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My Spiritual Guardrails

My Pastor preaching on what he must do to keep his spiritual life on track.

Radical byDavid Platt

I recently read a new book by author and pastor David Platt, from The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. Few books would I recomend on a broad scale basis, but this is certainly one of them. I challenge you to pick it up, read and comment back with your thoughts. Check out this video for a glimpse of the things he addresses. Be careful... this will be a read that hurts.

Sunday's Coming

Every Monday morning our church staff join together for staff meeting. We discuss anything and everything related to the working of our church. Much can be accomplished in such a small amount of time. Few things happen at Calvary outside of the discussion in that meeting. Even still... you can talk something into the ground and never accomplish anything. With that in mind, our pastor regularly reels us back in with this statement, "Sunday's Coming." In those two words, he reminds us that if Sunday morning is the "first touch" for 95% of guests that come through our doors, if Sunday morning is when more people are on campus than any other time of the week, if Sunday morning is when the main focus of a church (worship, discipleship and fellowship) occurs, if Sunday morning is the ideal time for life change to be seen, if Sunday morning is the first thing we would point any and every person to as an entry point into our church, and if Sunday morning can only happen with an exponential amount of volunteers from within our church family... then we need to spend a large portion of our energy in making it the best it can be.

That being said, below is a video produced by North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. Call it a behind the scenes look into what is really happening in a worship service. (though not completely accurate) Some of it is all too true, some of it is a stretch... but it's all hilarious. I hope you enjoy...

The Bible

The message below was given to me on a book mark. It's choice words have inspired me and I hope they do the same for you.

The Bible reveals the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the
doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its
precepts binding, its histories are true, its decisions are immutable. Read it
to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light
to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the
traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilots compass, the soldier’s sword,
and the Christian's charter. Here, Heaven is opened and the gates of hell
disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good is its design, the glory of God
its end. It should fill your memory, rule your heart, and guide the feet. Read
it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is given in life, will be opened in
the judgment, and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest
responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all those who
trifle with its sacred contents. Owned, it is riches; studied, it is wisdom;
trusted, it is salvation; loved, it is character; and obeyed, it is power.
Author Unknown

This reminds me of scriptural texts like 1 Timothy 3:16 that says, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. or Hebrew 4:12 that reads, For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. or Psalm 19:7-8 that says, The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. or John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...

I love the Word of the Lord. Have a wonderful week!

sc

Hosanna!

As we enter the Easter season and approach Palm Sunday... I can't help but think of what the people in Jesus' day were thinking as they saw Jesus enter Jerusalem for the final time before his crucifixion. Were they amazed, were they in wonder, were questions beginning to form. A grave difference is seen in them from the time of Jesus' triumphal entry as in John 12 and his sentence to be crucified in John 19. One moment they are praising their Lord and Creator and the next they are spitting at him. I think of how often I do this and it makes me sick. Thankfully, the story does not end with the triumphant entry or even the crucifixion... but rather the story begins again with his resurrection on Easter morning. Below is a song that I think is very appropriate for Easter 2010!

Because of God's love

Last night my family was watching Prince Caspian, the second movie in the classic series by C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia. I had seen it before, but if you've ever seen a movie more than once, you catch new things most every time. Well this was certainly one of those times. There is a scene near the end when Aslan (the Lion who represents/is the God figure in the story) is speaking to a group of characters in the movie.

One of the characters (who happens to be a mouse) asks Aslan to heal his body by giving him a new tail as his tail had been cut off in the recent battle. He asks Aslan to do this to restore his dignity. (we all know mice have no dignity without a tail) Aslan's response to him is what I find absolutely amazing and representative of how God operates in our lives. He responds to the mouse by saying:

"not for the sake of your dignity, but because of my love for you... I will do what you ask."

Throughout Scripture, we find these words:
- "It is because the Lord loved you..." (Deuteronomy 7:8)
- "Because of the Lord's great love..." (Lamentations 3:22)
- "For God so loved..." (John 3:16)
- "Because of his great love for us..." (Ephesians 2:4)
- "We love because he first loved us." (i John 4:19)

These are but samplings of the numerous passages throughout Scripture that depict God's love being the reason for his interaction and influence with mankind. I was enamoured that Hollywood would get something like this so right, a thing that believers so often forget. We may forget this truth and think God loves us because of our value, or because we are deserving, or for our sake, or he needs us... or, you name the reason.

I am thankful that my dignity, worth, value, or right-doing does not make me worthy of God's interaction in my life. I am thankful that I serve a loving God who first loved me. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

Thank you Jesus for your love.

sc