Help Wanted

Over the last few weeks I have been asked to help people in a variety of ways.  There have also been times that I have volunteered to help with something without being asked.  Some times it has been things that fall within my responsibilities as a pastor like visiting at the hospital, counseling, or helping someone think through a passage in the Bible.  Other times it has been the things you would ask a friend or family member to help with like moving furniture, giving someone a ride, or babysitting.  Just the everyday things that we all do either willingly or after persuasion.

What has impacted me recently has been the responses that I have received.  It's amazing how a small act of kindness can be so meaningful to someone.  I think that the reason for this is that no matter what you are helping someone with the end result is that what you give them is yourself.  For those who receive this gift of your time the value to them is immeasurable.

I think this might be part of what Jesus had in mind when he spoke these words, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me (Matthew 25:35-36)."  Part of meeting the expectation of "Love your neighbor as yourself" is meeting physical needs.  It's great to offer to pray for someone when they have a need, but we also need to role up our sleeves and give them a hand.

That is one of the things that I admire about my dad.  All my life I can remember him helping people; working on a car for someone, building things, fixing things, or whatever was needed.  There was no task too big or too small for him.  If someone needed help he would make the time and be there until the job was done.  His investment of time in others has been one of the best sermons that has been preached.

There are people all around us who need help in practical physical ways, and also in spiritual ways.  Let's meet both of those needs.  Let's pray and preach, but also sit and cry with the hurting, visit the sick or imprisoned, repair the broken, and feed the hungry.  Each of these holds the opportunity to share the love of Christ and lift up those who need a helping hand.  Let's get to work.  

Two Are Better

I work alone.  I'm a loner.  I can handle this on my own.  I don't need your help.  Or as my children have liked to say over the years, "I can do this By My Self."

Why do we want to do things the hard way?  I get that independence is a good thing, but why are we so stubborn sometimes that we refuse help from people who care about us? There are a lot of reasons, probably too many to go into here.  So, instead let me offer some reasons to accept help and work together.

Solomon said it this way a long time ago:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?
¹² Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

The first line really says it all, "Two are better than one."  God made us to work together.  We can accomplish so much more if we will give and receive help than we can if we go it alone.  There is multiplied power in numbers as well as safety, support, encouragement, and protection. When we work together our complimentary strengths can help overcome the areas where each of us would be weak on our own.

It is also true that if you or I choose to try and do it on our own that we give up the safety, support, encouragement, strength and protection that comes from being a part of a team.  No matter what our strengths and talents may be, if we are on our own we limit ourselves.  All we are left with is what we can bring to the table. 

That is why God gave us family, friends, the church, and Himself.  We don't have to be alone.

The bottom line is that two are better than one.

*Photo courtesy of cooldesign and FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Worth Dying For

In the beginning we make all kinds of promises to get their attention. We say that we will climb the highest mountains, swim the deepest oceans, and overcome all other obstacles in order to win their love, but then what? Once all that energy is spent to reel in their big catch some men consider their work done, and choose to sit back and cruise. For those couples life settles into a dull routine. The honeymoon eventually ends and the real world begins with a relentless barrage of work schedules, dirty diapers, and bills that need to be paid. They begin to drift apart and their love grows cold, but it doesn't have to be this way.



God designed the marriage relationship to be so much more than that. Of all the things that God made He only said that one thing was not good; for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Adam’s wife was designed to complete and fulfill him, and he was to do the same for her. In the garden this would have come very naturally for them, but in our sin-soaked world it doesn't because our own selfish desires get in the way. This sabotages what should be the most encouraging and satisfying human relationship we have.



The problem is that the promises made while in pursuit are forgotten, yet men still expect their needs to be taken care of by their wives. A man’s failure to intentionally engage in his wife’s life will cause their marriage to become a passionless relationship where they more resemble roommates than lovers. Many become strangers sharing a house, or they just give up and go their separate ways.



The solution is to die. That’s right, you heard me. Here’s how Paul put it in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…” He sets Jesus’ love for the church as our standard. His love is a love of sacrifice, one that went to the most extreme measure in order to secure the church as His bride. Unlike us, though, His love never changes or fades. No matter what we do His love will always remain consistent and complete. That should be the standard against which we measure our love for our wives.



In order to do this, men, we must be willing to die to ourselves. Here death is a picture of sacrifice. We are ready and willing to sacrifice when it comes to providing and protecting, but are we ready to sacrifice when it is time to listen and give of our time. The temptation is to sink into the recliner and relax at the end of the day with something to drink in one hand and a remote in the other, but our wives need and deserve our time. The love that Paul is talking about is one that will happily decide to engage and invest in their lives instead of feeding our own needs. It is willing to shut the T.V. off and listen and talk to our wives. We have such a short amount of time to share with them and invest in them. Don’t let it slip by. Take advantage of every opportunity to remind yourself that she is worth dying for. In the end you will gain far more than you will ever give up.

Let it go!

Philippians 3:13-14

There's a scene in Indiana Jones the Last Crusade where a character falls into a bottomless chasm that opens up right beneath her feet. Indiana grabs her arm to try and keep her from falling, but she slips and falls to her death because she's reaching for the Holy Grail which is stuck on a rock just outside of her grasp. As she falls Indiana almost follows her, but is caught by his father. He too reaches for the Grail, something he has searched for his entire life, and almost slips out of his father's hand, but his father saves him by convincing him to let it go.



In order for his life to be saved Indiana had to let go of what was behind and reach forward so that his father could pull him to safety. I believe that's what Paul is talking about here in Philippians. Paul says that he has not yet reached where he wants to be, but he is working on forgetting what is behind him and straining towards what is ahead so that he can reach his goal.



Sometimes in order for us to move forward we have to let go of what's behind us. We can learn from the past, we can grow from the past, but we can't live in the past and continue to move forward.



That means:

sometimes will have to forgive



sometimes will have to grieve



and sometimes will have to deal with unfinished business



But, ultimately we will have to let go so we can continue to move forward.



What’s holding you back? It’s time to let it go.

The Cross

The Cross

One of the most precious symbols of our faith is the cross.  It decorates our churches, we sing about it in songs, it hangs around our necks, and some of us even have it as a tattoo.  It so penetrates our lives that we can hardly go a day without seeing at least one.  If we are not careful, though, it can become a kind of idol to us.  There is nothing wrong with keeping it as a reminder of what has been done for us, but we have to keep it in the right perspective.  It is a symbol of the One we worship, not an object of worship.  The cross, in itself has no power.  It is the One who made the sacrifice for us on the cross and then walked out of the tomb who deserves our worship and devotion.  The power for saving souls and transforming lives comes from Christ, not the cross on which He gave His life.

He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.  Those words were written by the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before our Lord's crucifixion.  They speak of hope; a hope that is found in the sacrifice of a loving God.  He gave His very best for us in spite of our constant choice to run after our own desires.  That kind of love has the power to transform us.  When we respond to His grace through faith it changes everything.  But, it is Him and His sacrifice that we celebrate when we worship not the implement of His death.  I pray that every time you see a cross that you will remember the great love that was spilled out on it for you and for me.  May it be a symbol of the One we love, and a reminder of all that He has done for us.

Giving Your All

Athletes are known for giving all that they have. They are motivated, disciplined, and focused and their results show it. What impact would it have if the church approached what we do with the same passion? Please listen to the message below and accept the challenge to Give God Your All.



Romans 12:1-2
New International Version (NIV)

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Giving Your All

New Year, New You?

So, we're about a week into 2014, how are those resolutions/goals going?  We all have high hopes for the new year, but  it will take more than just will power and desire to be successful.  The truth is if we don't plan well and work hard we will not succeed in reaching the goals that we have.  Here are some thoughts:

Evaluate and Re-evaluate - Take an honest look at  2013.  What did you accomplish?  What went well?  What didn't?  Knowing where you have come from is crucial to getting to where you want to be.  Also, check yourself as you go and make mid-course corrections as needed.

Plan - If you don't have a target, you can't hit it.  Know where you want to go.  Set goals that are measurable and realistic, and then write them down.  Check your progress often so that you can stay on track.

Refuse to Quit - New habits take a while to form.  Work at your goals consistently.  If you fall in an area get back up and get going again.  Don't allow a setback to become a failure.  Reaching your goals will be worth the effort.

Be Accountable - This can be uncomfortable, but can also save you.  Ask someone to hold you accountable and ask you tough questions about what you are doing to achieve your goals.  Be honest in the answers you give this person and let the discomfort this creates in you motivate you to keep going and excelling in your plan.

Celebrate - Take time to celebrate your achievements.  Reward yourself with dinner at your favorite restaurant, go to a movie, or give yourself a gift.  Do something that recognizes you accomplished something and that will motivate you to accomplish even more.

Seek God - This is really the first step, but I am listing it here so that it will be one of the last things that you read here.  I believe that God has a plan for you and has designed you for a purpose and so it only seems reasonable to include Him in this process and ask for His guidance as you set your course.  Here are some passages to read and think about.  Matthew 25:14-28 and Romans 8:28-29.


I hope this has been helpful to you.  If you would like me to pray for you please leave a comment and I would be glad to.  Also, did I leave anything out, or do you have any other suggestions?  Please leave those as well, it might just be the encouragement that someone else needs.