Is the church full of hypocrites?

Little Johnny was on vacation with his family, when he saw a pigeon lying lifeless on the beach. He ran to his father to ask what was wrong. “It’s okay Johnny,” his father said. “That pigeon has died and went to heaven.” “Oh,” Johnny replied. “Did God throw him back down?”

Don't worry. This one is alive.

That’s a funny story because of the child’s simplistic view of God and heaven. To Johnny, the pigeon going to heaven was a physical journey that would have happened immediately. Without getting to eschatological, let’s suffice it to say that is not what Johnny’s father meant.

In our culture today, Christianity is under attack. I don’t think that is a stretch. All you have to do is turn on your television or scroll through social media to see that is the case. Some of the most common and tired rhetoric claims that all Christians are hypocrites.

Perhaps you have seen a bumper sticker like the one below.

So, how do we as Christians respond to this critique? Is the church really full of hypocrites? I think the answer begins by addressing the flaws in the question itself. The fundamental problem with this question is that it assumes a very elementary view of what Christianity is all about. So, I think we must begin by defining Christianity. 

At its core, Christianity is not about perfection. It’s about posture. When we come to Christ, we are saying, “I am a sinner. The way I was living does not work.”

In Ephesians 3, Paul says, “I bow my knees before the Father” (Ephesians 3:14). In Isaiah 66:23 we read, “’And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me,’ says the LORD.”

In Hebrews 12:2 the posture we read about describes eyes fixed on Jesus.

But, it’s not a physical posture that I am trying to relate to you. It’s heart posture. We must put ourselves, from the inside out, in a position of humble adoration of God, with our heart fixed on Christ. 

Christianity is not about getting everything right. Becoming a Christian is saying I am not good enough on my own. The reason we invite Jesus into our lives is for him to take our place on that cross. That’s why we need him. That’s why we fix our eyes and hearts on him.

When you take away Christ from Christian, you are left with three letters that stand for I ain't nothing (more on that here). Proclaiming Christianity is saying to God, I am completely dependent on you.

To say Christians are hypocrites because they say one thing and do the other is a misunderstanding of the fundamental position of Christianity.

Is the church full of hypocrites? No, there’s always room for one more.

***This topic was the subject of a recent sermon I preached at Winchester Road East Church of Christ. You can listen to "Are All Christians Hypocrites?" on our podcast: Winchester Road East Church of Christ

How to overcome the wheel of want

"Don't wake up in a roadside ditch!" That's the tagline of a DIRECTV commercial that encourages you to "get rid of cable and upgrade to DIRECTV."

 

It's pretty funny, right? This idea of a chain reaction of making the wrong choice. But, it's a choice the commercial is trying to make for you. Have you noticed how often we are exposed on a daily basis with advertisements trying to tell you, "Hey, you don't have this," or, "You should have this. You need this. Look at this. What you have is now old. This is new. What you have is no longer cool. This is cool."

A study in 2014 found that we are bombarded with 360 advertisements a day across the five media outlets (TV, radio, Internet, newspaper, and magazine). This is what I like to call the wheel of want.

Have you ever walked into your closet and said, "I have nothing to wear!"? What are you really saying? What you mean is, I have nothing new and exciting to wear. It probably wasn't too long ago that you bought those clothes. That's the wheel of want. We really want something. We get it. It gets old. We find something new to want. When we are stuck in the wheel, we are filled with discontentment because all we do is want, want, want.

John expresses this type of want in 1 John 2. I like the way Eugene Peterson translates verses 15-17 in the Message.

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

Loving the world is not about stuff. It's an attitude absent of God, defined by want. You want to see what this looks like?

In Luke 15, we find the story of the prodigal son immediately following two other parables, the lost sheep and the lost coin. The son goes to his father and says, "give me the share of property that is coming to me." We're told he got his stuff and took a journey into a far country, and squandered his property in reckless living. 

The prodigal son was living this life of discontentment. His life was defined by wanting, wanting, wanting. Ultimately it comes down to this: He didn't trust his Father. Instead of living under his roof and allowing his dad to provide for him, he goes to a far land and loses it all. Next thing you know, he's stuck feeding pigs and so hungry the slop starts to look tasty. 

Do you remember where he goes? "How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!" he decides. ^"I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.'" 

Apparently, he didn't know his father very well. While he was on the way home, his father ran to him and embraced him. As the prodigal son started into his prepared speech, his father didn't even acknowledge his silly idea that he would be a servant. Instead the father gets a ring and a robe and throws an extravagant party. 

Did the son deserve such a party? No way. But that's the way our father operates. When the shepherd finds his one lost sheep he throws a party for all his friends, probably more expensive than the sheep was worth. When the woman finds her lost coin, she throws a party worth more than the coin. What's up with all these disproportionate parties? It's not about the son, or the sheep, or the coin. It's all about God's extravagant love. 

In Luke 15:7 Jesus says, "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." But take another look at these parables. Where is the repentance? I don't see the sheep or the coin doing anything. The son simply comes back for a job. Here's the part that really caught my attention. Repentance is simply allowing God to love you. 

So, how do we overcome discontentment? I don't have a five step program or a list of things we need to work on. The answer is really pretty simple: Allow God to love you. Just wear the robe. Put on the ring. 

^"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

In that space of faith and trust, our wanting seems to wane. In the sweet embrace of our father, in his extravagant love, we find contentment, satisfaction, and fulfillment.

"The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity."

Parts of this post were inspired by Judah Smith's One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure and Matt Chandler's Oppressor/Laborer

I'm overwhelmed by you

It was hot, humid and the lawnmower was having issues. I didn't want to be cutting grass. But, there I was in the middle of the yard overwhelmed, not by the task at hand, but the thought of the creator of the universe who takes special interest in me. In me? Really?

 

When I do yard work, I will often plug in my headphones and listen to a podcast or let Siri read a book for me on my Kindle app. Monday I started to listen to a book, but just wasn't getting into it. So, I decided to turn on some Christian music. I found myself getting really emotional (the manly way to say I started crying) over my experience with God (This is okay because it is number eight on The Art of Manliness's list of When Is It Okay for a Man to Cry).

The past week has been a fairly difficult week for the Winchester Road church family.  One of our shepherds got some bad news from his eye doctor and one of our young people spent the weekend in the PICU. In the midst of all the turmoil and difficulty, we find strength in our creator. My music was just what I needed as it reminded me of God's promises.

Francesca Battistelli reminded me that he knows my name. She sings in part...

Spent today in a conversation
In the mirror face to face with
Somebody less than perfect
I wouldn't choose me first if
I was looking for a champion
In fact I'd understand if
You picked everyone before me
But that's just not my story

True to who You are
You saw my heart
And made something out of nothing...

He calls me chosen
Free, forgiven
Wanted, child of the King
His forever
Held and treasured
I am loved

In Romans 5:8 we read, "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Rend Collective's new song, "You Will Never Run Away",  was encouraging by pointing out my God's amazing love...

You will never run away
You're forever mine
You will never run away
You're by my side

Love wide as galaxies
Love deeper than the sea
Countless as all infinity
Love like a shooting star
Tearing apart the dark
Shining for all eternity
Shining for all eternity

Sounds like Romans 8:38-39. "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In "I Will Rise", Chris Tomlin reminded me to fix my eyes on Jesus.

 There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear 

And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

Isn't that the same promise we read about in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Every song seemed to speak to me in some way. As Big Daddy Weave sings, I was simply overwhelmed. 

I know the power of Your Cross
Forgiven and free forever You’ll be my God

All that You’ve done is so overwhelming
I delight myself in You
In the Glory of Your Presence
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

We have this God, this sovereign king of everything, and he is dialed into you. Luke 12:7 says, "Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows." 

 

What he's saying here is that in the immensity of God, the creator of the universe is dialed into you, created in his image to the extent that he knows every hair on your head. If you have no hair on your head, he was with you when you went through that awkward stage of "what do I do? Do I comb it over or shave it off?"

See him. Behold his amazing grace. Be transfixed by his glory. Be overwhelmed.

The glory of God in his creation

God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. - Genesis 1:10

One month ago I was on the island of Oahu celebrating the glory of God, exploring his creation. It was an amazing week in many ways.

I started the week at Camp Paumalu on the North Shore for Aloha Christian Camp. It was a great blessing to watch God work in the lives of young people. Seven kids were baptized during the six days of camp. Three were baptized by my childhood best friend, Landry Allen. Landry volunteers as Youth Minister for the Pearl Harbor Church of Christ in Pearl City, one of several congregations from across the state of Hawaii that come together for the camp. It is such an encouragement to see Landry and his wife, Kristina doing the Lord's work.

After camp was over, Landry and Kristina hosted me at their home for the next four days and served as a my tour guides for the island.

Kristina, Landry, and me at Tracks Beach in Kapolei

They were awesome tour guides, by the way. We visited every side of the island and all kinds of places in between. I tried to plot out all the places we visited on a map of Oahu.

 I want to share some pictures with you from my trip.

 Hanauma Bay

On top of Chinaman's Hat

Stand up paddle boarding at Pokai Bay

 Shark's Cove

 

Swimming with a turtle in Shark's Cove

Landry and me at Waimano Falls after hiking the Manana Trail

 

Can you see why he says his creation is good? I am constantly amazed by the beauty of God's creation. What we see in his handiwork is a reflection of his glory. Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." 

Knowing God's will: Five steps to a lifelong pursuit

Have you ever struggled to determine God's will for your life? 

If you answered yes to that question, you are certainly not alone. As I mentioned in my previous post, the next step in God's plan,  I believe understanding God's plan for your life is a lifelong pursuit.

Have you ever heard someone say, "God spoke to me" or "God told me to do this"? That sounds awesome. Unfortunately, that has never happened to me. God has never spoken to me directly in an audible voice. Is he capable of speaking to us that way? Absolutely. You don't have to read too far into the Old Testament to see God speaking directly to his people. Does he do that today? I don't have a concrete answer. Like I said, it has never happened to me. I am not going to rule it out because my God is capable of anything. (If you need proof of that, read Mark 4:35-41 or John 11 to start.)

So, let's assume you are like me, and God has never spoken to you directly in an audible voice. How can you know God's will? What I want to do, is go through five steps I believe help us in determining God's will in our lives. I believe this is a fluid process, meaning these steps are not something we check off and move on to the next step. I think we must continually engage in each of these steps in order to better understand how God communicates with us and leads us.

1. Obey God's Will - Okay, I realize that sounds like something we would do after we determine God's will for us. And, yes that is true. However, most of what God wants from you is spelled out in his word. God is very clear about many aspects of his will. 

Two summers ago, my youngest nephew Colby was just learning to swim at the age of six. He was wearing his floaties when the water was over his head, but he was starting to get the hang of being in the water. Now, in the deep end of my pool, there is a slide. Colby’s older brothers loved it. They took turns going down backwards and forwards and any which way they could think of. But, Colby wasn’t ready. We tried to convince him to check it out. “Colby,” I said, “you really need to go down that slide. It is awesome!” 

 Colby at 6-years-old (not my pool)

 For whatever reason, Colby wasn’t ready. I told him, “just to go sit up at the top and when you’re ready, just slide down.” So, he climbs up the ladder and sits down. “Go!” we tell him. “It is awesome!” But, what does he do? He climbs right back down. We would tell him, look how much fun your brothers are having. I even got up there and slid down. As the slide was wobbling on the way down I told Colby, “This is awesome!”  Still, nothing. This process went on for weeks, but Colby just wasn’t ready.

  
I feel like this is what God is trying to do for us. "This way. This way to joy. This way to depth. This way to meaning. This way to peace." That’s what the “thou shalts” and the “thou shalt nots” are trying to accomplish. It’s God calling us into the life he designed. 

A lot of times we look at what we think of as rules from God and it doesn't seem very fun. God’s not trying to rob you of anything! This is important, so I am going to say it again. God’s not trying to rob you of anything! How would God be glorified if his big plan was begrudging submission on your part? No! The author of life is trying to lead you into something that’s going to bring you much greater joy than your idea of what’s going to bring you joy will bring you. 

In the process living out this life the way God has intended, we will have 98% of our questions answered on what we should do in specific situations.

Don’t you know, later on in that summer, Colby finally did go down that slide. You know what he said? “This is awesome!” Then, we couldn’t keep him off the slide for the rest of the summer.

2. Walk with God - "God created man for the enjoyment of a walking relationship that involved companionship, dialogue, intimacy, joint decision-making, mutual delight, and shared dominion." (Bob Sorge, Christianity Today) 

There is something about walking with someone that brings you into deeper relationship. Walking with someone is more than just putting one foot in front of another, it is a conversation, an ongoing dialogue that allows us to understand more about the person we are walking with. 

Walking with God means growing and developing a deeper relationship with him. That is what Christianity is all about. It's not meant to be merely religion. It's relationship. We cultivate that relationship with God through spending time in his Word, talking to him through prayer, and getting involved with a church family. The goal is to know him and not just know about him. 

Every now and then, when I was anchoring the news, I would have someone come up to me and say they recognized me from TV. Probably the funniest experience like that happened about two years ago while I was standing in line at Ted's Bar-B-Q in Five Points. I was standing next to my meteorologist, Ari Sarsalari, when a lady behind us was talking to someone she was with. Referencing Ari and me, she said, "I go to bed with those two every night." Wait... what? haha. She was referring to our nine o'clock news cast on FOX54. 

It's funny how we think we know people just because we see them on TV. Once again, this did not happen to me a lot. There were not a ton of people that watched my newscast. But, when it did, the person would know my name and reference something about me. I mention this because I think it represents the difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone. I can get on the internet and look up a bunch of facts about my favorite actor or my favorite band. Does that mean I know them? No. That's impersonal information. Someone I know, I have had personal conversation with, an active element of relationship that makes knowing someone meaningful. That is what we must seek with God.

Sometimes, we place a higher priority in getting to know about God than we do in getting to know God. As we develop that relationship with him, we will better understand his will for our lives. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding^. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

3. Welcome Godly Advice -  Over and over in the proverbs we find reference to the importance of wise counsel. It's pretty blunt in 12:15, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."

As a youth minister, the importance of wise counsel is even more evident as I watch my teens try to navigate their day to day lives. One of the most successful programs at Monrovia is our guy's prayer group on Wednesday nights at 6:00. Kevin Smith runs this group each week as we share a meal and then discuss struggles and victories of the week past. Kevin does a great job offering godly advice to our teens. I have seen some major growth in their lives as a result of this group.

The reason prayer group works is because these young men are genuinely interested in seeking God and they welcome godly advice. Welcoming godly advice is more than just hearing. It means seeking and attempting to put it into practice.

However, godly advice is not just for teens. It is important for all of us, young and old. Proverbs 15:31 says, "The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise." 

Author, speaker, and business philosopher Jim Rohn says, "you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." To me, that means you should surround yourself with godly advisers that will help you determine God's plan for your life. Find your advice from those who are headed the same direction you are. 

A great place to find godly advisers is in the church. The more you are involved with a church family, the greater your opportunity to surround yourself with wise counsel. 

4. Recognize your Gifts - In Romans 12 we read that not every member of the body has the same function.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them... -Romans 12:4-6

That means God has wired us differently for a reason. Each one of us has been created to fulfill a specific role in this world. If you needed your transmission replaced, you wouldn't call a brain surgeon. So it is in the church. Each of us has certain gifts that God has given us. 

Therefore, when you are seeking God's will, recognize your gifts. Chances are your special abilities will play a role in where God is calling you. Remember this is a fluid process. I don't think we always hit a home run the first time to the plate. For me, it took nearly seven years in TV before I realized I needed to be working for the church full-time. Perhaps, God is using where you are now to help prepare you and develop your gifts for the next step.

One more note on gifts: I believe kingdom work to not be limited to what happens in a church building or during worship service. Teaching a bible class or leading worship is certainly kingdom work, but so is tending to the sick in the hospital or repairing cars so people can get where they need to go. Recognizing your gifts means finding what you are good at and using those gifts to glorify God and further his kingdom. 

5. Listen for God's Direction - Maybe a better way to write that would be "Pay attention to God's direction". At the beginning of this blog post, I wrote that God has never spoken to me directly.  Let me clarify. While I may have never heard God's voice audibly, I have certainly heard indirectly. Check out this quote from Jesus himself from John 10: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

I believe the more you are in tune with God, the more you recognize his direction. The more you seek him, the more his ways become your ways and the more your desires become his desires. That's why Jesus says, "...whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Matthew 21:22). He was talking to men who walked with him, his followers. Their thoughts and prayers should be in line with his.

Bill Hybel wrote a book called Too Busy Not to Pray. First of all, the title of the book offers an important reminded of the necessity of prayer in our daily lives. In the book, Hybel introduces a concept that is foreign to many of our prayer lives: listening. 

We look at prayer as a conversation with God, but when is the last time you did the listening? As in any conversation, sometimes it's better to just shut up. How do we do this in prayer? I will share with you a couple of practical concept I have found helpful, the first is simply meditation. 

Meditation is almost a bad word when it comes to religion. We think of Eastern religions and sitting around crossed-legged while chanting. But meditation is so much more than that. Christian meditation is focused thinking on God. 

In one of my classes this past semester, we practiced a form of meditation know as lectio divina. That means sacred reading. There are four stages: In the lectio (reading) stage, one finds a passage and reads it deliberately. The next stage, meditatio (discursive meditation), is where one ponders the text. In the oratio (effective prayer) stage, one talks to God about the reading, asking Him to reveal the truth. In the final, contemplatio (contemplation) stage, one simply rests in the Lord's presence. 

I have found this practice very beneficial in my own prayer life. This can also be translated into life questions. Try beginning your prayer time with a question, like "What is your plan for my career?" or "What is the next step in my finances?" Take time to meditate on those questions during your prayer time while you focus on God. 

Another place we find God's direction is in our hearts. Psalm 37:4-5 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act." 

I encourage you to engage in each of those five steps to knowing God's will on a regular basis. So, how do you know when you recognize God's will? I believe it is found in peace. When I left the news, I thought I would miss anchoring and being in front of the camera. The truth is, I have not missed it at all. I do not regret my decision whatsoever. For me, that is the peace that offers confirmation that God's will for me was for a career change.
 
I will close with a word of encouragement from Jeremiah 29:11, " For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

My prayer is for you to better comprehend God's will for your life. His plan is ultimately for your salvation through his mercy and grace only found in Jesus Christ.  

Source: 8 Keys to Knowing God’s Will For Your Life

The next step in God's plan...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. " - Proverbs 3:5-6

Do you ever wrestle with knowing God's plan for your life?  As a teen, I remember praying for understanding of how God wants to use me. In college, my prayers as I sat around with a group of guys in prayer group were for what career path I should choose and asking Him to direct my future. Now, 32 years in to this thing we call life, I have learned (and continue to learn) that understanding God's plan is a lifelong pursuit.

Anchoring a sports segment for Eagle Eye News at Auburn, 2004

If you asked me 10 years ago (or even 3 years ago for that matter) where I would be today, I think my answer would not have looked anything like where I am. I had dreams of making it big in TV news, living in a big city and maybe finding my way to Bristol, CT to sit on the set of ESPN on a nightly basis. I guess God had different plans.

It was nearly two years ago I stepped out on faith from behind the anchor desk to share the good news of Jesus Christ full-time. I have not regretted that decision, even for a second. In September of 2013, I became the youth minister at Monrovia Church of Christ (I wrote about that here). In the time since, I have learned a lot about ministry and people. I am very grateful for what has become my family at Monrovia.

 

 Price is Right Night in the loft with the Monrovia Youth Group, 2013

Beginning in July, I will be the pulpit minister at the Winchester Road East Church of Christ in Huntsville. It is a familiar place with a lot of special people to which I am already close. I grew up at Winchester Road. It is a step in faith, as the congregation has never had a full-time minister. I trust in God to do a mighty work, not in me, but in that community as we seek to glorify Him every step of the way.

It is bittersweet. I have many brothers and sisters at Monrovia that I will miss very much. But, I believe the Lord is leading me to the pulpit. I had no plans to leave Monrovia. I guess God had different plans.

To my Monrovia family, I have watched our teens grow and develop into leaders. I have wept with you as we have buried some of our own. I have experienced joy in seeing some of our young people call on Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I have been encouraged by your words of praise. I have grown spiritually along with you as we pursued Jesus together. I have served beside you in the Closet. I will never forget your kindness and love. I leave you with the following from Jude:

²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.        

Reflecting on Camp Ney-A-Ti 2015

As I wait for another load of lost and found laundry to finish, I want to share with you some of the things I learned at Camp Ney-A-Ti this week with MYG. We spent the past week playing games, staying up all night, getting up early, going 'round the mess hall, worshiping, and learning more about God. What a week it was!

For me, it was quite a ride. It was my last Camp Ney-A-Ti as Youth Minister at Monrovia, so I was experiencing several emotions throughout the week. It was an exciting time watching two of our campers accept Jesus as be their Lord and Savior through baptism. It was humbling to speak about our family of believers. It was sad to think about this time as my final camp. It was fun to think back on all the wonderful memories.

The week started last Friday with about 125 campers. We divided up into teams and prepared for the week to come. One of the neat things about camp is to watch relationships form and see some of our older campers get involved in the lives of some of our younger campers. Camp is for kids going into 3rd grade up to our recent graduates. We had four teams with an equal number from each age group on each team. By the end of the week, 3rd graders were hanging out with teenagers. I think that is really cool.

On Saturday, I had a conflict with my schedule. My uncle Jimmy passed away back in May and had a memorial service on Saturday, June 6th (the second day of camp). At first, I did not think I was going to make it due to my previous commitment with camp. After all, Monrovia invests a lot of time, money and effort to make camp happen. I felt it I needed to be there the whole time. Then, as I began to prepare our lessons for camp, I had a change of heart. Our theme this week was Family Reunion. Here I was talking about what we learn about love and commitment from our families, and I was declining an invitation from my grandmother to speak at my uncle's memorial service. So, I changed my plans. I went over to the Pleasantfield Community Center to talk about my uncle and what we could learn from his life. We learned the importance of family. This turned out to be a talking point throughout the week for me.

Saturday night it was back to Ney-A-Ti. I got an ice bucket of water dumped on me (I still owe you, Dylan) and stayed up too late. One of my friends in youth ministry shared with us Saturday night. Ben Briscoe did an awesome job speaking on Jesus as our brother. Check out John 17:23. "I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me."

 Sunday was an incredible day to watch some of my teens step up and share with us. You can watch their devotional in the video below.

Parker, Carson, Chandler, Dylan, Dawson, Jake, Robbie, and Jonathan made me super proud and impressed me with their abilities to lead our group. 

Each night at camp we broke up into groups when the younger campers went to bed. Our middle and high school groups each had their own devotionals. We were blessed with great speakers each night. Zac Smith, Kevin Smith, Spencer Palmer, Jackson Richard, and Jason Britton each prepared devotionals for this time. Personally, I was encouraged and challenged by each of them. Our teens also contributed to our devotional time. Dylan Mussleman lead the middle school group on Saturday night and Jackson Taylor and Jonathan Parrish spoke to our middle schoolers on Tuesday night. Once again, I am so impressed with these young men and their heart for the Lord.

One of the most rewarding and beneficial times at camp is our bible class time each morning around 11:00. For the guys, Kevin Smith lead the high school group while we went around the room and let each young man share his struggles. 

My dad spoke to us Monday night about a father's love. And we discussed our upcoming family reunion when the Lord calls us home on Tuesday night. 

Below is our slideshow from the week. Camp was awesome the two years I got to be a part of it. It is definitely an important part of the ministry here at Monrovia that I will miss and will always treasure.

Oh, and check out how many towels were left behind. I am set for this summer by the pool. 

Three ways we live out the Imago Dei

Seven different times God refers to what he has made as "good" in the creation story we find in Genesis 1. The seventh time that description is qualified as "very good". What is different? The "very good" happens on the sixth day, just after the Author of the universe creates humans in his own image.

 

The imago dei - which is Latin for the image of God - refers to the unique design placed on humanity designating people as His image-bearers to the world. As His image-bearer, humanity serves as representative through God's investment of glory and sufficient intelligence, awareness, reason, and compassion to rule and reign over the earth.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them. (Gen 1:26-27)

These verses have big implications for all humans. Perhaps most important is to realize God has created you with a purpose. "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) 

I want to share three ways the imago dei distinguishes humans from the rest of creation.

1. Relationship - Our relationships with other humans are unique to any other creature. In the wilderness it is not uncommon for a chimp to kill another chimp for territory and natural resources. When this happens, a chimp detective shows up with his magnifying glass and notepad to search out the killer and seek justice, right?

Okay, that's not the way it works. If a chimp kills another chimp, it's just business as usual. There is no court system or revenge. That's just reality in the chimp world.

That is what makes you and I unique and it plays out in our relationships. When a brother or sister is sick or in need, we step in to help. That's the imago dei. We live in the image of God when we live in relationship with each other. When we gather together as a church body, we are living out the imago dei. After all, even God exist in community; Father, Son, and Spirit.

2. Rule - Humans have been given dominion over the rest of the created world. If I go to a restaurant and order a steak. The waiter doesn't gasp with great horror. Instead, they ask how I want it cooked. That's because we have dominion. We exercise authority. We bring order to the chaos. 

Now, it is also because of that authority from God that any abuse, any type of cruelty toward animals is evil.

3. Worship - My relationship with God is different than any other creature's relationship with Him. Humans alone have been given the ability to seek God and understand Him. Your family dog doesn't pray. He doesn't fast (unless you forget to feed him). Humans have a spiritual and moral capacity that is superior to any other creature. 

David's words in Psalm 8 sum up our response to the imago dei in worship: 

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
²     Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
    to still the enemy and the avenger.

³ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

⁵ Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor.
⁶ You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under his feet,
⁷ all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
⁸ the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

⁹ O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You are valuable because God made you in His image. That's the imago dei. It's a call to reflect God's glory to the rest of His creation.

Do you know the most common command in the Bible?

 There's a story about a football game where the home team was just getting pummeled by its opponent. Someone in the stands kept yelling, "Give the ball to Calhoun! Give the ball to Calhoun!’’ They tried another play, and again the home team was smashed to the ground, losing valuable yardage. Again came the cry, "Give the ball to Calhoun!’’ This happened two or three times more before a tall man raised up from the pile of human bodies on the field and responded, "Calhoun don’t want the ball!’’

I am afraid this is true of many Christians today. The task is laid out before us. We know we will be triumphant because the victory has already been won. But, are you willing to go?

In Mark 10, the rich young man approaches Jesus. In verse 17 we read, "And as [Jesus] was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

It appears to be a good question. We all want to know the path to eternal life. The problem is the rich young man wasn't ready for the answer. Jesus tells him, "Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." The rich young man goes away sorrowful because he had too much stuff.

Instead of asking for the path to eternal life, the rich young man should have been asking himself if he was willing to go.

I am not sure where I picked up the following quote. I wrote it down somewhere along the way: "The most common command in the Bible is "Go." The second is, "Do not be afraid." If you want to know how Christians should live, you can start there."

You have never talked to a mere mortal

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which,if you say it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - These are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”

Those words are from C.S. Lewis in The Weight of Glory. Have you ever thought about his point? For me, it offers a deeper meaning to helping others. We spend so much time accumulating stuff and building our wealth despite Jesus' command in Matthew 6 to not lay up treasures on earth. Jesus says those things will be lost or destroyed.

Lewis reminds us about our neighbors. Have you taken the time to invest in the immortal?

An open-handed life

The following clip is an excerpt from a recent sermon at the Monrovia Church of Christ I have put with some animation...

"God provides his blessing for the less fortunate, often through the wealth of the saints. He's blessed us in order that we may bless the ones around us. You have been blessed by God to live an open-handed life, not a life of greed saying, "What all can I accomplish? What all can I get?" Instead, live a life of giving to the people around you. Live an open-handed life."