Feature
A Comfortable Scandal
The world loves a good scandal. There’s something about hearing the latest gossip that causes our mouths to water, our ears to tingle, and our hearts to skip a beat. The up-and-coming politician said something he shouldn’t have. A coworker got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Charlie Sheen was seen in public – sober!
Scandalous news travels fast.
Jesus was fond of saying scandalous things. I think that was one practical reason for his popularity. Certainly people were encouraged by his teaching. The Bible says he taught with authority and that people enjoyed listening to him speak. But He was also prone to point fingers at the religious leaders of the day and say outrageous things about how you should conduct business, build a marriage or live your life. The disciples found this challenging. I think there were times the crowd found it amusing. But the further into Jesus’ ministry we go the more people began to realize that some of the the scandalous things He said were either directed at them or more difficult than they were willing to accept.
John 6 is a perfect example of this. A crowd has gathered. Jesus has miraculously fed them, now he’s teaching them once again. He’s talking about the Kingdom and eternal life. So far, so good. Everybody wants in the kingdom. We all want the happily-ever-after of eternal life. But then Jesus says something scandalous.
“Most assuredly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” – John 6:63
Eat my flesh. Drink my blood…Ewe.
Let’s be honest – from this side of the cross most Believers understand this verse. He’s talking about the sacrifice he’ll make in order to secure our salvation. He’s leading into the bread and wine, the symbols of the Lord’s Supper. Nothing scandalous here. But read the passage. Imagine yourself sitting in the crowd listening to the message. There’s nothing there to indicate he’s speaking figuratively. No where does he suggest, “By the way, I’m talking about symbols here.” Instead he paints a picture that really is a bloody mess. How would you respond?
John 6:66 is one of many sad verses of the Bible. It tells us the crowd’s response, “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with him no more.”
I think the same thing happens to you and me. It’s the comfortable scandal Believers struggle with all the time. We come across a passage of Scripture or hear someone preach the Word. God clearly speaks, “Do this,” or, “Don’t do that.” And we respond exactly the way the crowd did, (John 6:60) “This is a hard saying who can understand it.” And we turn back from following Him.
It makes sense that we would. Eat my flesh, drink my blood – that’s just crazy talk. Surely he didn’t mean it. But he did. And he means it when He tells us that marriage is sacred, faithfulness to our spouse significant. He wasn’t kidding when He told us to love our enemies or forgive those who hurt us. That part about sharing the gospel wherever we go – He really really expects us to do it. That’s our comfortable scandal. Some people have learned to sit comfortably in a worship service, hear the Word boldly taught, then casually dismiss the conviction they feel to follow Him wherever He may lead. It begs a question.
How far are you willing to go? What are the limits of your faith?
Let’s stop here for now and give those questions time to soak.
There are four things that distract us from faithfully following God. Four things that limit the depths of your faith. We’ll take a look at those next time. We’ll also see Peter’s amazing response and discover how his response can become yours.
Pray through this now – how far are you willing to go to faithfully follow God? What are the limits of your faith? What comfortable scandal are you living in today?
Part 2 – TEMPTATION – Read More >>
Bold Statements
I like bold statements. I like swagger. I like the confidence that comes from knowing you’re right and believing you have the skill and resources necessary to win the day. When I watch football there’s something about watching my favorite running back push through a pile of thousand pound giants into the end zone to score a touchdown that makes me want to jump up and spike my TV remote!
There’s something special about bold statements and the will to achieve it. I serve at First Baptist Church Owasso. We’ve made some bold statements.
- We will not be the church that prays small prayers. We will ask God to do the impossible and we will recognize that if God doesn’t come through, all is lost.
- We will be the church that goes out of its way to reach people with the love of Jesus. We will go places we’ve never been and do things we’ve never done in order to share the gospel with people we’ve not yet met.
- We will be a generous church. We will give more than we think we can afford and trust God to provide. We will recognize that we are tremendously blessed and that because we have been given much we can give much. We will not shy away from trying to meet the needs of as many people as God entrusts to us. We will be the church that serves people and serves other churches.
- We will be the church that beats the odds. We will value our relationships more than our own rights or opinions. We will be quick to repent and quick to forgive. Like John 13:35, the world will know we are His disciples, and partnering members of FBCO, because of our love.
- Our church will see answers to impossible prayers when I begin to call on God for impossible things.
- Our church will connect people with the gospel when I connect with people and love them like Jesus does.
- Our church will be a generous church when I give generously to the church and to others.
- Our church will beat the marriage and relationship odds when I value my relationships more than my own rights or opinions.
The Parent Trap
Recently I’ve been plagued by a question. It has to do with my kids. I have four children. My daughter is my oldest. She’s nine. The rest are boys; six, four and nearly two. They are great kids. I love being a dad. With each passing moment I’m reminded of the fact that we are drawing closer and closer to the teenage years, that lovely time of life when boundaries are tested, strings are slowly cut and children cross the threshold from being kids to being adults. I’ve seen first hand how difficult raising teenagers can be and not too long from now I will experience this beautiful mess for myself.
Some people approach this time of life like Mark Twain. He said, “When a child turns twelve you should stuff them in a barrel, seal the lid and feed them through a knot hole. When they turn 16 you should plug the hole.”
See here’s the challenge – and it leads in to my question – I’ve seen horrible parents raise incredible children and I’ve seen incredible parents raise children who relentlessly reject everything about their own heritage. So I have to ask…
Is the quality of my parenting measured by the character of my kids?
It seems like the obvious answer would be ‘yes, of course’. You always judge a business by the product they produce, so if family is your business then your children are the best barometer or your skill as a parent. Unfortunately, experience doesn’t demonstrate this to be true. Kids who grow up with great privilege make wrong choices. Others who grow up with every odd stacked against them become exceptionally successful. Our children are not a product. They are people. Therefore, our success or failure as a parent can’t be solely determined by the content of their character. Their must be something more.
So I look to Scripture. Like many things, it seems we’ve gotten our measurement of success backwards. Today we judge parents by their kids. In Scriptural times kids were judged by their parents. Consider Solomon. The Bible identifies Solomon as the wisest king Israel would ever know. During his reign the nation was unified and experienced almost universal peace. Silver was so abundant during the reign of Solomon that they stopped counting how much of it they had! Can you imagine being such a successful leader? The Bible tells us that political leaders all over the world sought out Solomon’s wisdom on everything from economics to agriculture, from political prowess to social justice. To suggest that Solomon was successful is a massive understatement. Yet when Solomon sits down to write his book of Proverbs (wise sayings), how does he start? Does he give his resume? Does he tell of all his great works? Does he mention the fact that his kingdom is greater and more successful than his father’s before him? No. As he begins his magnum opus on all things wise Solomon states simply, “The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David…” Solomon was king, the most successful king Israel would ever know, yet in his time of greatest triumph he wasn’t identified by his works. He was identified by his father.
Scripture does this a lot. The history of the Israelites after Solomon is not nearly so joyous. The kingdom splits and one king after another rises to take the throne and attempt to lead both Israel & Judah. Do you know how each king is evaluated? Either they walked in the ways of their father David or they didn’t. From one generation to the next everything was measured by the example of their father David. But there’s more here than that – it’s difficult to illustrate the number of times God looked to the leaders of Israel and said, “I will bless you…because of my servant David.” By this time, David was long gone, yet his influence remained. WHY? Because he was a great parent? NO. Because he was a godly man. The Bible calls him a man after God’s own heart.
And that’s the answer to the question.
We can’t judge the quality of our parenting by the character of our kids – it’s not an accurate measurement. Kids are not products to be produced, they are people to be led – to be influenced. If the quality of our parenting is measured by the character of our kids then God must be the worst father ever. And we know this simply is not true.
Listen to this – God wants to free you from the pressure that as a parent you are not enough. It’s true. He wants you to understand something. As a parent, YOU WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH. You can’t attend enough games or watch enough recitals. You can’t discipline enough. You can’t be gracious enough. You can’t write enough checks to guarantee your child a successful, happy, holy life. As a parent, you will never be enough. So stop trying.
Stop trying to be a great parent. Stop trying to meet every need. Stop trying to give every gift. Stop trying to enforce enough rules. Stop trying to be cool enough, relevant enough or hip enough. You will never be enough. You simply CANNOT be God for your children.
When my daughter was first born she had some respiratory problems and spent 7 days in ICU. Once she got home we had to give her IV antibiotics through a pique line in her head. There was one evening I was holding her and considering the future I had planned for her when I was struck by this one thought – As her father I want to protect and provide for her, but there are so many things I simply will never be able to do for her. I will never be able to protect her from a broken heart. I will never be able to save her from the lies of cruel people. I won’t be able to keep her from making foolish choices. I can’t do these things for her, but I know the God who can. So I resigned myself to this one thought – I can’t guarantee my children a successful, happy or holy life, but I can give them an example to live up to. I can be like David and provide an example worth imitating. I can strive to live in such a way that when future generations look back they can hear God say, “I will bless you…because of my servant Chad.”
There’s a world of Scripture to back up this style of parenting.
- I Corinthians 11:1 says, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”
- Philippians 3:17 says, “Brethren join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.”
- 2 Timothy 2:2 says, “These things you’ve heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful people who will be able to teach others also.”
It begs a follow up question – Do I have a life worth imitating and what does a life like that really look like? Scripture answers that question too:
- Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such there is no law.”
Did you catch the last phrase of that verse? ‘Against such there is no law…’ In other words, you can’t get enough of these things. More than that – you can’t give enough of these things! Am I, as a father, as a man, as a leader living a life worthy of imitation? Is what I’m producing in my life and the life of others characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control?
This is the challenge of parenting:
- Too much LAW and children REBEL.
- Too much GRACE and children become entitled or spoiled.
How, as parent, do I know when it’s time to lay down the law and when it’s time to give grace? There is a fine line between DISCIPLINING and COACHING.
- Discipline is about right verses wrong.
- Coaching is about choosing good, better or best.
- Discipline calls for justice and judgement or grace and mercy.
- Coaching calls for patience and self control.
- Discipline calls for discernment.
- Coaching call for wisdom.
- In moments of right versus wrong we DISCIPLINE. When correcting bad behavior we DISCIPLINE. These times are always crystal clear. My kid just lied about something. It’s time for discipline. My child was caught cheating on a test. Spanking, grounding – pick your punishment, corporal or capital, a wrong must be righted. My teenager ignored curfew. Car keys are lost. Discipline is always about teaching a child the difference between RIGHT & WRONG.
- COACHING is always about teaching a child the difference between good, better and best. Should my child play sports or music? How should they spend their time, more on academics or building significant friendships? Choosing baseball over piano isn’t about right verses wrong. It’s about good, better or best. How is your child ‘bent’? What are their natural abilities, interests and experiences? Where do they excel and how? There’s no right or wrong here, simply good, better or best. As a parent how can you draw the best out of your child?
There is certainly more to parenting than this.
- Luke 15 tells the story of the Prodigal Sons – I say ‘sons’, plural, because both sons in the story are far from the heart of their father. One son rejects the Father and rebels against the example he set. The other son ‘religiously’ tries to earn the love of the Father by always obeying every rule. Though, for all those years, he continued to live under the same roof as his father, he becomes bitter and as estranged from his father as his younger brother.
I’m struck by the fact, in the story of the Prodigal Sons, that never once is the parenting skill of the father questioned. Instead the father is shown as an example of patience and love; grace and mercy; justice and judgement. He is a picture of God our father. I wonder if you’re the rebellious son or the religious son? Either way you’ve become estranged from your father, not because you have a bad dad, but because of your bad belief and bad choices. Like the father of the Prodigal Sons, God stands ready to receive you by His grace into his family and will celebrate when you come.
God is a perfect father. He has shown us what to do, told us what to do and now he is saying to every parent – now go do it yourself. Stop trying to be a great parent. Start becoming a godly example for your children to follow. You can’t be God for your kids, but you can be exactly the father or mother God designed you to be.
God Bless,
Chad
BTW…Ezekiel 18 talks about this is as well. Give it a read and let me know what you think.
Some Thoughts on Divorce
Mark 10:1-12 & Matthew 19:1-10 (click the verses to read them at Biblegateway.com) provide pretty succinct Biblical discussions on divorce. In these passages Jesus tells us that Moses allows for divorce because people have hard hearts. He then quotes Old Testament Scriptures that say divorce is not what God intends.
Matthew 19 indicates that sexual immorality may be legitimate grounds for divorce, but if you read it closely this passage isn’t really granting people permission for divorce. It’s actually saying that if you divorce for any reason except sexual immorality then once you or your former spouse remarry you’ll be committing adultery. It doesn’t really say, “Because of sexual immorality, divorce is okay.”
To be clear, it says, “Divorce is bad, don’t do it. If you think divorce is your only option count the cost and consider what the affects will be.”
Divorce is only a legitimate option because of the hard hearts of people. Sometimes this hardness of heart leads to adultery. Sometimes to wrath. If someone is in a physically abusive situation they should get out now.
The End of Grace
Divorce, historically, has carried a stigma, as though God somehow considers divorce more wicked than other sins or divorced people second class citizens. This simply is not true. From a spiritual perspective, divorce represents the end of what is almost always a long list of unrighteousness. The tragedy of divorce is not simply the damage done to a family but that divorce represents the end of grace. It’s two people saying to one another, “There is no hope for repentance, reconciliation or restoration between us. I’m giving up on you.” I believe this is why God hates divorce (not divorced people). Scripture is clear about the grace God has given those who believe. He is faithful even when we are unfaithful. His love for us remains sure, His grace remains strong and His mercy is everlasting in spite of how often we disobey or disappoint.
One design God has for marriage is that it should be a picture of His relationship with His people. It’s simply contrary to His character to give up on His people. When a couple gets a divorce they destroy that picture.
God is so passionate about His faithfulness to us that he once commanded an Old Testament prophet, Hosea, to marry a prostitute in order to illustrate His relationship to His people. God told Hosea, in spite of her unfaithfulness and adultery stay with her, love and cherish her. You are an example of my (God’s) relationship with Israel. They are my people, they have been unfaithful to me, but I will remain faithful to them. Nothing will separate them from my love.
I know couples whose marriage has survived the misery and devastation of adultery. They survived because the unfaithful spouse asked for forgiveness and the faithful spouse gave it. It’s a choice I’m not sure I could make. But I’ve seen it happen on multiple occasions. These marriages, like Hosea’s, have served as an example of God’s faithfulness in spite of our unfaithfulness.
I’m not suggesting that remaining married in the face of adultery is the first, best or only choice. Just like everything else in marriage it takes two. It takes one to seek forgiveness and one to give it. In most marriages both people need to ask forgiveness of one another and give it. It takes both repentance and forgiveness. That’s what leads to a restored relationship. If no one is willing to repent it’s impossible to offer the kind of forgiveness that leads to a restored relationship.
In the end Moses was right. Adultery, outbursts of wrath, selfishness, envy, uncontrolled and unreasonable spending, an unwillingness to repent or forgive – all these things represent a hardening of the heart that can (and likely will) lead to the end of a marriage. Are they ‘legitimate and Biblical’ grounds for divorce? Legitimate, maybe – Biblical, I’m not so sure.
In the end God’s desire is the same, remain faithful to one another. Keep your promise. Anything less is not His perfect intent for you and your spouse.
Practical Thoughts
If you’ve been divorced – You’ve lived through one of the most painful life events a person can experience. You may feel shame or failure. You may feel freedom. Whatever the case I can assure you of a couple of things:
- God loves you. You have not done anything that God cannot redeem.
- You have a future. It may involve another marriage, it may not. Either way, it’s never too soon to begin practicing faithfulness.
Your divorce happened because someone hardened their heart. How will you cultivate a pure heart that willingly yields to God?
If you’re considering divorce – You are living through one of the most painful life events a person can experience. You may feel shame or failure. Whatever the case I can assure you of a few of things:
- God loves you. You have not done anything that God cannot redeem.
- Count the cost – divorce will cost you something. It will cost your kids. You will break a promise to your spouse and your children. Is the price worth paying?
- Someone has hardened their heart. Examine yourself. Is it you? Is it both of you? Is there room for grace? Are you willing to forgive? Are you willing to ask for forgiveness?
- You have a future. It’s never too soon to begin practicing faithfulness.
Generosity
What was the last generous thing you did for someone else? You know what I’m talking about, the kind of thing that cost you something and doesn’t seem to directly add value to you, but that greatly benefits someone else. What was it?
- Did you leave a tip for a waiter that was greater than 18%?
- Did you give $10 for a water straw?
- Did you clean out your kids closet and donate the toys to charity?
- Did you volunteer your time to help someone in need?
- Did you stop to listen to the story of an anonymous stranger simply because, in that moment, they needed a sympathetic ear?
Generosity – giving out of the abundance of what God has given you.
It’s Christmas and as they say, “‘Tis the season!” Here’s the beautiful thing about generosity. True generosity benefits the one who receives and the one who gives. No earth shattering revelation here.
- The one who receives gets the value of the gift given.
- The one who gives gets the satisfaction of serving someone else.
Generosity is a good thing.
God loves generous people. Proverbs says that some people never give anything and end up loosing it all while others spread what they have all around and keep getting more. It’s the difference between the generous person and the miser. God loves a cheerful giver.
But, in God’s economy, there are two standards of giving that are better than generosity.
- Obedience
- Sacrifice
Obedience is simply doing what God asks you to do because God asked you to do it. Sacrifice is giving up something you love for something you love even more. It’s giving more than you think you can afford and trusting God to provide.
Out of obedience we give our FIRST and our BEST to God. It’s another Proverb. Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”
Out of simple obedience to God I will give Him the FIRST of all I have. This is about money. But it’s also about time & talent. It’s about attitude. It’s about taking the first and best of who you are and giving it God.
Out of simple obedience to God I will give Him the BEST of all I have. Simple obedience doesn’t ask for just anything. God asks for your best. He’s not interested in your left overs. He’s not impressed with your abundance. All that you have He gave to you in the first place. He deserves your best. He wants your best.
Now here’s a common misconception. God doesn’t ask for your first or your best because He needs the money. He asks for your first and your best because you need to learn to give. Let’s be honest. We’re not exactly ‘givers’ by nature. It may be more blessed to give than receive, but I spend way more time fretting over my Christmas list than everyone else’s. Genuine giving – the kind that is without grudge or remorse, the kind that comes with no expectation of getting something in return, the kind of giving that comes with no strings attached – that kind of giving has to be learned. How often has your generosity really cost you something? How often have you given with no strings attached?
God’s generosity toward you cost Him something. As a matter of fact God pushed beyond generosity to sacrifice. He gave His first and His best. He gave His only begotten son. Jesus became the sacrifice. He took the penalty for your sins and mine. God gave…Jesus was obedient, God was generous and the sacrifice was made. It’s the kind of gift that can never be repaid, but because of the gift I can choose to live my life a certain way. I can choose to live in a way that honors the gift I’ve been given.
So this Christmas season – in the midst of all the giving and receiving – don’t settle for simply being kind or generous. Push past generosity and give like Jesus gave. Give your FIRST and your BEST. Give out of the abundance of what God has given you, but don’t stop there. Give out of simple obedience. Give sacrificially – give more than you think you can afford and trust God to provide. Give up something you love for something you love even more.
This Christmas don’t stop with generous. Give your first and your best. Give out of simple obedience. Give sacrificially and discover God’s first and best for you.
God Bless,
Chad
The people of First Baptist Owasso are generous. Their mission and ministry meets needs in our community and around the world. They share the gospel and serve faithfully because they want to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this generation. You can partner with us through giving. Click here to discover more.
Are You On Mission?
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
This Christmas season at First Baptist Owasso we’ve been in a series called, ‘ON MISSION’ – we’ve been hearing stories of faith and words of hope about a mission that’s worth living right now. Being ‘On Mission’ isn’t simply about whether or not we support through prayer and finances the work of missionaries around the world. It’s really a question about whether or not we’re living out our God-given mission right here, right now.
Are you - on mission?
I read Colossians 3:12-17 this morning and wanted to share them with you. They are a perfect expression from God’s Word of what it looks like to be on mission. As I read these verses here are the things I notice:
- God picked you - ”Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved…” - Maybe you’re like me. I’ve never been terribly athletic, so as a kid I was often picked last to be on the dodge ball team. But for this mission, that’s not true. God picked you because He loves you. He picked you and He has made you HOLY - it’s a little word with a big meaning. You’ve been set apart because you are useful to God.
- Suit Up – Football players wear pads and helmet, for baseball it’s a glove and a bat. In every sport you’ve got have the right gear to win the game. You’ve got to suit up so the world will know which team you’re on. Colossians 3:12-15 outline the uniform we wear and the gear we need to fulfill this mission: Tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, patience, endurance, forgiveness, peace and thanksgiving – all these are held together through the bond of love. They are the suit we wear that identifies the team we’re on. Think of it as the evidence of worship all over you.
- Playbook – You can’t run the right plays the right way if you don’t know the playbook. Colossians 3:16 identifies our playbook. It is the Word of God. Don’t just read it, memorize it. Don’t stop at memorizing it, internalize it. Get to know it so well that it doesn’t come to you as second nature – it comes as your first nature. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you so richly that it becomes your knee jerk reaction. And don’t stop there. Teach others the value of living life God’s way.
- On Mission – Colossians 3:17 – everything you do can be an expression of the mission God has given you. Your job may provide a paycheck, but your God provides your mission. Let that mission define the kind of employee or employer you are. Let that mission affect the way you raise your kids, treat your spouse and choose your hobbies. Everyone’s living for something, as a Believer in Jesus Christ let’s spend our lives living for God.
Love y’all, God Bless,
Chad
Where Do You Draw the Line?
Limitations. Everyone’s got them. There’s only so much time in a day. There are only so many things one can do. Money will only go so far. While I may have a talent for music, athletically I have an amazing one inch vertical, so no one’s exactly begging me to be on their basketball team.
Limitations – the place where you draw the line.
The Bible speaks clearly about the limits of man.
- “There is none righteous, no not one.” Romans 3:10 | so perfection on my own, not really an option.
- “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…” Hebrews 9:27 | One day my life will certainly come to an end and then I will give an account for my every thought, action and intent.
- “…man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” Deuteronomy 8:3 | There’s more to this life than eating and drinking, but even those things are necessary. Even more needful – the word of God.
These limitations are set by God, the natural way of things. It’s the way we’re designed. Try as we may, there are some limits we won’t ever cross on our own.
But there are other limits, the self-imposed kind. These limits are the ones that concern me the most.
- What kinds of things would I NEVER do?
- What kind of people could I NEVER love?
- What kind of activity will I ALWAYS avoid?
- Are there places I won’t go?
- At what point do I willingly set aside my morality because my happiness is more important?
- Is enough really enough and is there a limit to this hunger that drives me to work, to eat, to buy, to push.
- Will I ever be satisfied?
- How do I decide when I’ve reached my limit?
It seems the struggles of our lives don’t happen in the happy middle. They happen on the edges where one limit collides with another.
We see this play out clearly in regards to our reaction to the things of God.
- God says be faithful to your spouse. But my happiness is more important to me than faithfulness so I cross one limit in order to satisfy another.
- God says forgive and you will be forgiven. But getting people to recognize how right I am is more important to me than having a right relationship with others. So I leave people behind and sit smugly soaking in self-satisfaction.
- God says share the gospel, make disciples. But I don’t want people to think I’m some kind of religious nut or that I’m forcing my beliefs on them. So I never say a thing, hoping the quality of my life will be enough to persuade them of their need for God.
Some limits are decided for us. Some we choose for ourselves. What are the limits you face today? What limits will you overcome? Will you define your limits or will your limits define you?
What are you willing to do out of simple obedience to God and what if God asked you to do something today that was outside the limits of your own ease, comfort or pleasure? Take some time today to read Genesis 22:1-19. Abraham was pushed to the limits of his faith. We’ll discuss this more in worship this Sunday.
Where do you draw the line?
God is looking for a people who recognize that He draws the line and who are willing to stay within the boundaries He sets. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” Sometimes loyalty means there are lines God has drawn that you will never cross. Sometimes loyalty means there are lines YOU have drawn that you need to recognize, redraw and overcome.
Where do you draw the line? Allow God to show Himself strong on your behalf today and redraw the limits of your life.
God Bless,
Chad
This devotional originally posted @ www.fbcowasso.org.
Risky Business
Do you remember the day you proposed to your wife? I remember the day I proposed to Londa. It was December 23rd, 1994, a cold, wintry afternoon. I had come up to Tulsa from Oklahoma City to visit Londa that Christmas and I was on a mission.
I could joke about my proposal and say something like, “I couldn’t get her to stop following me around so I went to the courthouse to file a restraining order and found out that getting a marriage license was easier, so I proposed instead!” But that wasn’t really the way of it. God brought this amazing woman into my life and I was smitten. I left Oklahoma City a single man. It was my purpose to go to Tulsa and return that Christmas as a man bound by promise to the woman of His dreams! I would trade one kind of freedom for another. I would surrender my right to be totally focused on me in order to become something more than I could ever be on my own. I would give up something I loved for something I loved even more.
And so we went together to Woodward Park each carrying a gift for the other. I had always joked that if I ever proposed to someone I would do it old school – and by that I mean 1st grade old school – I would pass my girl a note that said, “I like you. Do you like me. Please check this box.” And so that’s just what I did. The kind folks at Precious Moments had seen fit to create one of their figurines of a boy proposing to girl with a note just like this. So as she sat on the park bench and unwrapped the gift I got down on one knee and said these words:
“All that I am, all that I ever will be, I give to you. Will you marry me?”
It’s an understatement to suggest I was nervous. Would she say yes? Would she run away screaming? Would she laugh in my face? But none of these things happened. She said yes and now 15 years, 4 babies and a world of adventures later we stand side by side as husband and wife.
It’s risky business being married. It’s risky business opening yourself up to someone like that and laying it all on the line. There’s room for hurt and disappointment. But there’s also amazing potential for joy unbelievable.
There comes a point in every relationship where you have to put things to the test. We’ve been dating, but is there potential for more? We’ve had some good times together, but is this a friendship designed for fun or a commitment intended to stand the test of time? There’s only one way to find out – ask the question. Take the test. Let’s see if we’ll pass. It’s risky business being married.
This morning I read Genesis 22. Abraham’s relationship with God was put to the test. God tells Abraham to offer his one and only son as a burnt offering. My first reaction to this certainly isn’t willful obedience. It’s really something more akin to shock and horror. Surely God doesn’t mean it. Surely He would never ask such a thing. But there it is in Scripture. God asks Abraham to kill his only son and Abraham obeys. It’s risky business being a father.
You remember how the story unfolds. Abraham and Isaac with a couple of servants make their way to Mount Moriah. At the foot of the hill they leave the servants behind. Abraham carries the knife. Isaac carries the wood. Isaac asks his father, “Where is the lamb for sacrifice?” Abraham responds, “God will provide.” Abraham builds the altar, binds his son to it, raises the knife and…God steps in. Abraham passed the test. God stops Abraham before the blade falls and then provides for Abraham and Isaac a ram to be offered instead. Abraham’s choice here amazes me. He was willing to give up something he loved for something he loved even more – that’s sacrifice. Or said another way – Abraham was willing to give more than he thought he could afford because he trusted that God would provide. You see his faith in God in every verse. God says go and Abraham goes. God says stop and Abraham stops. “Where’s the lamb?” Isaac asks. “God will provide,” Abraham responds. In spite of the absurdity of the situation, despite the risk involved Abraham believed God – and James 2:23 says, “…it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Here’s something I notice - Abraham never really made the sacrifice. Isaac lived. God provided a ram to take the place of the offering Abraham was willing to make. Yet even though Abraham didn’t lose a thing in God’s eyes the sacrifice had been made. In God’s eyes Abraham’s obedience was ‘accounted to him as righteousness’. So I have to wonder, what kind of risky business is it to follow God? I wonder if today you’re willing to put it all on the line. Will you open yourself up to Him? If God asks will you give more than you think you can afford and trust Him to provide? Will you give up something you love for something you love even more? Will you humble yourself, get down on your knees and say, “All that I am, all that I ever will be I give to You.”?
Life is full of risky business. Following God is one risk worth taking.
God Bless,
Chad
Who Do You Believe?
Recently I was asked to name a person who has been influential in my life. I’m sure you could answer that question pretty quickly. It didn’t take me long either. What was surprising to me is that I came up with two different names with one significant common denominator. These two people believed in the potential they saw in me. They risked my immaturity and my mistakes to empower me to accomplish something I never really imagined was possible on my own.
Mike Taylor was my Youth Pastor when I was a student. He heard from a friend of mine that I played the piano. From that point on he challenged and encouraged me to lead our student ministry in worship every week. I was awful, but he kept pushing. He kept putting me in front of people and giving me opportunities to improve. He believed I could be useful to God and His kingdom in a way I had never really imagined on my own.
James Lankford was the Student Ministry Specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and Director of Falls Creek. Today he is about to become the next Congressman for the 5th District of the great state of Oklahoma. A friend of mine and I began a video production business. We didn’t really have any idea what we were doing. But there we were, with a hobby, some cool toys and a little imagination that had grown into a small business. And there was James, challenging and encouraging us to produce video for 5000 students a week at Falls Creek and then 10,000 students at the Oklahoma Youth Evangelism Conference. Equipment failed, mistakes were plentiful, yet James patiently continued to challenge and encourage us to go beyond what we imagined we were capable of on our own.
There are other men who have spoken into my life – Rodney Salmon, Mike Compton, my Father, my Father-in-law. Each has challenged and encouraged me to go further than I thought possible and to attempt more than I imagined I could ever achieve on my own. It makes me mindful of an important truth.
You give remarkable power to someone when you believe in them.
So the question for today is this: Who do you believe? Who, by your belief, are you challenging and encouraging? Who do you see tremendous, God-given potential in and what are you doing to help them unleash that potential?
Perhaps God placed you in their life to be the voice that pushes them beyond anything they imagined possible on their own.
175lbs. – Reaching a Goal
It’s not about the shape of my body – it’s about the surrender in my soul. Reshaping the body is my practice field.
On December 21, 2009 I weighed 225lbs. Today I reached my goal – 175lbs.
- I eat what I want – just not as much of it. – Matthew 15:11
- I exercise very little – enough to maintain strength. – 1 Timothy 4:8
- I run, only when chased. – 1 Corinthians 9:26-27
My secret? Galatians 5:22 says one of the fruits of the Spirit is self control. I’ve asked God to fill me with the fruits of the Spirit and teach me self control. May I continue to learn and practice that which brings honor to God.
It’s not about the shape of my body – it’s about the surrender in my soul. Reshaping the body is my practice field.
