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.