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Sinners in Hands of a Loving God

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That’s the title of a chapter we recently explored in Small Groups (Gospel Identity, Chapter 6).  Many Christians live life as if God is angry with them when they mess up.  Much of this understanding isn’t found in the reality that we are adopted sons and daughters of God, but rather in thinking of what are reality was apart from Christ.  When we discussed this chapter in small groups, there was an additional article entitled “Is God Angry With Me When I Sin?”  The issue has to do with God loving His children, disciplining them and what this looks like.  What’s the difference between conviction and condemnation?

Here’s how they answered it at the Village Church in a post entitled The Grace of Conviction:

  1. Conviction might taste bitter to the tongue, but is sweet to the soul. God leads us toward life in Him even if it stings (Ps. 30:5).
  2. Condemnation includes a stench of death and hopelessness (Rom. 8:2).
  3. Conviction, though pointed at times, lightens the heart and soul of a person (Rom. 2:4).
  4. Condemnation is overbearing and heavy upon the soul. It crushes because hope released from that burden falls square on the shoulders of something or someone other than the atoning work of Christ (Rom. 5:9).
  5. In conviction, God’s love is seen very clearly. This means it is utterly inspired by love.
  6. Condemnation turns everything inward toward self. So, rather than looking to the Lord for covering, provision and redemption, we look to self early and often in our shame and self-pity.

Those in Christ have been given the Holy Spirit to lead us into more and more holiness. Conviction is one of God’s sweetest gifts to His children. Rest in His grace and walk in His glorious light! Through conviction by the Holy Spirit, God both saves and sanctifies His children.

Today, then, be reminded of what God’s done in the Gospel (maybe even by watching this video) and receive fresh grace from God to make you holy.  

This Sunday: Revelation 3 is a Wrap…

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This coming Sunday, I plan to finish preaching through the seven churches of Revelation, specifically, dealing with Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22.  Here’s some tweets I’ve written related to this passage:

When Jesus speaks, He speaks an an authoritative, reliable and relevant person. (Revelation 3:14)

Jesus knows your life and wants you to believe. (Revelation 3:15)
Casual Christianity (relating to God as it’s comfortable) isn’t appealing to Jesus. (Revelation 3:16)
Living life without an active dependence on God grossly underestimates your spiritual reality. (Revelation 3:17)
Jesus’ counsel is that we come to Him as desperately needy people. (Revelation 3:18)
Jesus demonstrates His love by correcting those He loves, so we should nurture a heart for Him. (Revelation 3:19)
Hey! Jesus longs for fellowship with His people, so give Him a warm welcome. (Revelation 3:20)
When we persevere in Jesus, in the end we are given a hero’s welcome by Him. (Revelation 3:21)
Open your ears and hear what Jesus has to say. (Revelation 3:22)

I hope you come ready for all the Risen Christ wants to communicate with you…

Dangerous Calling Email – War of Kingdoms

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Here’s my email for the week to leaders at Crestview from Paul Tripp’s book, Dangerous Calling:

Today, we’re back in Tripp’s Dangerous Calling book thinking about Chapter 7, War Zones.  In introducing this idea, Tripp writes, “It took God employing pastoral hardship to get me to embrace the inescapable reality that everything I did in ministry was done in allegiance to and in pursuit of either the kingdom of self or the kingdom of God.  This truth is best exegeted for us in Matthew 6:19-34 (Please grab your Bible and read the passage).  I’m convinced that this passage is an elaborate unpacking of the thoughts, desires and actions of the kingdom of self.  Notice the turn in the passage in v.33, where Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom of God.”  The word “But” tells us this verse is the transition point of the passage.  Everything before it explains the operation of the other kingdom, the kingdom of self.  This makes the passage a very helpful lens on the struggle between the two kingdoms that somehow, some way, battle in the heart of everyone in ministry.” 
Tripp then unpacks 4 ministry treasure principles that are helpful in seeking to examine the motivations of our heart in ministry:
1) You will be treasure oriented in your ministry.
2) Your ministry treasures will command the allegiance of your heart.
3) What captures the allegiance of your heart will shape your ministry actions, reactions and responses. 
4) Your functional treasures are always attached to either the kingdom of self or the kingdom of God.
Today, will you ask God to shine the light on your service and ministry so that you may seek out whether you are serving the kingdom of self or God?  And, remember to run to God as your refuge.  

LRC Email – Once Upon A Time

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Here’s an email I wrote today to leaders in Reno County…

Howdy, Leadership Reno County People (sorry I was in TX last week)…
We’re all storytellers.  Whether it’s coming in from that long weekend to share our exciting exploits with others in the office or simply catching up with others by remembering when we did this or that, story looms large on the horizon of most of our lives. 
One of the contentions of the KLC curriculum is that to make progress on daunting issues, it requires that we act differently, that we engage in acts of leadership in different ways and this includes taking time to diagnose the situation.  The Quick Guide provides 2 questions that relate to story and help us come up with good diagnosis:
1) What’s our story about what’s going on here?
2) What story do we imagine others connected to our issue are telling?
Examining the story helps us diagnose the situation so that we can engage in acts of leadership in more skillful ways that propel us in the direction of progress.  Story matters.  So, next time you here someone sharing about “once upon a time” remember that dialing into this story might help you make progress on an issue that you care about. 
With you in the story of Reno County…

Weekend Recap – Called To Keep God’s Word

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My 4/28/13AM sermon, Called To Keep God’s Word, from Revelation 3:7-13 is online.  Jesus, the Risen Christ, addresses the church at Philadelphia.  He shows what gives Him the authority the make a request and then lovingly encourages a group of faithful believers to keep His Word.  This short passage ends with future promises that help encourage the keeping of God’s Word.

While there are varying opinions on the thrust of Revelation 3:10, it’s easy to see the theme of keeping God’s Word is the overarching theme of this passage.  I’m hopeful that as we worked through this, people were encouraged in their lives to persevere in challenging times by keeping God’s Word.

Dangerous Calling Email – It’s Bigger Than Just You

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I’m writing some weekly emails to my fellow leaders at Crestview.  Here’s the email from 4/24:

As we keep working through Dangerous Calling, we are doing so in the hope that God would engage our hearts to make us holy.  We want to be servants of Christ who honor Him with our lives.  In chapter 6, “The Missing Community,” Tripp begins by explaining a transformation that took place in his heart and life when he understood that Christianity isn’t just Jesus and me but relational community.  Here’s his explanation, which is helpful for us seeing how our hearts need to change: “I have now come to understand that I need others in my life. I now know that I need to commit myself to living in intentionally intrusive, Christ-centered, grace-driven, redemptive community. I now know it’s my job to seek this community out, to invite people to interrupt my private conversation, and to say things to me that I couldn’t or wouldn’t say to myself. I have realized how much I need warning, encouragement, rebuke, correction, protection, grace, and love. I now see myself as connected to others, not because I have made the choice but because of the wise design of the one who is the head of the body, the Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot allow myself to think that I am smarter than him. I cannot allow myself to think that I am stronger than I am. I cannot assign to myself a level of maturity that I do not have. I cannot begin to believe that I am able to live outside of God’s normal means of spiritual growth and be okay. I cannot allow the level of my spiritual health to be defined by my ministry experience and success or by my theological knowledge. I cannot let myself be lulled to sleep by the congratulatory comments on ministry weekends by people who mean well but really don’t know me. I cannot let myself think that my marriage can be healthy if I live in functional isolation from the body of Christ.” (p.84)

Do you understand these things to be true in your life?  Are you aware of the danger of individualized Christianity?  Today, let this be a reminder to escape the clutches of rugged American individualism for the amber waves of community that God has allowed to surround you in the church.  Let’s embrace this for His glory and our good. 

LRC Email – A United Purpose and Moving Ahead.

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Here’s the email I wrote to Leadership Reno County Alumni on Monday, 4/22:

Good morning.  First off, welcome to the new alumni that have been added to our list.  We had a great event last Thursday at KFSA.  Thanks again to everyone who made that happen.  As we mentioned at that event, the Leadership Reno County Alumni Associationwebpage is now live.  Also, if you are on Facebook and haven’t “Liked” us yet, head over to the LRC Alumni page and give us a like and you’ll receive updates there.

Wanted to put out a quick word on the mission of LRCAA: “To facilitate the connection of alumni of the Leadership Reno County program in order to manifest continuous civic leadership development and involvement.”  From start to finish what both LRC and LRCAA are about is civic leadership development and involvement.  We believe that if people are connected and tied to one another with a common purpose, we will be able to achieve progress on the issues we care about most deeply.  It isn’t all pies and pizza, though (insert whatever thing you like).  Engaging in acts of leadership is risky.  It will require continuing to adapt our leadership skills and taking smart risks.  But it’s amazing to be a small part in the progress of things we care about. 
So, let’s think purposefully for a sec and continue to be about the work of helping our community make progress one baby step at a time.

With you to that end…

Weekend Recap – Called to Wake Up

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My 4/21/13 sermon, Called To Wake Up, from Revelation 3:1-7, highlighted the call of the Risen Christ upon His people to forsake the death they were dangerously close to and strengthen themselves in the Gospel.  This will keep them from complacency and insure that their future is secure.

We all need wake up calls.  It’s easy to go through life thinking we’re better than others, but when absolute perfection shows up, everything changes.  Jesus, in this case, shows up and calls us to change.  I hope you hear what He’s saying to you today.

Dangerous Calling Email – Fears

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Here’s the email I sent church leaders today, 4/17:

Today, we continue working through Dangerous Calling as weekly reminders of the high calling of local church leadership.  We are getting into Chapter 9 “Dirty Secrets”.  I think we probably all resonate with Tripp’s 4 Debilitating Pastoral Fears: 1) Fear of Me – illustrated in Gideon’s fear of Gideon, 2) Fear of Others – illustrated in Peter in Galatians 2:11-14, 3) Fear of Circumstances – illustrated in Abraham and Sarah’s situation, and 4) Fear of the Future – being paralyzed by the “what ifs.”  The remedy?  1) Humbly own your fears.  2) Confess those places where fear has produced bad decisions and wrong responses.  3) Pay attention to your meditation.  (what are you thinking about?)  4) Preach the Gospel to yourself. 
Let’s engage our fears so that we may be men of faith who courageously lead our people to deeper expressions of faith.