Tonight I am heading to camp. Not as a camper but as a speaker!!! I remember those “guys” from my youth. The mystery speakers that show up at night and share a sometimes boring, sometime interesting camp talk. The problem is that I know that I actually did learn stuff from these guys and so tonight I am extremely nervous as to what to say to a bunch of 8-14 year old children!
My topic is one faith (Ephesians 4) and since the topic is so broad, I am not sure whether to talk about mustard seeds, martyrs, righteousness or forgiveness. Should I demonstrate a trust fall, or blind fold one of them and have them listen as I walk them through a maze. Should I talk about the assurance of things hoped for? Should I do an exegesis of Romans! What do you think? I would love some ideas!
It’s so difficult because its so complete and big and complex, but at the same time it is so simple and straightforward:
8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! Romans 5:7-9
I dunno about you but I hate paying bills. It’s not so much about getting rid of the money ( although that part is stinky), is more about the accounting and making sure it’s paid on the correct date and getting the right amount and all of that stuff. For those things that I don’t have automatically paid, it’s a struggle every month. Usually there is a frantic middle of the night rush on the due date to pay the bill. What a blessing on line bill pay is.
So isn’t it good to know that as followers of the Christ, there is no due date. Well, there will be a judgement day, and for those not follower the Christ, that will be quite a problem. But for those who have put on the grace and mercy of Christ, your sins will have been paid in full, and on the due date, your balance due will be a big fat zero!
23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (New International Version)
So, doesn’t knowing that you owe nothing and that its been paid for you provide some relief from the anxiety of the day and create a desire to repay that through your actions? Get out there and impact those around you today.
Over the weekend while I was traveling back home, I saw on a small church sign in the backwoods of the Florida panhandle the words “Jesus Did Not Tapout”. My initial reaction was like, what does that mean? Isn’t tapout some MMA fighter stuff? Sure Jesus fought. He fought more then we can ever imagine. So I decided to look this tapout stuff up.
To my surprise, to tap out means to give up. It’s the sign of surrender in MMA or even in just plain ol’ wrestling. Of course that makes me wonder why all these rough and tough MMA guys wear TapouT clothing – since it essentially says “Give Up” on the clothing. As I kept digging to find out what this church sign could be referring to, I found that there is also Never Tapout clothing for MMA followers, and even a Jesus Didn’t Tap website.
So, even though my initial reaction was one of “what are you all talking about”, I agree with that little sign on this church. It’s not that Jesus would be a big MMA fighter dude. I don’t think that at all. Actually, I am not a big fan of the MMA, and not a hater – just neutral. But that’s not really the message here today. It seems this message fits the idea of buffeting your spiritually body daily. The idea that Jesus did not give up. He was presented with trials and temptations bigger then we will ever face, and he did not give in. He did not tap. That’s the idea. One of persistence and focus and forging ahead no matter what was in his way. When Jesus came to this Earth he had a very challenging mission and he fulfilled it. That’s not to say he didn’t grow weary, or even dread it, but he continued to move, continued to fight and didn’t “tap out”, as they say.
How about you today. Will you tap out, or will you stay focused on your mission?
5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. (Philippians 2:5-8, The Message)
Several times over this past weekend I heard individuals suggest or encourage the idea of living with passion. It was such a recurring theme that is seemed liked maybe I should consider it for a while. The idea expressed in multiple ways to me this weekend was one of living life to the fullest, being excited, having enthusiasm and really staying engaged in your life. There was also an element of purpose and intent mixed in the messages as well.
I have been considering these thoughts all weekend and what it means to live with passion. I am still not exactly sure, but I do think that you can’t do it if you don’t get up each and every day and approach the day as a gift from God. My thoughts led me this morning in Philippians, first the fourth chapter and then back into the third right to these words:
Philippians 3:12-14
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
12-14I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (MSG)
I certainly have not mastered passionate living, but I will continue to consider it. However, one thing I know, I am putting my eye on the goal and I am not turning back. Maybe thats the starting line?
Runners Set….
Go, get off the line and live! Give it your all, focus on the prize and live for him.
And if you have any ideas on passionate living, share them!
I am still pumped. Yes, it didn’t happen for the Mountaineers, and that, well, that really stinks. But there is another reason to be even more stoked today then a basketball game – even if the outcome had been different. I am stoked, even overjoyed because –
He’s Alive He’s Alive! Christ is Risen from the Dead!
6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8Then they remembered his words. Luke 24:6-8 NIV
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:1-14 (New International Version)
Thats Real! That’s life changing and that pumps me up!
In January 2008, I began to send out a daily email to several of my friends to provide daily motivation and encouragement. As life has changed, I have decided in November 2009 to publish these musings to the web. So here at this blog, you can find thoughts on life with a little bit of inspiration. Its a way to transform your spiritual mind, and 'buffet your spiritual body' each day. Just a little mental work out to hopefully help you develop, transform and grow.
Your comments are always welcome!
