Pastor Ray used this powerful video in his message this past Sunday and I just had to share it. It has a powerful message displayed in a unique (and powerful) way. Enough said…take a look if you haven’t seen this before (and even if you have…it’s a good reminder)…
Last week, at the beginning of our Spring Break trek through Kansas and Missouri, I got the privilege to preach in Grant’s new church in Topeka, KS: Western Hills Baptist Church. I had a great time. Great church. Great people. Great worship.
The sermon was on John 8:1-11, the woman caught in adultery. Grant is currently going through a sermon series entitled “conversations” that is focused on conversations that Jesus had with various people in the book of John…life changing conversations.
In my sermon, the focus is on these words that Jesus speaks to this woman after her accusers have left (after He makes them look foolish): “Neither do I condemn you.” I still have a hard time hearing this from God. I would much rather carry around my guilt than accept his scandalous forgiveness. It’s hard to hear these words and really accept them, but He means it.
I. Don’t. Condemn. You.
He loves us just the way we are…and too much to leave us there! 
Here is the audio of the sermon if you really want to torture yourself:
A long time ago I was taught that one of the most difficult things to do as a teacher is to use silence. When you ask a question it is important to allow for silence. We want to rush in and fill the silence (especially in our culture), but it is important to allow people to think, process those thoughts, and then formulate a response. If we rush in we kill the opportunity for people to think and process.
We kill the teachable moment.
I was thinking about this a few weeks ago and it hit me that there is a similar process in our spiritual lives as well. We need the space to process what God is doing in our lives, but too often we rush to fill the silence instead of paying attention to what He’s doing.
And we kill the teachable moment.
This is becoming more and more important in my walk. God wants to speak, but too often I am too busy to listen. He wants a moment of silence and I keep trying to fill the silence. I complain that I can’t hear God, but I keep the volume of my life so amped up I couldn’t hear a 747 fly by. And God is in the still moments far more often than He is in the commotion (see 1 Kings 19:11-13). He wants us to quiet down and listen.
I am trying, but it is hard. It goes against my natural tendencies. But I want to hear His voice and I don’t want to miss what He is trying to teach me.
I don’t want to kill the teachable moments in my spiritual life.
It is Spring Break for my kids this week so we decided to hit the open road—to Kansas and Missouri. I know…I know…not very exciting. But we had a purpose. Last year my great-grandfather (Rev. C.F. Croy) turned 95. For some reason I can’t even remember now, we were not able to make it to his grand party. But it isn’t often your kids get a chance to meet their great-great-grandfather so we decided we would make the trip during their Spring Break. So here we are.
We spend the first part of the weekend in Topeka, KS with Grant and Amy English (and their kids of course). On Monday we took the 2.5 hour trip to Nevada and introduced the kids to my spiritual hero. We went back the next day and are now in Olathe, KS spending a few days with Anita’s sister, Lisa. Here are a couple of pics from the visit in Nevada:
Me and My Hero!
The Whole Gang
The visits where short, but brought back a lot of great memories. This man is truly a spiritual giant in my life…not to mention the patriarch of the family (my oldest living relative). He was a pastor for as long as I can remember and I grew up wanting to be this man. He was kind. He had integrity that I didn’t know anyone could actually have. He loved Jesus with his whole life…heart, soul, and mind. He walked the walk and talked the talk. He is my hero. Period. I want to be just like him when I grow up.
I must admit that while I wanted the boys to meet him (Lindsay got to go to the birthday celebration so she already met him), I was a little apprehensive for the visit. I had an image of this man that I selfishly did not want to be tarnished. The last time I saw him he was strong and healthy…the man I admire and look up to more than anyone else. But that was just selfish.
And it was hard. His health is good, but his mind is fading. His long-term memory is great (he can pick people out of a picture from 50+ years ago) but his short-term memory is another story. But he is still the man I admire. He still loves Jesus and he is as kind and gentle as ever. I am glad we made the trip. In the pictures above you are seeing 5 generations (although two of them aren’t in the picture). This man is my family heritage. He is also my spiritual heritage. I am who I am today in large measure because of him.
A little optical illusion to fill your Friday. Watch the center of this circle all the way until the end…totally worth it…and there is no scary monster or freaky lookin’ woman that jumps out at you (I promise!).
Happy Friday!
I had another topic in mind for this morning, but God had other plans (I’ll get to the other topic later this week). I am on day seven of my 31-day journey with the Spirit. This morning was about our obedience to God being a pre-requisite for the indwelling of the Spirit in our lives (we often get that backwards). The author then makes this statement:
While the freedom of grace and the simplicity of faith have been preached, the absolute necessity of obedience and holiness has not been equally presented.
—The Indwelling Spirit, page 66
This is the second (or third?) time this concept has come up this week (I am learning not to ignore these moments). We teach and preach grace and mercy, but we don’t focus on holiness and obedience as much as we probably should. Both are in Scripture and both are important:
So you must live as God’s obedient children.
Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires.
You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do,
just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say,
“You must be holy because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:14-16, NLT
God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were.
But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.
So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death,
now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God
and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:20-21, NLT
We need both. We need God’s grace and we need to be obedient…we need holiness and righteousness. The church as a whole may have over-emphasized His grace, but both are critical to our spiritual lives. And we need the right balance between the two. If you err too far on side over the other you either get legalism (been there, done that) or a faith with no real life-changing power.
So here’s to grace and holiness.
I have had a few people ask me what my take is on the whole “Cutler situation” here in Denver. I haven’t blogged on it because I keep hoping it goes away, but that just isn’t going to happen. My initial reaction over the trade rumors was, “WHAT?!?” I don’t have an issue with McDaniels listening to trades, but I think it was a little more active than that. But he’s the coach and it’s his job to do everything he thinks is right to make this team the best it can be…whether I agree with it or not. Stupid? Yes. Handled poorly? You bet. My biggest issue? Nope.
Which leads me to my biggest issue with this whole thing: Cutler’s Attitude. I can see getting upset. Heck, I would be upset. I might even whine about it a little. But when I first heard Jay’s reaction, it rubbed me the wrong way. He’s supposed to be the team leader but he doesn’t always act like it (on and off the field…last year and now). He needs to grow up, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen here. I would have even forgiven his initial reaction but he just won’t let it go—and I am sick of him running to the media when something doesn’t go exactly like he wants it to. Sit your butt down with the coach and work it out. Be the leader. Quit yer cryin’ or take your blankie and pacifier and go home. Enough already dude…get over it and get back to work!
Here’s my final take. I am a Bronco fan…period. I love Cutler and wish he would work this out, but I don’t see that happening. The jury is still out on McDaniels, but overall I like what he’s been doing. The drama must come to an end and I am afraid that means Jay C will be in another uniform next year (which upsets me because I JUST bought his jersey). I wish he would man up and be a leader, but that doesn’t look likely. I think he will be a Cleveland Brown next year (maybe Detroit)..and he will find out that things weren’t so bad here after all. Will McD be the coach we needed? Only time will tell but I am hopeful. I bleed orange and blue and I hate this drama—please make it stop! Here’s looking to the draft and a brutal schedule in 2009!!
I missed last week’s Friday Fodder, but never two weeks in a row! Here’s a little bit of my favorite comic to lighten your day…
Happy Friday!
I just cannot ignore it. Over the past week God has been showing me an area of my spiritual journey that He wants me to focus on. It has come up over and over and over again this past week and He has laid it on my heart to spend some time with Him on this topic. I read about it in my devotional times. I heard a sermon about it. It came up in Scripture reading. It came up in blogs I have been reading. I can’t ignore it. I may be thick-headed, but I get it.
So I am spending 31 days focusing on my relationship with the Holy Spirit. I must confess that do not have the kind of relationship I should with the Spirit. With God…yes (at least mostly), but this is an area He has challenged me on lately. And I am looking forward to the journey. Thanks to Natalie Witcher (you really should read her blog), I picked up a book called The Indwelling Spirit by Andrew Murray. It is a 31 day devotional about…you guessed it…the Holy Spirit.
I will be sharing my parts of my journey here of course. I look forward to getting to know this part of God in a new and fresh way, but I do ask that you pray for me in this journey. I am not sure what prompted this from God, but I know He has my best at heart. Just a chance to know Him better is more than I could hope for!
Last Saturday night Anita was taking the boys to my mom’s so that we could go on a date night. On the way there someone asks why we have church on Sunday (I assume because the next day was Sunday). Anita started to explain that we have church on Sunday because that’s the day Jesus rose from the grave on Easter.
She went on to explain that the women came to Jesus’ grave with spices on the Sunday after He had died on the cross and that’s when they found that the tomb was empty. And that’s when Kyle does what he often does—says something you never expect. It went something like this:
Anita: “The women went to the tomb with spices to put on Jesus.”
Kyle: “Spices? You mean, like salsa?!?”
That’s my boy!
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