Mark 10:14
But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.

It is following without complete understanding that demonstrates trust and faith. Knowing that HE knows...and THAT'S what matters.

Drop a pebble in the water:
just a splash, and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples
Circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center,
flowing on out to the sea.
And there is no way of telling
where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water:
in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing,
and there's ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing
to a great big wave have grown;
You've disturbed a mighty river
just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind word, or careless:
in a minute it is gone; 
But there's half-a-hundred ripples   
circling on and on and on.     
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading       
from the center as they go,         
And there is no way to stop them,            
once you've started them to flow.              

Drop an unkind word, or careless:
in a minute you forget;
But there's little waves a-flowing,
and there's ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart
a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,
And disturbed a life was happy
ere you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness:
just a flash and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples
circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort
on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn't believe the volume
of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness:
in a minute you forget; 
But there's gladness still a-swelling,   
and there's joy circling yet,     
And you've rolled a wave of comfort       
whose sweet music can be heard         
Over miles and miles of water            
just by dropping one kind word.              

~By James W. Foley~

To know God, Follow Jesus

We all wonder if we are good enough for God and heaven. Unlike any other spiritual or religious leader, Jesus taught that being right with God, and having the security of eternal life in heaven, was not a result of behavioral performance but rather of relational position.

Jesus used several phrases to describe a right relationship with God: father and child, vine and branch, shepherd and sheep, hen and chicks. These phrases may be difficult for some of us to fully understand without some agricultural or farming experience. And for some, even the reference to father and child may trigger memories of neglect and abuse experienced as a result of family dysfunction. But Jesus said he came to reveal God and clear up our confusion about Him. Ultimately he came to make it possible for anyone and everyone to have a relationship with God without having to go through a religious behavioral system or human mediator that determined who was and was not good enough.

When people wanted to know how to have a right relationship with God and find assurance that they would make it to heaven, Jesus responded by inviting them to follow him. While following him would require action (that is, behavior), “following” was more a relational term describing a life that would be lived together.

We don’t tend to spend personal discretionary time with people who do not share our values. We tend to party with people who party the way we do. But Jesus invited people who were nothing like himself to follow him and live life together. He was willing to step into their world at the same time he was inviting them to step into his. Immediately after Jesus called Matthew, a professional sinner who made a living defrauding people, Jesus attended a party at Matthew’s house, mingling with people just like Matthew and nothing like himself (Matthew 9:9-13). It is obvious that Jesus liked and spent time with people who were nothing like himself, and they liked him too.

Some people believe they are too bad to attend church, or to expect anything good from God. Tragically, many have gotten that impression from religious people claiming to speak for God. The Scriptures record how the misguided religious leaders were standing outside Matthew’s house that day, holding their signs and hurling their judgments the same way some still do today (okay, they may not have had signs…but you get the point). The truth is, if you don’t like Jesus, you simply do not know him. If you think Jesus doesn’t like you, you simply do not know him. And if you think Jesus doesn’t like “sinners,” you simply do not know him. You might know about him…but you don’t know him.

Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick,” giving us yet another relational illustration: doctor and patient. Jesus comes to those who know deep down that something in their life is wrong, something they cannot fix themselves that keeps them relationally distant from God. The best doctors do not treat patients from a distance, but up close. Jesus’ interaction with Matthew reveals that relational position is not dependent on behavioral performance. Jesus reminds us that God’s priority is given to those in need of rescue, over those doing everything right (Matthew 9:13).

So salvation is a relational matter, not a behavioral one. If heaven were the reward for behavioral performance, then it would stand to reason that all the good people would gain entrance—with only one question remaining: How good is good enough? But heaven is NOT the eternal reward for behavioral performance, but rather eternal existence based on relational position. The next life is not a reward for the good you did in this life, but rather an eternity spent with the one you followed in this life. It’s not just about being good; it is about being relational: connected, engaged…known.

To know God, follow Jesus.

March 13th- It's all Relational

Sunday’s sermon, like most of Patrick’s sermons, had me really thinking about how biblical ideas relate to me personally. He asked two questions:

1. How does someone make it to heaven?

2. What does it mean to have a right standing before God?

I think a lot of people have struggled with these questions. The main point he made was that you can’t answer these questions with a list of behaviors or things to do. It’s not just about what you do. It’s about the relationship. A father can jump through hoops and provide for his son financially. He can back that up by being at his ball games and birthday parties. In the end, if he doesn’t truly CARE about his son, it’s all for naught. One way we show our love is through works, but it is not the only way.

One thing that was mentioned was Jesus’ relationship with the Disciples. We talked about whether we would be willing to put down everything and follow Christ if he stopped by and asked. I have to say, that is a tough question for me. I would be hard pressed to leave my wife and children in the lurch to go “walk” with someone just because they said they were Christ. It brings about images of Jim Jones and David Koresh to me. In many ways, I don’t think God would put me in that position. I wonder what people in the church would say if they found out next week that I abandoned my family to go follow someone. It makes me wonder if the Disciples had families, and if so, did they abandon them?

I always think about the commitment someone makes to a team.  I can’t tell you how many times I have had players refuse to practice on a Wednesday because they have to go to church. In my mind, I am always questioning how God feels about their commitment to their teammates. As we think about how we live and walk more like Christ, when does our commitment to our fellow man become important? Would Jesus have left his teammates to do the work alone? Would Jesus become over-extended? If so, do you think the Disciples would have pitched in?  

March 6th Play Your Position

I've been giving a lot of thought to the question asked this Sunday. "What would you do if you KNEW God was walking with you?" I'm not sure I would do much different than I am currently. I would probably laugh and say "Really?" out loud more often than I do now.  I feel like I am finally in a good place with God. Not because I think I'm "getting it right" necessarily, but because I'm trying to listen more intently. More than anything, I think that is what he wants of us. To listen and be available. To pay attention to the opportunities he is affording us and bring ourselves more in tune with his desires. Our ability and desire to truly take care of one another is the thing that makes us Christians. His love, shown through us to the world.

What would you do differently? Would you have more courage? Would you have more compassion? Would you want to go on a smiting frenzy?

Gods Will Feb 27th

I have to start out by saying; this was probably the most relevant sermon I’ve heard in a long time. It was one of those “he’s talking to me kind of sermons. I have been having a lot of conversation with myself and others about what God’s will really is and how he reveals it to us. I too have never heard the “Audible Voice of God.” One of Patrick’s slides said something to the effect of God leads through opportunity more than verbal instruction. I am left thinking about the opportunities God has been gracious enough to give me and wondering whether I have taken full advantage of them. I also really liked his thoughts about knowing what position you play on the team and being willing to be satisfied by your role.

As a side note, I am going to be sad when Patrick ends his locker room series…man I miss football!

What a great message this morning. Jeff reminded us of John 13:34, 35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” What a great thing for us all to remember. We were blessed to have Matt Rouse with us this morning. He said several things that caught my attention this morning, but the one that sticks with me the most is that if you want to get closer to God, you have to have an intentional relationship with him. So my question this week is this: What are you doing to have an INTENTIONAL relationship with God? I use to say I wanted to be a writer. I shared this with many people. It wasn't until a student in one of my classes asked me what I was writing that I realized I had to actually be writing if I was ever going to realize my dream of being published. I know, sounds simple to me now as well. It is the same thing being a Christian. If you want to be one, you have to actually act like one. Intentionally.

Patrick and the Protesters- The Saga Begins

The link below will take you to the video of Patrick confronting the protester that decided to set up shop across the road from the church on Super Bowl Sunday. I am amazed that the protester put this video on youtube himself. Please share your thoughts on the incident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZQaUMTSAcM 

Feb 6th-The Pregame Speech

Wow this was an awesome sunday. I was fortunate enough to be able to baptize my son today. While Patrick said he has never actually been in a halftime speech, I have been part of many. There is nothing more motivational than some one leveraging the emotions of others to create a special energy. I think our words are very powerful tools that have the ability to move people to do extraordinary things. With that being said, I would like for us to share a moment in time when someones words moved you to do something special. And for all the doubters; yes, God does care about the outcome of football games lol!

Jan 30th Sermon- Failing Forward

I thought this would be a good time for us to get to know each other a little bit. Share a time when you "failed forward" or your thoughts on failing forward.

Jan 16th Sermon

What an awesome message. One of the main things I took away from the whole thing was don't wait on a pastor to make the difference. We are all part of God's army and have the ability to make a difference in someones life. We are all leaders....how we choose to use our power is the only question.

Please share the one thing you took away from the sermon and/or your thoughts on other posts.

Red Letter Moments

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