Yearly Archives: 2014

I really like Lebron, and I’m glad he’s coming back to Ohio.  And while I think the Nike campaign is clever, this week we went over Acts 10 where Peter declares the original “We are witnesses” speech.  It is amazingly powerful.

    39″We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Peter witnessed the death of Christ.  He also witnessed the resurrection and even ate with Jesus after he arose.  He is to declare that Jesus is Lord of all and the judge of the living and the dead.  And then comes the wonderful promise – everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.

Our message is very much the same.  We can declare the transformative power of the gospel.  We used to be dead in trespasses and sins, but thanks be to the risen Christ, we have been changed.  We can face the judge because His righteousness has been applied to our account.  We have forgiveness if only we will trust Him.

Will you declare the gospel?  Can I get a witness?

#ADivineAppt

“Desperate is a strong word. That’s why I like it. People who are desperate are rude, frantic, and reckless. Desperate people are explosive, focused, and uncompromising in their desire to get what they want. The New Testament is filled with desperate people, people who barged into private dinners, screamed at Jesus until they had his attention, or destroyed the roof of someone’s house to get to him. People who are desperate for spirituality very seldom worry about the mess they make on their way to be with Jesus.”

—Mike Yaconelli

Desperate.  We tell people, “Be careful, you don’t want to come off sounding desperate.”  And yet all throughout the scriptures we see desperate people making their way to God and to Christ.  There’s the woman with the issue of blood, the friends who lowered their friend down to Christ, a father seeking help for his little girl and more.

It seems that being desperate or sharing our helplessness with our Father is not something to be avoided, but rather a key ingredient to prayer.  We have been giving many gifts, abilities, talents and resources.  But the one thing we must never forget is our dependence upon God.

Take time this week to remind yourself of your need for God to work in your life.  Then take a little more time to ask for His provision.  Then stand back and watch the great things the Lord will do in your life as you depend on him.

Oh, and don’t worry if you sound a little… desperate.

It’s been a crazy week.  Trying to push out technology to 10,000 students and teachers is no easy task.  But at the same time I’ve been reflecting on resting.

What drains you…

It’s good to identify what drains you.  What really is wearing you out?  Little Sleep, poor diet, and  too many commitments can all be things that drain us.  We can even be drained doing the things we love.  If you can limit what is draining you, it may help you with your rest.  Unfortunately, we don’t always have that choice.  So if you can’t limit what is draining you, then maybe you can figure out what re-fills you. 

You need to Refuel and Re-fill…

Work can be draining and ministry can be draining as well, but what fills you back up?  I think this is where Jesus’ invitation comes into play.  “Come unto me… and I will give you rest”  We need time with Christ to refuel.  I’m still working on this, but guarding your time and calendar is one of the most important things anyone can do to stay spiritually strong.

For me, music is often what re-fills.  It seems like I can be incredibly drained, but some time playing the guitar or listening to some Shane and Shane and things are just a little better.

So the next time your stressed take Jesus up on his invitation.  Spend some time with Him and Give It A Rest.