiiiiiiiis it?"

"It's manna," God said, "it's not supposed to be tasty. It's a reminder that I am your provision, that my Word is the Bread of Life."

Can y'all imagine what that was like? Wandering around in a wilderness for forty years, eating the same manna stuff every single day? I bet it felt like they were going nowhere. Just like I did the time I had chicken pox and the time I missed my parents and the season I had no money and the seemingly endless season of being alone. It felt like my life was going nowhere.

And so it was.

Going nowhere.

So God came to me.

In my wilderness. With manna. Ya know? Cap'n Crunch and the like. Reminders of His Presence.

Just like God comes to you.

In your wilderness.

Hang in there.

You're not alone.

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, 02/03/14, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 41:1 - "Blessed is the one who considers the poor!"

Let's take a vote! Which of the following is one of this century's greatest sports understatements?

1) This Super Bowl wasn't so Super.

2) This Super Bowl was as interesting as watching people Bowl on TV.

3) My all-time favorite player, Peyton Manning, did not have the best game of his career.

But all is not for naught. Y'all responded to Saturday's Day of Praise Super Bowl Hunger Challenge and already gave or have committed over $2,000.00 to battle World Hunger through our World Vision Day of Praise Team or other channels like the Souper Bowl of Caring.

Yaaay! Thank you for teaming together!

For the many who don't read Saturday's Day of Praise until Monday, here's our Day of Praise Super Bowl Weekend Hunger Challenge link for making a donation. Thanks for considering $11 (the number of faithful Apostles of Jesus)!

The team page for Day of Praise is at this web address:
http://mygiftcatalog.worldvision.org/site/TR?team_id=67682&pg=team&fr_id=2360&et=f2QsrJxVQ0xxAQWBjndCmQ&s_tafId=45093

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 SPECIAL

Sa, 02/01/14, "Day of Praise"

Day of Praise for Super Bowl Weekend - February 1-3, 2014

Galatians 2:10 - "Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."

Hey, y'all, multiple articles, past and predicting the future, say that Super Bowl Sunday will see over a billion, that's (BBBBBB) billion dollars of food consumed in connection with The Big Game gatherings.  In the face of The Big Game Feeding Frenzy, let's team together to remember THE BIGGEST GAME! Let's remember THE FIGHT AGAINST WORLD HUNGER.

If every person who supposedly reads our Day of Praise devotion gives $11 (eleven is the number of faithful Apostles of Jesus), then we can easily reach our goal that God put on my heart, which is $33,333.

C'mon, y'all! After asking somebody to get together for The Big Game, bring their favorite treat, and predict the winner of the game, then ask them to throw $11 in the pot.

Let's be a part of something big, something bigger than an international event (i.e. bigger than the Super Bowl), something that can change a lot of lives with a cup of cold water and fish and bread in the name of Jesus.

I've set up a team account through World Vision called Day of Praise. As always, I will be respectful, so if you want to contribute to the Day of Praise Super Bowl Weekend Beat Hunger Fundraising Event, please "reply" to me, and I'll send you an invite through our World Vision Day of Praise Team account. Invite your friends to hop in too. Of course, you can give them my email or you can send me theirs so I can send them the invite through World Vision. Your trusted friends may just want to give you the money, and then you add it to your World Vision credit card contribution.

Let's win big this Super Bowl Weekend by remembering God's Word in Galatians 2:10 - "Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to 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

Fr, 01/31/14, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 106:43-45 - "Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. Nevertheless, [God] looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love."

Nevertheless!

Though we stumble over ourselves, God loves us. Nevertheless!

I'm sure many of you've heard the national jokes about us Southerners from Atlanta to Birmingham. We don't get much snow, so we don't know what to do with it from Atlanta International Airport to my nine year old neighbor in her driveway next door.

Ya see, she was helping her daddy move the extremely large snow drifts in front of their garage. I mean, they must've been at least three inches high.

So, she gets out daddy's big ol' garden shovel. And she carefully cuts across the top inch of the snow drift, lifts the shovel, and just as carefully pours the snow on another spot.

On the driveway.

At this rate, she should have all the snow removed at about, uh, let's say, the time it melts.

Sometimes, we children of God do things in a way that, well, let's just say we don't make much progress. Today's Bible verse starts with "Many times he delivered them;" that's because the people kept doing things in a way that, well, let's just say they didn't make much progress. God describes our doings as follows: "they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity."

But then comes the great encouragement: "Nevertheless!" "Nevertheless, [God] looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love."

Y'all, if you think you get frustrated sometimes with yourself and a lot more with others because things aren't progressing too well, just think how frustrated God is!!!

Nevertheless, God keeps being God, the God who keeps getting it done: meeting us, loving us, skooching us along, moving some snow.

Off the driveway.

Making a way for us to move on.

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, 01/30/14, "Day of Praise"

1 Corinthians 4:5 - "Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God."

As story after Good Samaritan story continues to come out of our Southern Winter Storm, one encouragement is clear: don't be so quick to give up on God. That's what God is saying through Paul in today's verse: don't be so quick to give up on God.

Recently, a friend of mine was telling me how he had done what he usually did, namely, jumped to conclusions. But God was patient with him and showed him something else, something better, something that God alone could do.

When I was a kid, I loved watching the super hero Batman in the 30-minute episodes on weekday afternoon TV. Adam West was great at playing Batman and doing what a super hero does, namely, showing up in the nick of time to save the day.

That's what God does in Jesus Christ; God shows up in the nick of time, before it's too late, to save the day. But in order for us to see God's timing and God's saving work, it requires faith and patience and not jumping to conclusions.

Something is going to go wrong in your day today. May God grant faith and patience to us all, that we might see God's marvelous and unmatched solution!

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, 01/29/14, "Day of Praise"

Isaiah 55:10-11 - "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

So, God sends snow with a purpose, eh?

I believe it. God accomplished a lot with a rare snow and ice storm here in central Alabama.

Let's see. There were the families and students who teamed up to get kids home from school and many teachers who spent the night at schools with stranded students. There were 100 stranded people who stayed overnight at our church, along with other churches and businesses that opened their doors to stranded travellers. There were people who together walked miles to their homes once their cars got stuck in a ditch, stuck in the middle of a road, or stuck in a tangle of cars and trucks. There were the neighbors with trucks who hauled walkers to various places and the neighbors who welcomed weary travellers home with some warm soup. There were the homes that took in stranded friends, acquaintances and total strangers to spend the night.

My son and I experienced every one of these as even now there are people sleeping in every section of our home. For us it's a Hobbit-like adventure where God has accomplished the purpose of showing us again that there's rich treasure in loving your neighbor (whether next door, down the street, friend, acquaintance, or stranger) as yourself.

Truly, God sends snow, ice, and every breath to accomplish a purpose. Yes, He does, eh?

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, 01/29/14, "Day of Praise"

Romans 6:19 - "For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification."

I mean, how hard can it be?

Well, let me tell you.

I'm a flosser, but I think, "There's got to be an easier way." So, I decide to try out this thing that somebody gave me years ago. It's just like my dad had when I was a kid. His was called a Water Pik; ya know, a thing to clean out your gums and get rid of all that stuff that causes bad breath and gum disease. The main unit has a place for "your favorite mouthwash" plus an on/off switch and a dial for various power levels. The three-foot long tube connects the main unit to the mouth sprayer, which has a button to "spray" your gums or stop the spray.

So, I get it ready. I plug it in and turn it "on". The next thing you know I've got the cleanest bathroom mirror in Alabama. I turn it "off" but mouthwash is still spewing all over the counter. The thing is out of control. So I turn the setting to "low." It's still spewing uncontrollably. So I stick it in my mouth, and it chokes me because it's coming so fast. So I spit it out and unplug the thing. It's still spewing, my teeth are blue, and my bathroom looks like Sigourney Weaver and the Alien just slung blue blood at each other. The whole thing probably lasted 20 seconds.

It reminds me of today's Bible verse that tells us how quickly sin, impurity, and lawlessness get out of control and take over our lives.

But take heart! Through faith in Jesus Christ, sin is brought under control. By faith in Jesus' death, we're freed from the penalty of sin; that's justification. By faith in Jesus' resurrection and his living presence with us, we're freed from the power of sin; that's sanctification. And by faith in Jesus' return, ushering in a new heaven and earth, we'll be freed from the presence of sin; that's glorification.

So the next time something or somebody goes crazy out of control in your life. Remember and believe that Jesus is Lord over all things, even a crazy mouth and gum cleaner machine that now has a home in the garbage!

So have a happy day! And don't forget to...

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, 01/27/14, "Day of Praise"

Colossians 1:17 - "And [Christ Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

So worship had just started yesterday with the Confession of Sin. I was in the narthex because it was Youth Sunday. Being in the narthex, I found it very hard to focus on God's word because of all the distractions: churning coffee, shuffling late comers, clicking candle lighters, and more.

It was like life, a world full of noises and distractions from God's word that lead to fragmentation of spirit and brokenness in life.

But then the Youth did this awesome sermon where they had eight rectangular tiles spread on the floor. The "preacher" would pick up a tile, and then a brief story testimony from a person's broken, fragmented, hurting life played through the sound system. The preacher then handed the tile representing the broken life story to another youth who placed the tile in a container. Then they repeated that with another tile and a different broken story seven times.

After the eighth story, the 2nd youth picked up the container of tiles and showed it to everyone. Together, the tiles, representing broken lives, formed a beautiful cross, the cross of Jesus Christ. In the cross of Jesus, broken lives are held together and healed, forming a beautiful picture of life together in Jesus.

It's a beautiful testimony to the truth in Colossians 1:17, "And [Christ Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Indeed, in Jesus, all things hold together.

Give him your brokenness. Listen to others' brokenness. And discover how Jesus holds together and blesses those 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, 01/25/14, "Day of Praise"

Colossians 4:2 - "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

So what does it mean that God, through Paul, commands us to be "watchful" in our continual prayer? Here's a teenage boy's take on it. Very simply, my son and I were grabbing a quick bite of dinner at Subway before my evening meetings. This man and his two teenage sons came and sat in the booth next to us, and the man asked his sons to pray with him. So the man bows his head and is praying over the food, while the boys bow their body, but their eyes are open, and they're looking around, watching to see if anyone sees them eating "thankfully" during the prayer. Their eyes get that "busted" look when they see that I'm watching and smiling, and then they close their eyes and stop eating, listening to the end of their father's prayer.

I hope you're chuckling because, hey, I do understand those boys because I've seen lots of people do what those boys did. I've even seen a pastor do it, bowing his body but eating with eyes open while someone else prayed!!!

However, I don't think that "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving" means "watch to see if someone's looking while you eat your food that you're thankful for while someone else is praying."

In sum, what God wants us to do is to be ever mindful that God is with us; this is being prayerful. And mindful that God is with us, we're called to watch for and give thanks for the many blessings that God is constantly sharing. It's an ongoing lifestyle and a constant posture of the heart that makes us grateful both for Subway sandwiches and also for the chance to close our eyes for a moment and tell God, "Thanks!" As always, God will help us to learn to "continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 4:2)

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, 01/24/14, "Day of Praise"

Luke 23:24 - "So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted."

1 Corinthians 2:2 - "For I [Paul] decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

Pilate decided on the crowd against Jesus. Paul decided on Jesus and his cross, period. What have you decided?

I was walking out of Tony's Hot Dog Shop in Pelham (best burger in the world). I was saying "Bye" to one while another said "Hi, come back in" and another said "Hi" as they walked out the door. I didn't know the one who walked out the door, so I took off and tried to catch him.

"Nice jacket," I said to the guy as he was ten yards ahead with a jacket covered in logos of professional basketball teams. No reply from the stranger. So trying again, I said, "Which team do you pull for?" With a slight turn toward me, he replied, "Whichever one I'm betting on." And then he slid into his car and was gone.

Hmmmm. "Whichever one I'm betting on." He might as well have said, "I decide to give my energy and money to the one that I need to win."

Pilate bet on the crowd and bet against Jesus. Paul bet on Jesus and the cross of Jesus Christ.

In other words, Pilate decided to give his energy and money to the crowd. Paul decided to give his energy and money to Jesus and Jesus's cross.

Pilate needed the crowd to win because Pilate wanted his own job to be saved. Paul needed Jesus to win because Paul wanted his own life to be saved.

Hey, y'all, decisions, decisions, decisions today. Ya need to go with Jesus. He's won.

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, 01/23/14, "Day of Praise"

Philippians 4:4-7 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ 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, 01/22/14, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 51:10 - "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

We had basketball practice last night. Hauling three sweaty eighth and ninth grade boys home created a smell that reminded me of my glory days. (Don't laugh too hard.)

In particular, I remember my eighth grade football team from Ross N. Robinson Middle School playing our cross-town rival John Sevier in our final game in Kingsport, Tennessee.

I was the quarterback. (See, I must've been okay.)

We got crushed. (Well, maybe I wasn't that good after all.)

It was pouring down rain, and the field was a mud pit. I remember getting tackled on one play, and my nose literally got rubbed in the dirt, which meant that my face and everything else on the front of me was covered in mud. And since we got crushed, I'm quite sure that I also got placed on my backside on one, two, or ten plays.

The best part of that game for me was the shower after the game. I probably should've been hosed down. But the bottom line was that washing away all that mud made me feel like a new young man.

Kinda like God's forgiveness.

Ya know, David wrote today's verse and all of Psalm 51 after he stunk up the field of life with peeping at women he shouldn't have and then scheming to get one he shouldn't have and then doing the unspeakable as he shouldn't have and then plotting to kill her husband as he shouldn't have. Wow, talk about a spiritually, relationally, emotionally, muddy mess.

When David, in Psalm 51:10, prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me," he was saying, "God, I've stunk up the place. Everything I've touched has become a dirty mess. Please, hose me down."

And God did.

And David became a new man. Not perfect or mistake free, but clean. Refreshed. Forgiven. A new beginning.

Do you have anything in your life that needs to get cleaned up, hosed down, showered off? Give your dirt to God.

A refreshing shower from God awaits 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

Tu, 01/21/14, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 46:11 - "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

When a dear, pastoral colleague of mine was living, he always said how much he hated talking on the phone. He said the coil of the phone cord was like a parable, reminding him of a snake that wrapped around relationships and choked them to death. Need I say that he much preferred going to visit with people and being with them face to face?

And so it is with the Lord. In Psalm 46:11, God plainly speaks through the psalmist, "The Lord of hosts is with us." God prefers face to face.

For all the benefits of modern technology (and there are many), God would much rather speak to us in person, face to face. I know some people prefer Pajama Church; ya know, wake up on Sunday, and turn on Joel Osteen. But I'd dare say that an average preacher in person is better than a great one on TV. That's why God constantly tells us to "Go" and constantly says, "I am with you." It's why Jesus says, "Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am with you." It's why God speaks through John, saying, "How can you love God who you don't see if you don't love your brother who you do see?" It's why Jesus says, "As you did it to the least, you did it to me."

God is face to face personally with us in Jesus Christ. And God fills us with His Holy Spirit so we can personally bring God to others. So let's have a great day together in 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

Day of Praise

Mo, 01/20/14, "Day of Praise"

Acts 14:22 - "...strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

So how long does it take to empty a 2-liter soda?

Well, apparently, if you grab a full one on your way out the door to church, get in your car, unscrew the 2-liter cap, put the full 2-liter between your legs, stop short at a red light, and send the 2-liter rocketing toward your feet, then, by my count, it takes about three seconds to empty a 2-liter soda into your shoe and onto your car floor. And for no extra charge you get a nice bang on your forehead against the steering wheel as you try to get to the 2-liter at your feet before three seconds are up and the foaming thing is empty, not to mention the joy I brought to the rather large man in the pick-up truck who apparently watched the whole thing from his passenger-side perch, looking dressed to go hunt for Bigfoot, Bambi or some other Disney critter on an early Sunday morning.

So what's my point?

I guess I'm not exactly sure. Maybe from today's Bible verse it's an encouragement "to continue in the faith" in spite of self-inflicted or other "tribulations" that come along in life.

Or maybe I just thought you could use a laugh on a Monday. :-)

Have a great day, y'all!

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, 01/18/14, "Day of Praise"

John 1:33 - [John the Baptist said], "I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'"

Yesterday, many of you were very helpful in sending thoughts on the hindrances to listening to God.

Today, God's word tells us that John heard God speak. In the verses surrounding today's verse, God teaches us all how to listen as John did so that we too can hear God. Here's the memorable pattern God teaches us for listening:

1) REmember that God wants to speak to you and wants you to hear. Furthermore, God faithfully sends His Holy Spirit to "poke" us and remind us that God is talking.

2) REpent of the things we listed yesterday that hinder our listening when we foolishly ask God to "cut us some slack." Here's a list of hindrances that one person sent in, using the acronym "slack":
S - Self-centeredness, Shame,
L - Laziness, Lifestyle,
A - Addictions, Anger, Apathy, Arrogance,
C - Captivity, Carelessness, Conceit,
K - Kitchen-sink (everything else!).
Again, God faithfully sends His Holy Spirit to "poke" us and call us to repent so we can listen.

3) RElent, which means to finally agree to whatever's been previously resisted. In this case, we stop resisting God's word and agree to it. Again, God faithfully sends His Holy Spirit to "poke" our soul to surrender to and agree with God's word. In other words, God's Spirit stirs our heart to a living faith, and we stop resisting the Spirit and surrender to it and agree with it. In sum, we listen.

4) REmain, which means we stick with Jesus. We follow him as our Lord. We stop going our own way. We "sit" at his feet like Mary did when Jesus came to her house. After all, what good is it if Jesus sets us free from the hindrances to listening if we just use our freedom to leave him and listen to somebody else? Remain!

These four things are how God teaches us to listen and works faithfully by His Spirit so we can listen.

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, 01/17/14, my Mom's birthday, "Day of Praise"

John 6:59-61 - "Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, 'This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?' But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, 'Do you take offense at this?'"

So let's have a little fun. When Jesus talked, many responded with "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" In other words, they said, "Do I really have to listen to this? Cut me some slack, Jesus!" As a pastor, I hear a lot of that; ya know, asking for slack. As a person, a sinner, I do a lot of that; ya know, asking for slack.

Slack is not helpful when you're talking about the words of life from Jesus Christ. We need the life that Jesus is willing to give.

So here's where the fun comes in. Jesus is trying to teach us how to listen to his words of life. We're asking for slack. So let's say that "slack" is an acronym; S-L-A-C-K all stand for some word that gets in the way of our listening. For example, "K" stands for "Know-it-all". When we think we know it all, we don't listen to Jesus or anybody else.

I'm preaching on this on Sunday, so I've already come up with my "S" is for "S_____", and so on for each letter in SLACK. But what would you say? What keeps you/us from listening to Jesus? Does "S" stand for "Schedule"? And "L" for "Lack" of time?

Let's see what we all come up with. I'll compile the list and send it back out to all of you next week.

And while we're thinking about all our reasons to not listen to Jesus, let's also lay them before the Lord, asking Him to forgive us and to give us a new appetite for his word, which is always the word of life. And God will give us that appetite so we can eat!

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, 01/16/14, "Day of Praise"

1 Peter 2:21 - "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps."

So why, pray tell, would anyone trust Jesus Christ so much as to follow his sacrificial and suffering example? Reason #3,524: eternal significance. Every human being, because we're made in the image of God, longs to live a life where we touch other lives in a way that makes a substantial and lasting difference.

The contrast, along with the choice, is simple: a) BASE - Be A Superior Example, or b) BANE - Be A Negative Example.

A) BASE - Be A Superior Example - Imitating the most superior example, sacrificing and suffering for others like Jesus, touches other lives in a substantial and lasting way. When one person knows they have even just one other quality person in their lives, it imparts a confidence and a foundation (a BASE) on which another quality life can be built. That's why, in addition to parents, a good school teacher or coach or scout leader or music instructor or children's minister or Big Sister/Brother or Sunday School teacher is such an important asset in a child's life. Bosses, civic leaders, Bible Study group leaders, and the like are equally important assets to another adult. And we're all called to be good neighbors.

2) BANE - Be A Negative Example - "Bane" literally means "death, destruction, source of harm, source of ruin." Need I say more? Uuuuuuh, no!

Follow Jesus's example. Suffer and sacrifice for others. That's what a BASE does to live an eternally significant life, which touches other lives in substantial and lasting ways.

God, in Christ, is our BASE. Pass it on.

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, 01/15/14, "Day of Praise"

Deuteronomy 4:31 - "For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them."

So I take my son's winter-workout, football clothes out of the dryer, and apparently I forgot to put in a fabric softener sheet. Ya know, they didn't have the fabric softener feel or smell. But that's ok. I only recently discovered the perfume and dye-free sheets, so adding them in hadn't become a habit.

And then I smelled the smell. It wasn't just the absence of a dryer sheet. It was the presence of the pre-wash smell. And then, it dawned on me: I never put the laundry detergent in the washing machine. I forgot the soap!

Now, c'mon; admit it. You know you've done it, too. But who knows? How do you remember what you forgot?

Well, praise the Lord that God never forgets! God never forgets his people, his covenant, and he certainly never forgets the soap. Ya know, the soap? It's the love of God and the blood of Jesus that washes the stink of our sin away.

So have a great day! And don't forget! God always remembers 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

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

1 John 3:20 - "If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."

Uuuuuuggggly!

That's what I see when I forget to take off my reading glasses, and I look in the bathroom mirror. Am I twice as big since I'm looking through magnifying glasses? Or am I four times as big since I'm looking through glasses at somebody who's looking through glasses?

All I know is that my eyes look like I'm an iguana. And my hair looks as big as the rainbow-haired dude on TV at pro football games in the 1970's. Through those glasses, everything looks a whole lot worse than it already was.

It's a lot like looking at my own sin through the lens of unbelief. My sin looks huge. Unforgivable. Through the lens of unbelief, I look unlovable to myself and, as best as I can tell, everyone else too.

But faith changes the way I see things. And the way you see things. Through the lens of faith, my sin still looks big, and my sin still makes me ugly. And your sin looks and does the same.

But through the lens of faith, God makes it possible to see something bigger. Something greater. God makes it possible to see the "God [who] is greater than our hearts, and [God] knows everything." (1 John 3:20)

So, yes, God knows my uuuuuuugh. And God knows my ugly. And God knows my sin. And God doesn't like it a bit. Faith doesn't approve, condone, or tolerate my sin or anybody else's. Because God doesn't approve, condone, or tolerate my sin or anybody else's.

But God is greater than my uuuuuugh, my ugly, and my sin.

And he swallows it all into the death and grave of His Son, our Lord and Savior.

And I don't need glasses to see that.

I only need faith 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

Mo, 01/13/14, "Day of Praise"

Proverbs 24:17-18 - "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him."

Ouch! Leaving my house for early Sunday worship yesterday, I noticed that the whole world was walking their dog(s). I've lived in this neighborhood almost ten years, and I'd never seen so many dogs being walked. It was like it became a dog park overnight.

And then it became something else altogether. The dogs started chasing after each other, pulling their "masters" along. One woman with two really big dogs took a horrible tumble and was clearly hurt. Everyone came to help her. Even the dogs calmed down, as if to say, "Oops, we crossed a line."

Friends, somebody's going to suffer some sort of fall today, and you're going to see it. In today's verse, God says that, when the fall or stumble we witness is that of an enemy, in other words, someone we don't like so much, it's easy for us to "rejoice" in their fall or stumble. But if even dogs in my neighborhood can sense when they should calm down, then it's reasonable that God would expect the same of us towards our fellow human beings.

God knows our hurts, from our falls, to our being dragged down by circumstances out of our control, to being broken by someone who's hurt us. Give the situation to God and a kind word or helping hand to the one who's hurting.

God will help us all.

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, 01/11/14, "Day of Praise"

Proverbs 3:6 - "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Yesterday, I went to Tire Engineers. My car needed an alignment. Ya know, an alignment? When your car wants to keep pulling right or left at the same time that you're trying to make it go straight, then you need to get your car to a place that does alignments. In essence, an alignment "will make straight your [car's] paths," like in today's Bible verse.

It's no big deal to need an alignment for your car. It happens when you use your car; potholes, bumpy roads, curbs, and stuff like that knocks out the alignment. If you don't take care of it, it starts affecting other parts of your car, like the tires, and then it can ripple from there.

Tomorrow, I'm going to church. My soul needs an alignment. Ya know, an alignment? When your soul wants to keep pulling right or left at the same time that you're trying to make it go straight, then you need to get your soul to a place that does alignments. In essence, an alignment "will make straight your [soul's] paths," like in today's Bible verse.

It's no big deal to need an alignment for your soul. It happens when you use your life; potholes, bumpy roads, curbs, and stuff like that knocks out the alignment. If you don't take care of it, it starts affecting other parts of your life, like your relationships, and then it can ripple from there.

And the best thing is that God and God's Word do even better alignments for the soul than any tire place ever did for a car.
Spread the word; Worship the Lord, "and he will make straight 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

Fr, 01/10/14, "Day of Praise"

Proverbs 4:25 - "Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you."

Looking "directly forward" can be a dangerous proposition. Things and people could blindside you at any moment. Don't you need "your head on a swivel"? Shouldn't we be constantly watching out for the "other guy" so that he doesn't take advantage of us or bring ruin to us?

I have a dear friend who is a Renaissance Man; he's good at everything. One of his many talents is coaching basketball, which he also played well in high school, college, and beyond.

He made some warm-up shirts for his basketball players. The shirt has the player's number on the top. Then underneath the number it says, "Next Play." Then beneath "Next Play" it says, "Proverbs 4:25." My friend is coaching his players to play well on the next play by focusing on the next play in front of them instead of playing poorly on the next play by dwelling on the past. And he'll tell them something like this, "After learning from a mistake, put it in God's hands, and focus on the NEXT PLAY!"

That's good advice from God's Word for all of life for us all: "Next Play!"

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, 01/09/14, "Day of Praise"

John 11:44 - "The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, and let him go.'"

Psalm 44:3 - "...for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them."

In the first verse, Lazarus, who represents all people who need God's help, has his hands and face wrapped. In the second verse, the Psalmist celebrates how God has helped us with God's right hand and the light of God's face.

Hands and face.

When my now teenaged son was six years old, he made a place mat that said, "I like to play ball with my dad." The picture he drew on it had two stick people: one was small with nothing but two tiny hands and a small face; the other was large with nothing but two huge hands and a huge face. It's as if God made every child to know the need for their little hands and face to be shared and played with and helped by a bigger set of hands and face.

And so it is when Jesus stretches out his hands and turns his face towards the Father, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Friends, may your day be blessed as you live assured that the hands of God are reaching out to help you and the face of God is looking on you in love. And may our hands and face know the joy of passing it on!

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, 01/08/14, "Day of Praise"

Galatians 6:1 - "If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."

This is a hard verse about being in mission for Christ. In sum, God's saying that we have a ministry that we "should" do; we cannot do nothing. And what we do should be done in "gentleness." And on top of how we're supposed to do it there is this warning which basically is a warning against becoming full of ourselves and thinking we're better than others. It's a hard charge.

To illustrate, I was with my daughter, Cassidy, yesterday, getting lunch. A very well-dressed guy went to the soda machine three times to fill his drink; each time he over-filled his cup, turned around, watched his cup overflow onto the ground right next to our table, and looked around to see if anyone noticed his mistake. He was clearly embarrassed. (He never did notice the drink splash onto my pants and feet.)

According to today's Bible verse, what should I have done? Should I have a sense of humor and comfort the guy, saying that I do that all the time too, (which I do)? Should I be silent and smile at him? Should I look the other way as if I don't see what's happened repeatedly? Each of these responses has the potential to be right. Each has the potential to be wrong.

Ultimately, there's only one thing to do, based on today's Bible verse. Do something with faith that God will do what God promises to do, namely, God promises to work through all things together for good.

In sum, boy oh boy, do we all need God's help, or what? May God help us all!

And God surely does.

We know this 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

Tu, 01/07/14, "Day of Praise"

Acts 15:39-40 - "Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord."

My younger daughter, Cassidy, was telling me how she was driving to another house very early one morning to let the dog out to run and eat breakfast. Shortly after she left our house, she pulled up to a stop sign with a pedestrian crossing for the students in the nearby Middle School, and her headlights shone on the most adorable sight. In line and in order, from biggest to smallest, were five armadillos, crossing the street in the darkness right down the middle of the ped crossing.

It's a simple concept that's clear from a line of armadillos and in today's Bible verse. Yes, it's important that we mature and become the wonderful individual that God made us to be, but God made us to work together and stick together. Two or more working together has been God's plan in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 and all through God's Word in scripture. Through companionship and teamwork, God works eternal blessings in and through our lives.

May God bless you to seek, find, invest in, and share the blessings of relationships just has God in Christ keeps doing with us.

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, 01/06/14, The Epiphany of Our Lord, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 2:10-11 - "When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh."

I sincerely love y'all enough to get a little preachy today.

Today is January 6, which is Epiphany, which celebrates the Magi booking a camel in Babylon for unlimited miles, which they'd need as they traveled as long as two years to see and worship Jesus.

The Magi went a long way to see and worship Jesus because they knew he'd come a long way for us. In the words of an ancient Creed, "for us and our salvation, he came down from heaven." That's a long way for the Magi and a longer way for Jesus.

How far would you go to see the one who's gone farther to see you? One family in our church drives 160 miles round-trip to worship.

Hey, y'all, there's a lot of us reading this devotion today, we're all flesh and blood. Mornings are hard for almost everyone. But Jesus's cross was harder. Much harder. He went all the way for us. It's worth it for us to go a ways for him. Ya know, to say, "Thank you."

So how about in 2014, starting today, we all find a church and get there, no matter how far away it might be, and worship God and God's Savior Son, Jesus.

(P.S. - A quick, sincere apology; I accidentally erased a request from one of your friends who asked to be added to the email list. I have no idea who it was. Sorry! Please tell them to email me again.)

Thank you all for almost 2 1/2 years together. By God's grace, we've journeyed a long way together in Christ. And by God's grace 2014's going to be a great year 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

Sa, 01/04/14, 11th Day of Christmas, "Day of Praise"

1 Corinthians 10:13 - "God is faithful."

Usually I visit the sick at a hospital. Yesterday, I watched a young doctor run past me and tumble down a stair well where I thought I saw a sign, "Please, no running." And then I saw a huge pickup truck scrape the pickup truck in the space next to it when both parking spaces were clearly marked, "Compact vehicles only."

So what do we say to a world full of people, including ourselves, who ignore the signs and hurt themselves and others? We say, "God is faithful."

This Eleventh Day of Christmas remembers the eleven faithful apostles but mostly the unfailing faithfulness of God through Jesus Christ. So let's faithfully read and honor the signs around us and encourage others to do the same. But in the end, the greatest sign, which gives us peace, has three simple words, "God is faithful!"

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, 01/03/14, 10th Day of Christmas, "Day of Praise"

Genesis 18:32 - "Then [Abraham] said, 'Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.' [The LORD] answered, 'For the sake of ten I will not destroy [Sodom].'"

Do you ever wonder?

I wonder why some pleas seem to be heard by God more than other pleas. On this Tenth Day of Christmas, we hear Abraham pleading for Sodom to be spared if there are ten people who heed and trust the Lord. Abraham pleads. God listens. But ten cannot be found. So Sodom is destroyed.

Yesterday, I was almost brought to tears when I received the news from my car mechanic that the noise I heard in the right front of my car was not the engine or the suspension but it was a wobbling, loose tire. In sum, my kids and I drove 800 miles from Alabama to Tennessee and back to Alabama with a tire that had only been finger-tightened, by the place that only does my tires, right before we went on our two-day family visit. We were a horrible accident waiting to happen. Why didn't it happen? I wonder.

And this isn't even mentioning that, at the very beginning of our trip, when we left Alabama in the early morning, we were right next to a tractor trailer that blew a rear tire which threw debris that scraped the very back of our car. And as we barely were past the truck, the truck swerved with a hard turn, out of control, exactly where we'd just been. It was a horrible accident that almost happened. Why didn't it? I wonder.

I wonder about the divine order that sometimes seems so disorderly and random. Why did my dear friend get hit in his face through his windshield by a piece of metal that broke off from a tractor trailer going south on the interstate when he was going north with his wife a few years ago? Why did his disaster happen, and ours didn't happen twice, especially when we're all pleading with God for travel mercies and protection?

In the end, in the midst of all of our wondering about the divine order, I have to rest, you have to rest, and we all have to rest, that the most important plea has been heard. When Jesus used biblical-number-ten-power to stoop down, take on mortal flesh, and die for us on a cross, he was using his divine privilege to re-establish the most important divine order, that is, the restoration of order between God and people through the forgiveness of sins.

In other words, maybe there is a randomness to things that happen in the world with trucks and blown tires and loose tires and metal brake pieces, but there is a greater order so that when something random happens, we have peace because God. Yes, that's what I mean; we have peace because God. That's the miracle of Christmas: God! God with us. God for us. God before us. God behind us. God above us. God beneath us. God within us. Loving us. Holding us. Holding us up. Giving us a peace that is every bit as real but greater than the random thing that just hit us or our loved one.

Abraham pleaded for Sodom. That was good. Jesus Christ pleaded for us all. That was, and always will be, the best. Trust God, 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

Th, 01/02/14, 9th Day of Christmas, "Day of Praise"

Luke 1:41-42 - "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!'"

Sing with me! On the Ninth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A sense of humor.

Some dear friends gave me a new sweater for Christmas. I opened it up for our church's New Year's Eve prayer gathering. It felt really comfortable, so I put it back on yesterday morning. Looking in the mirror, I started laughing at my silly-looking self because I had this big long "M", "M", "M" sticker running straight down the left side of my chest to my waist.

Now I know why everyone was smiling so big as I spoke at the beginning of the New Year's Eve prayer time. I looked like a nut! Mmmm, and I thought they were liking what they heard. :-)

Well, maybe they were. Maybe they were liking what they heard because maybe they were focused on God's Word instead of the silly, imperfect person in front of them so that they saw the silly, imperfect person through the lens of God's Word. Ya see, the lens of God's Word is the key for all of us looking at people differently on the Ninth Day of Christmas and bearing the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

In today's Bible verse, Elizabeth celebrated the fruit in Mary's womb, which was the soon to be born baby Jesus, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. It's a reminder that God is eager for the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in us so that we can see each other with the same love, smile, and, (dare I say it?) humor as God views us.

So have a great day. And check your heart for Holy Spirit fruit (and your shirt for stickers).

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, 01/01/14, 8th Day of Christmas, "Day of Praise"

Luke 2:10-11 - "And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'"

Happy New Year on this 8th Day of Christmas!

I must admit, when my kids would calmly say, "Daddy, I have something to tell you," I used to cringe. Was this going to be good news or bad news? I had no idea.
It's the same reality for the shepherds in today's verse. We often think the shepherds were afraid because they saw angels, which is a possibility since angels are huge and appear seemingly out of nowhere. But heaven, the unseen realm, is not nowhere, and angels were seen regularly in a day and age when people were not distracted by all the stuff that potentially distracts us today.

So why did the angel say, "Fear not," to the shepherds? The angel said, "Fear not," because the shepherds knew that the angel had news because that's what angels do; they bring news. And the shepherds didn't know if it was good news or bad news, so they cringed.

But the angel said, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news." Yaaaaaay! Good news!

But this is no ordinary good news. The angel gave them the good news that changes all news. The good news of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, seals the deal. The shepherds, and all people who come after them, get to see what has always been true, namely, come what may, God, through Jesus, is Lord over it and Savior within it.

This is why, in the movie, "Facing the Giants," the characters can say to God, "Come what may, I will praise you!" If I find out I can't have kids, I will praise you, Lord. If I find out the powers that be are running me off, I will praise you. If I find out something else in my home just broke, I will praise you. Whatever the news, I will praise you, Lord, because you are Lord over it and Savior within it. And you, Lord, have given me to know this beyond the shadow of a doubt by the good news that you are with us through Jesus Christ.

So now, by God's grace, when my kids say, "Daddy, I have something to tell you," I don't need to cringe, wondering if it's good news or bad. Instead, I can take a deep breath of the Holy Spirit from Jesus Christ and say, "Yes, Sweet Calley, I'm listening, and come what may, we will praise the Lord!"

And in the same way, there is one and only one way that we can say, "Happy New Year!" And that's because, in Jesus Christ, we have the good news that changes all news. Come what may, God, through Jesus, is Lord over it and Savior within it. So therefore, it is going to be a very good and happy new year, indeed!

Happy New Year!

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