Come To The Party

I taught through the story we commonly call "The Parable of the Prodigal Son" from Luke 15 a few weeks ago.  It's one of the most popular stories in the Bible.  Many of us identify with the younger son who just needed to repent and receive the embrace of his father.  Some of us identify with the father, desperately looking for and hoping our wayward kids will come "home".  I'm convinced that more people need to identify with the older brother, who refused to celebrate, who refused to come to the table when his younger brother was "found".  After all, the primary point for Jesus telling this story was to rebuke the pharisees and scribes who grumbled about Jesus "receiving sinners and eating with them"(Luke 15:1-2).

Many of the religious folks of Jesus' day did not get the gospel, and many people that fill our churches on Sundays don't get it either.  "Receiving sinners" for the sake of the gospel is God's plan for transforming lives for eternity.  What's the alternative?  The alternative is to stay outside with the older brother, lying to yourself about your sinlessness, refusing to rejoice in another's salvation, and looking in on the party you should be going to.  That's a sad way to live.

Be Selective

I had a fine dining experience at lunch yesterday.  I went to Pancho's, the Mexican Buffet.  While most people easily resist such an establishment, I embrace it.  However, while there, I am always faced with a problem.  There are so many good options, that I'm tempted to say "yes" to all of them.  However, I know that if I do, I'd be miserable, so I say "yes" only to flautas, chile rellenos and cheese enchiladas.

I'm convinced that a lot of life works that way.  There are plenty of good options out there that we should absolutely say "no" to.  Time and energy are limited, so it's best to be selective.  Selectivity is what'll turn a good moment into a great moment.  Those moments turn into days and those days turn into years.  Eventually, those years turn into a lifetime, and at the end of life, too many people are miserable, because they weren't selective enough.

Selectivity is key to living a great life and avoiding a life that teeters on burn-out and loss of purpose.

Let others eat the chalupa.  They love them.

What Doesn't Make Sense Makes Sense

Last Sunday, I taught on Luke 14:25-35.  Verse 26 is just a tricky one:


If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.   (Luke 14:26)

Honestly, if I wrote the Bible, I wouldn't have put that verse in there.  At least I wouldn't have worded it like that.  But, that's a different topic for a different post.

We drew out the Biblical fact that "hate" in this verse is best defined as "love less than".  So, ultimately what Jesus was saying is that we need to love Him more than we do the people we are closest too in this world.  That's something that's Biblical truth, and it's a little more palatable.  But, just a little.  I mean our spouses and our kids and our siblings evoke so much emotion from us, and they are right in front of us...in the flesh.  Family relationships are good, but they shouldn't be ultimate.

However, one of the reasons why I love Scripture is because God's teachings aren't only theological and philosophical in nature, but also very practical.  When we become idolators, making good things ultimate things, life starts to go off the rails a bit.  If I put my wife in God's place, then I'd be asking of her what she couldn't give.  If I put my kids in God's place, then my own identity would start to be molded by their successes and failures.  TOO MUCH PRESSURE!  I love them too much to love them too much.

Just a Little Further Down The Road

Back when I was a little bit younger, I had a lot of traction with Jr. High an Sr. High students, and we worked out what the Bible says and how it applies to our lives.  My prayer was that one day I would have someone alongside me, as a parent, helping my kids work out the Scriptures and apply them to their lives.  You know, it's always helpful to have other voices of Truth to re-enforce the lessons we are trying to teach.

Over the past few years, I've started to get a glimpse of that prayer being answered.  Yearly, we journey to Columbus, TX for Pine Cove Family Camp, and over the past couple of years we've invited C3 to come to our church for our summer Children's Camp.  Here are the links:  http://www.pinecove.com/ and http://www.winshapecamps.org/

What those camps hold in common and what makes them GREAT is the college staff that comes with them.  They are awesome young men and women who are there to pour into our kids.  Even though they only spend a week with them, they make a huge impact.  They love the Lord, and they desire for our kids to know Him better.  Plus, our kids think they are super cool, so that certainly helps.

As an adult, I've had a few older guys build into me, making me a better man.  I'm deeply indebted to them.  They are just a little further down the road than me, and they have so much wisdom to offer!  I think we are all well served to have people who have seen a little more life speak into our own.  And the greatest gift we can give them is to do the same by investing in younger generations.

Who's At Our Table

One of the best parts of being a pastor and teacher is that studying the Scripture isn't negotiable.  There's an extra motivation for me to be in the Word.  One of my favorite things I get to do these days is lead a bunch of leaders into the studying and teaching of the gospel of Luke.  Every week I'm preparing lessons to be taught at our church, and we aren't skipping any verses.  Systematically going through Scripture has so many benefits, and I love what God does through the process.  Last week, we taught out of Luke 14, and one portion of it has been continually on my mind.  Here it is:

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
(Luke 14:12-14)

Of course we should throw dinner parties for our families and friends!  Of course we should reciprocate, returning grace for grace!  However, Jesus is always going after the heart, and in the passage above, He really challenges us to examine our motives for who we reach out to.  If we are constantly reaching out to others with our own ends in mind, then we really are nothing more than users of people.  I'm convicted to reach out to relatives and neighbors because of love, not out of expectation of repayment.    Even more in line with the reverse economy of God alluded to in the above passage, I'm convicted to reach out to those whom I know couldn't repay me anything.  Those are the people I want at the table. Those are the people who probably often eat alone.

How Much We Don't Know

I was told earlier this week that a man in my church died.  He wasn't that old, and I didn't think he was sick, so I was surprised by his death.  I only knew him through brief interactions on Sunday mornings, and those interactions caused me to really like the guy.  He always made a point to find me...just to tell some jokes and laugh with me a little.  I always appreciated the big smile and laughter he brought my way each Sunday morning.

After being informed of his death, I looked into it a little and was shocked to learn that he committed suicide.  Then, just by asking a couple more questions, I learned a lot more about the troubles and adversity he was going through.

This is a harsh reminder to me of how much we don't know about so many people we see on a regular basis.  The reality is, we tend to see others by what they do for us (or don't do) and how they make us feel (whether good or bad).  We tend to live self-centered lives.  At least I do.

It's a shame this guy didn't live to fight another day, but at a minimum, his death is going to cause me to better apply Philippians 2:4.


Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.


If we simply look past ourselves and look to the interests of others, we don't have any idea what kind of difference we can make.

Shake It Up Auditions

So, the kids wanted to submit video entries to Disney Channel for a competition called, "Shake It Up".  The girls were serious.  The boys?  Not so much.

Amazement or Faith

There is a big difference between being amazed by Jesus and having faith in Jesus.  However, it's easy for us to confuse the two.  If you click on the following link, you'll see the most recent sermon I preached at Istrouma that deals with this topic.

http://vimeo.com/24728670

Hope 04 - Holding On To Hope

The last message in the Hope series I did at Istrouma in Baton Rouge.  Having firmly grasped the concept of hope, how do we grasp and hold on to hope itself?

Here's the link:
http://vimeo.com/24126588

Hope 03 - Christian Hope and Suffering

Hard times, adversity, trouble, tribulation, pain, suffering...it hits everybody, regardless of whether you have a relationship with Christ or not.  It's difficult to sort out.  Here's my stab at it:

http://vimeo.com/23809196

Hope 02 - The Hope of His Appearing

Jesus will come again.  In His second coming is hope...hope that we can cling to regardless of the circumstances life brings our way.  We all struggle and we all suffer.  I've spent much of this week thinking about suffering we endure in this life, and we'll tackle that subject head on tomorrow in our worship gatherings.  However, before we can adequately and Biblically think through suffering, it is imperative that we consider the hope inherent in His second coming.  If you are catching these messages through this blog, watch and consider the "Hope of His Appearing" before you look at "Christian Hope and Suffering".

That message is here:  http://vimeo.com/23491863.

Hopeful,
Mike

Hope 01 - Hope of the Gospel

Over the past few months, I have had to deal with a handful of discouraging circumstances.  Life happens.  I found that some days, I was able to transcend the adversity, and other days, I fell captive to the things I couldn't control.  So, I started paying attention to what was going on inside me...started digging into Scripture...and started listening to other pastors speak on the topic of hope.  Then, the opportunity to preach a sermon series at Istrouma came up.  So, I figured I'd speak from what God was teaching me.  If "hope" is something you need more of...maybe this sermon will help you.

It's found at:  http://vimeo.com/23165949?ab

Grace and Peace,
Mike

Charlie Sammons

Tomorrow marks the 7 year anniversary that Charlie Sammons, one of my friends and mentors, died.  At least it's kind of the day.  He died on February 29th, which because of the whole leap year thing, that actual date doesn't come around every year.

As I got to know Charlie, and as he found out about my dad dying when I was in my early twenties, Charlie actually said out loud, "I'll stand in for your dad."  And, he did.  He had a great love for Jesus, an immense eternal perspective, a gentle way about him, and a lot of wisdom.  I'm thankful for how he invested in me.

He also loved all sorts of music and live concerts.  As the cancer was beginning to attack his body, he bought tickets to a bunch of concerts, and I got to go to some with him.  We shared good times and great conversation watching Neil Young, Dave Matthews, and Kenny G.  I laugh as I type that, but he had extra tickets to Kenny G!

I'm thankful for Charlie, and I miss him.

Image Management

This week presented me a higher concentration of difficult conversations, mediation and conflict resolution.  As a result, I am more keenly aware that so many issues that take place within the walls of a church are caused by the need to manage our image.  Closely tied to that is pride, lack of humility, insecurity and fear. We care way too much about how others see us.  Therefore, we fight to manage the image we want people to see, oftentimes compensating for the people we really are.  We spend so much time and energy fighting to defend our reputation and image that we are too tired to be about the bigger things in life.  It's a problem, and it's a problem we all identify with to one degree or another.

I wonder how John the Baptist felt when he was being falsely accused of horrible things while serving a prison term for standing up for the right thing?  I bet he wrestled with that.  I hope he knew that Jesus called him "the greatest man ever born of a woman."  If he did, I bet it helped...maybe even helped to the degree that he no longer even heard the voices of others.  Because of what Jesus thought of him, he didn't have to manage his image.  Why do we?

Dealing With Bias

After my first workout in months, I found myself in the locker room, getting my stuff, forced to listen to a ridiculous conversation between two older men.  It was about LSU football.  They spoke of a high-school running back who was going to sign with the Tigers but decided to look around at some other schools.  Their conclusion?  He is overrated and wouldn't amount to much anyway.  They then spoke of the quarterback that'll be on the team next year who is coming from a junior college.  I read about this guy in the paper this morning.  He was on the Georgia squad before he was kicked off the team because he plead guilty to fondling some girl in a bar.  What do the old guys in the gym think of him?  "Anybody could make an accusation that would cause trouble.  He probably didn't even do it.  I'm glad he's going to be on our team."  

Why are these two football players viewed differently?  One elevated, and the other scorned?  Simple unfiltered bias.  We all deal with it.  Some will act the chameleon and will be controlled by the biases of others.  Other people will not be driven by fear of man and will stick to the Truth regardless of the biases of others.  

The Bible has much to say about this.  From the Luke passage taught in our classes this Sunday: 

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 

(Luke 6:22 ESV)

“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. 

(Luke 6:26 ESV)

May I live courageously for His glory when that stands in opposition to the approval of others.  

A Meaningful Life

A few months ago, I finished Donald Miller's A Million Miles In A Thousand Years.  I talked about it with a friend at the time and then, like most things, I didn't think about it much anymore.  Then, that friend emailed me about it today.  Sorting back through the book, I was reminded of some significant things within it.  Here's one of those excerpts.

"If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn't cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers.  You wouldn't tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you'd seen.  The truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you'd feel robbed and want your money back.  Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo.

But we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to feel meaningful.  The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either."  

Proud of God

So, like I said in an earlier post, Karoline made the performance dance team.  I learned later on that she was a "Level 2" dancer.  That means she isn't as good as the "Level 3" dancers.  While never complaining, I knew it bothered her.  Her cousins and friends were all "Level 3".  She worked hard...stretching and dancing in most of her free time.

Then, one afternoon she got the message.  She was being moved up.  Promoted.  She improved to "Level 3".  She now dances with her friends and cousins.

What's so interesting to me is how she responded.  Feeling great about what had happened, but not wanting to fall victim to pride, she weighed her words and with a huge smile on her face, she told me she was "proud of God" for allowing her to move up.

That "proud of God" comment...dang.  That chokes me up.

Expanding Family

Years ago, Meredith and I made the decision to not have more than two children.  We've constantly felt blessed to have two great kids.  However, there have been times when I wondered what it would have been like to have more.  Meredith, who pukes her guts out for 9 months of pregnancy has thought about it less than I have.

Before our kids were born, we had two dogs, both of them Westies (Duncan and Macduff).  As we all moved through life together, and our lives got busier, and our money grew thinner, and the dogs got older and became more expensive, I made the decision to get rid of them.  We gave them to a couple who have literally spent thousands of dollars ensuring their welfare.  It was a tough decision made years ago.  Michael still prays for those dogs.  I've wondered what our life would be like with them still in our lives.

And then, God graciously gives us a small taste.  Within the last few months, our family has expanded.  No, Meredith didn't get pregnant (that would be Biblical Mary-like).  We have "adopted" another "child" for a few months.  She's actually a full-fledged adult finishing college.  She does fill up a room and requires her share of bathroom time though.  Her name is Leah...because that's what her parents named her.

Not long before Leah joined us, we adopted a dog...a Westie.  Found by some friends who couldn't keep him, we took him in.  He was matted and full of fleas.  Now, he's part of the family.  His name is Luther...because of Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr. and Luther of the kid's show "Zeke and Luther" and because of Luther Vandross.

Leah's not really our child.  Luther is not Duncan or Macduff.  But I'm thankful that God would be so graceful to send them our way.  We love them both.

Preparing For The Inevitable

As we've watched our kids grow over the past few years, we knew that a time was coming when they would pare down their activities and focus on only a couple.  A few months ago, Karoline decided that she wanted to dance.  Not being a great dancer, she had a lot of work to do in preparation for the tryouts that came a couple of days ago.  So, she doggedly went after it.  I bought some wood so the multi-purpose room in our house could also receive the role of dance studio, and every time Karoline had any free time, she was in there.  She stretched, worked and anticipated the upcoming tryouts.

The dance team that she wanted to be a part of isn't church-league softball, where everyone gets to play.  The tryouts are real, and historically, some girls don't make it.  At the beginning of the summer (months away from tryouts), I realized the urgency of instilling identity and value into her.  Yes, it's something I've always prioritized as a dad, but it was time to turn the volume up on that.  Therefore, the summer was filled with "daddy-daughter time" and a constant flow of words from me telling her how valuable she is, how beautiful she is, and how special God created her.

I did all of those things anticipating the very real possibility of  Karoline experiencing rejection.  As it turns out, she made the team.  However, I'm going to keep the volume up on building into my daughter because I know that rejection is inevitable.  There will be boys and teams and "friends" that will challenge her view of herself.  When (not if) rejection comes, I hope she lays in bed at night knowing who she really is.  I'm doing more than hoping for that, I'm working for that.

Not In Control

A good friend of mine called last night.  After much effort and prayer, he and his wife had their first child.  Then, while still in the hospital his wife is diagnosed with advanced leukemia.  Diagnosis yesterday, chemo today.  She'll be in the hospital for at least 21 days, unable to see their newborn.  

On the same day his wife is diagnosed with leukemia, his brother has brain surgery.  Wow.  

As I'm talking with my friend, another friend of mine is beeping in.  I don't answer but call him back.  He was calling to tell me that his toddler inhaled some "foreign matter" and is having to go under anesthesia and have it removed.  Wow.  

You can take away a lot from these revelations.  One thing I know for sure..we are absolutely not in control.