"Unwrapped"

Here is the text from my sermon entitled "Unwrapped" which I gave on 12/27 at our Castleton campus. Feel free to share any thoughts, comments or questions.

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Well, here we are, a few days after another Advent season and Christmas day. Many of you had the chance to spend some time with family and friends, I hope you found it to be meaningful and enjoyable. Tai and I had a chance to make it up to Holland, MI to visit with my family and over to New Lisbon, IN to visit hers. We had a good time and were reminded of how blessed we truly are. Now, two days after Christmas, here we sit and if you’re anything like me, you begin to take inventory now that everything has been opened and unwrapped. I can usually break down my Christmas gifts into three categories: things on my list that I asked for and actually got (which sometimes end up not being as cool as I thought they would be); things I asked for but didn’t receive; and the third category of “thanks?!?”.

Now, I don’t know about your family but both of ours are notorious for using boxes from one thing to put another thing in, so you're not quite sure what you’re getting until you get it unwrapped and out of the box. The classic story of this from my family is when we were all at my grandparent’s house and all the aunts and uncles were opening their gifts from grandma and grandpa and my dad starts opening his…at the time, for whatever reason, my dad was really into bowling…so unwrapping his present he reveals a shoebox with a picture of what appears to be a very nice pair of bowling shoes on the front. My dad gets excited and says, “Whoa alright, new bowling shoes”…opens the box and says, “No, I got these...” as he lifts up the work light that I’m not sure he has ever actually used.

This kind of thing happens to us all the time doesn’t it, whether it’s Christmas or not? We picture something in a certain way, it's wrapped in shiny paper with a nice bow, then we get it out of the box and realize it’s not what we thought it would be.

Perhaps it’s a job or title or degree we think will make all the difference but once we get it unwrapped we find it falling short of our expectations. Or maybe your perfectly wrapped gift is to have a family that looks a certain way, but then your kids do something stupid, your parents do something hurtful, you or your spouse do something to hurt each other or maybe you’re not able to have a family at all. The list can go on and on of things we think will make everything perfect but once we get it unwrapped we find it isn’t what we had in mind.

And then we read of this gift...
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 9:2-7

When we begin to unwrap the gift of God’s Son lying in a manger we see this is a gift that will not disappoint, not only this but we notice a couple things about this special gift…

It is a gift of His presence (Isaiah 43:1-3a)
-God promises to be present with us in the midst of the storms, trials and fires of life.

It is a gift of family (Galatians 3:23-4:7)
-God gives us the right to be called His children (John 1:12).
-You and I are connected as the family of God through the community of the Church.

It is a gift of hope (Hebrews 10:23-24)
-The gift of Jesus gives us hope in a world that can often seem hopeless.
-This is a gift we can and must share with others as we undoubtedly know people who abandoned, hopeless and alone.

Closing Prayer comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24:

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."

A Voice of Reason

We have all heard plenty about the unfortunate decisions Tiger Woods has made in recent years and can add his name to a growing list of celebrity types who have fallen, in one way or another, as a result of choices each of them has made. I can't help but be reminded of the importance of accountability in one's life and wonder if Tiger would have had someone to confide in and hold him accountable, that just maybe an individual like that could have been the voice of reason Tiger so desperately needed to hear from before making such poor choices resulting in hurt, shame and embarrassment for him and his family. I think this whole tragic situation can serve as a reminder of a couple important things...

1. Do not think you are above doing something stupid that can cause hurt, shame and embarrassment. The moment we convince ourselves we are above or incapable of a particular sin is the moment when we make ourselves the most vulnerable. This is precisely the plan satan has in mind and exactly why he is called the Father of Lies. This is the curse of having a sinful nature and if we think otherwise we become liars ourselves (1 John 1:8).

2. Do not think you can stand up to, avoid or resist temptation and sin on your own. God created us to be in community with Him and each other, use that community to your advantage. Avoid as much hurt, shame and embarrassment as possible with the help of your brothers and sisters. Satan is described as a lion that prowls around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). It only takes a couple hours of the Discovery Channel to know that lions love to prey on the isolated animals of the herd, the ones that fall away from or are somehow get disconnected. You and I on our own are easy pickings to be chewed up and spit out.

3. Find someone to be your voice of reason. In Christianese it's called "an accountability partner". Find someone in which you can confide so that you can share your deepest struggles and most vulnerable weaknesses so that s/he can help you avoid them, that's the whole point of accountability!! You can't do it alone and you don't have to! You and I need people to speak truth and reason into our lives so that when our judgment gets clouded we have someone there to give us spirit-filled guidance and clarity. If you don't have this in your life, you need to ask God who that person might be for you and for whom you might be the very voice of reason that might keep someone from making an unfortunate decision that results in hurt, shame and embarrassment.

If you have questions about what an accountability relationship might look like, how weekly meetings go, or I can be of help in any way just let me know. Comment or email: matt@castletonumc.org

Style or Substance?

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey from 2007 talked about how a growing number of people "church shop"; meaning they move from one church to another as if grabbing lunch at a buffet-style restaurant picking what they like and leaving what they don't. More recently Outreach Magazine came out with their report of the 100 Largest and Fastest Growing Churches in America (the list) and I thought it was interesting to note that the vast majority of the churches on this list tend to have more of a "the special is your only lunch option" type of theology.

I kept riding my train-of-thought into this depot......

There are a couple of larger church pastors whose podcasts I listen to on a fairly regular basis (if you are ever curious who that might be or want to check them out just shoot me an email) and got to wondering if people enjoy some of the popular ones like Mark Driscoll, Francis Chan or Matt Chandler because of their preaching style and obvious passion or because of their theology. Are people aware of the substance of the pastors they listen to or is it simply a matter of style? I happen to find the theology of these three guys that I listed to be pretty solid but I know there are plenty of other large church pastors that have little to no theology at all and yet people listen to them by the tens of thousands. Why is that?? It seems as though our culture is so prone to consume that many would choose a pastor that preaches with misguided passion, void of any substance, over a pastor with solid substance and less style. If you find one with both, you better make sure your church holds on to them.

The Trappings of Tradition

I bet your family has some crazy traditions that have either already happened or are about to during this time of year. Care to share any of those? Only a couple came to mind for me and my family...

...my family always goes to church on Christmas Eve and then orders Chinese takeout. We eat that with sparkling grape juice in fancy glasses.

...my wife's family all gets the exact same pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve, wears them to bed and wakes up Christmas morning to her mom making crepes. They proceed to wear matching pajamas throughout the majority of the day.

Thinking about this over the past couple weeks has made me wonder if traditions have actually trapped the real meaning of Christmas. I don't think traditions are a bad thing, but I do think they need to point us to something bigger than the tradition itself. Is it possible that we have made Christmas more about traditions and less about God's gift to mankind? If Christmas is simply about traditions, we should call it "Traditiomas", dress-up like elves and give ourselves another excuse to go door-to-door asking for candy.

'Outside the Walls'

Be on the lookout for Outside the Walls, an online place designed for study & discussion to start in the next couple weeks. The purpose is to create connection and conversation around the study of Scripture and other relevant topics that impact our faith outside the physical walls of our churches. Right now it looks like studies/discussions will be Tuesday and/or Thursday evenings starting around 7 or 7:30pm EST.

Please drop a comment w/your feedback concerning topics for study & discussion, suggestions for days & times, and any other ideas or suggestions you might have. I would also be curious to know how many, if any of you might be interested in something like this or plan on joining us. Hope to see you there in a couple weeks.

http://livestream.com/outsidethewalls

Mercy and Justice

I just finished writing my last essay for this semester at Asbury Theological Seminary on the topic of Mercy and Justice. Parts of that essay are included below but what I really wanted to share was this video I came across and especially highlight the thoughts from Dr. Ben Witherington III ("Ben") talking about the same issues...



It is apparent throughout John Wesley’s ministry and theology that he was quite passionate about issues of mercy and justice. Wesley’s desire to preach the good news to the poor, reaching not only their spiritual needs but their physical needs as well, is what led him to the fields and marketplaces of his day seeing that his own church, The Church of England, was making no effort to do so. This is precisely why the majority of Wesley’s hearers were made up of poor laborers such as miners, quarrymen, iron smelters and soldiers. When speaking of the ad populum (the bulk of mankind) Wesley wrote in a letter to Dorothy Furley dated September 25, 1757, “I love the poor, in many of them I find pure, genuine grace, unmixed with paint, folly, and affectation.” The passion and love that Wesley had for the poor of his day is undeniable.

The issues of mercy and justice demand a response from us today, especially those who would consider themselves to be disciples of Jesus, regardless of denominational tradition. We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39) and when we stop to realize that everyone is our neighbor we can no longer ignore the injustice, persecution and poverty that is present all around us. This is a love that displays itself through actions of justice and gestures of mercy to “the least of these” as described by Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46, which typically are individuals who have no means of seeking justice and are often times shown no mercy. It is this “way of love” we must seek because without it “all we know, all we believe, all we do, all we suffer, will profit us nothing in the great day of accounts” (John Wesley, The More Excellent Way, 4.).

Stuck in the Middle

The United Methodist Church has, at various times, been described as the via media or the "middle way" when it comes to its place on the denominational spectrum. With its emphasis on grace it often times finds its ministry dwelling in the gray rather than the black or white. I believe this is one of the main reasons people are attracted to the ministry of the UMC (I know this is true for me as a pastor in it) because it creates a sense of openness and inclusiveness but I can also see where the emphasis on the "middle ground" could become a curse.

There are times when I wonder if the UMC has gotten stuck in the middle causing us to lose connection to some of our foundational beliefs, which is where the via media might become a curse. Has our focus on the middle made it seem as though we have no beliefs we are not willing to compromise on? Is it possible that one of the reasons for our decline in membership and worship attendance is that we've gotten lost in the gray as a denomination?

Having spent a considerable amount of time over the past few months reading a large number of John Wesley's sermons I can't help but see that he was clearly passionate about a number of issues which he saw as being black and white. It would be difficult to deny Wesley's emphasis on the presence of grace in an individual's life and the power of the Holy Spirit moving believers along in the process of sanctification and yet, how often do we talk about these things? Grace takes the "black" of accountability and the "white" of the expectation of holy living and mixes them together to make gray...but gray cannot exist without some black and white.

A Prayer of John Baillie

O Holy Spirit of God, visit now this soul of mine,
and tarry within it until eventide.
Inspire all my thoughts.
Pervade all my imaginations.
Suggest all my decisions.
Lodge in my will's most inward citadel and order all my doings.
Be with me in my silence and in my speech,
in my haste and in my leisure,
in company and in solitude,
in the freshness of the morning and in the weariness of the evening;
and give me grace at all times to rejoice in thy mysterious companionship.

~From A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie

A Time and A Place

I graduated from a small, evangelical, Christian liberal arts school called Taylor University located in Upland, IN in 2001. As an alumni, I receive in the mail an alumni newsletter about once a quarter. As I was reading the most recent issue I came across an article highlighting this past fall's Spiritual Renewal Week and the spontaneous "avalanche of student confessions that lasted for more than six hours" (Taylor, p. 9) which started after a student began confessing his sins to the assembled student body. All of this took place on the very first night of Spiritual Renewal Week.

I know that these types of public confessions are not specific to Taylor as my younger siblings, along with my wife and a number of our friends have had similar experiences at the various smaller Christian schools they currently attend or have graduated from but I wonder if there is an appropriate time and place for such a confession. Don't get me wrong, I believe in the importance of confession and its ability to bring about healing, forgiveness and freedom but I will say that I am not convinced confessing one's sins of various addictions to thousands of peers is the best avenue for such healing to begin.

Of course God can use such a time of confession but I can't help but wonder the long term implications of such public openness, not only for the individual confessing but the audience who is forced to do something with the sins that are confessed. Why does this seem to happen in a setting like this on a college campus but we hardly ever hear of this happening inside a church in front of a congregation? Is it possible that confession in a small group or even one-on-one setting might provide a healthier more intimate level of accountability, encouragement and support? What happens to the college student who confesses to a crowd of her peers about an addiction to drugs or porn and then walks off the stage? It would seem hard after hours and hours of an intense time of confession not to have 1, 2, 10, 20...50 students fall through the cracks of intentional follow-up, accountability and discipleship but maybe my personality causes me to avoid things like this.

The Third Space

There are plenty of discussions, studies and books around the idea of "The Third Place" and more specifically how the church fits into this idea of community. The main premise around the third space or place is that it is the place people come together to experience community outside of the home (the 1st place) and the workplace (the 2nd place).

One of the ways churches are creating a third place for people to experience community is by creating some sort of online experience. Some of these experiences include live streaming worship services, live chat features, and the use of social networking (ie. twitter and facebook groups). A couple churches that I think are doing this pretty well are Granger Community Church and The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection but of course there are many others which you may have checked out (if you know of any that do a good job of this please let us know). Our church is also live streaming a couple of our Sunday morning worship services and I'd say it's decent with the understanding that we've still got a little ways to go.

What I would be curious to hear is your thoughts on the idea of church online and if you think it can effectively serve as a "Third Place"? How willing would you be to "attend" a church online? Or maybe a virtual Bible study (something I have actually thought about starting)? I would love to hear your thoughts on this if you have any to share.

The Perfect Spot

We're in full holiday season swing which, if you attend a church, can mean two things (of course many more but I just want to highlight these two to make a point):

1. More than likely your church will see an increase in the number of first-time visitors on Sunday mornings. The Christmas season, like no other time during the year (minus Easter maybe) turns peoples' attention toward spiritual things. A lot of these people have no idea exactly what they mean when they think "spiritual" but if they haven't been misled by Oprah they might actually end-up at your church, so be ready!

2. Part of being ready for first-time visitors is NOT taking the BEST and CLOSEST parking spots in the church parking lot. What a simple and yet profound way to show your visitors hospitality. If you are physically able to park "far" away, you should seriously consider doing so during the Christmas season. What better time of year to do a simple thing that can make a HUGE difference for that single mom visiting your church for the first time who is trying to keep track of her kids. To think that her worry of them getting hit in the church parking lot could be that much less because she is that much closer to the door. HUGE! Do not underestimate the message this can send to your local community and guests that not only do you have a spot for them in the parking lot but in the church family as well. I know winter is cold but so is a church that doesn't have a place for visitors.

Giving Thankfully

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a chance to spend it with family and friends. If you're Thanksgiving festivities have been anything like mine they involved a generous amount of turkey, starches in various forms (mashed or perhaps candied with marshmallows), some things we call "salads" that few people would find in or put on an actual salad, hanging out with family that you don't get to see often enough and watching awful Detroit Lions football. Oh yeah, while being reminded to be thankful.

What if we were thankful for more than just today and instead it became an attitude we carried with us through the entire holiday season? Just taking a look at the word itself we see that it is about giving thanks, which of course makes sense because we have a ridiculous amount to be thankful for. The more I thought about this today the more I started to wonder if Thanksgiving might be a way to challenge us to give thankfully? Think about what a huge difference this could make on your perspective and mine during this time of year.

There are countless reasons why you and I can be thankful; the biggest reason is God's willingness, in his grace, to send Jesus on our behalf. Out of this deep sense of gratitude we become willing to "cheerfully" (2 Corinthians 9:7) give of ourselves because God has given so graciously to us. This is not simply about money but time, talents, service, prayer, relationships...our very selves...things that you and I can thankfully give as acts of giving thanks. Might be something to try this season and see what happens.

American Music Awards

First, let's not forget about the likes of artists such as Cher, Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, etc etc that have repeatedly pushed the envelope in live performances on various award shows before we get too wound-up about Adam Lambert's closing act of the American Music Awards last night.

Of course I found Lambert's "in the moment" choreography to be not only played out but offensive though what may have offended me even more (or at least the same amount) was the fact that he sounded awful. It's one thing to dance around "all suggestive-like" and sound decent, but it is a completely different thing to do so (quite poorly I might add) and sound horrible. Typically there is some sort of redeeming aspect of a performance that can be pointed out but in this case, everything was bad: costumes, set, theme, music, lyrics. I found myself wondering two things as I watched this disaster unfold; 1) Why in the world is this guy performing at the AMA's on the same stage as people like Whitney Houston? 2) Does he really have an album coming out?

As best I can remember, this is the first AMA's I've ever really watched and I must say that overall it was pretty bad. Most of the performances were not very good and everything sounded the same, whether it was the live performances or the nominees. I guess I never realized that the AMA's were so lame or maybe that's just because I'm picky about my music.

By Your Bootstraps

I know it's been a while since I've posted, my apologies. Work at the church combined with my schoolwork has kept me pretty busy the past week or so. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the down-time that is coming along with Thanksgiving.

6 weeks ago a person walked into our church on a Sunday morning for the first time. This individual was very different from the majority of the congregation, in more ways than one. He did not have a job, a car, a valid driver's license, a computer, a phone, money or friends. He was living with his parents and had no idea how to use a computer, let alone navigate the internet to find a job. He did have a felony record and a past that went with it from 20yrs of street life.

I've had the opportunity (and honestly the blessing) to befriend him and witness firsthand some of the things God has been doing in his life over these past 6 weeks. He recognizes that the life he was leading is not the life he wants anymore and he's been willing to do what it takes to become "legit", not only in the way he earns money but in his relationship with Christ. I am being reminded how significant even baby-steps can be...

...but this is not the biggest thing that has hit me so far from my relationship with him...

...I think I have come (or am quickly getting there) to the conclusion that the cycle of poverty, speaking specifically about the United States because that is where I live, is virtually impossible for an individual to break unless someone else steps in to help. How can we tell someone who not only has nothing in his favor but actually has things stacked against him that he has to "get out there and make it happen"? So many people don't even have a way to "get out there". We are telling people to pick themselves up by their bootstraps when in fact THEY DON'T EVEN OWN BOOTS!

Sure, my friend made some bad choices but so did you. Last I checked, the meaning of grace is getting something you don't deserve and if I remember correctly, that is exactly what Christ has called the Church to be about. We as Christians must step in the gap and be that grace by finding ways to break the cycle of poverty. James (2:14-18) reminds us that it is no longer enough to simply say "Good luck!" or "I hope that works out for you." because acknowledging someone's need is not the same as helping him fill it. This is a perfect time of year for God to remind me of exactly this.

The Weight of it All

Have you ever taken a moment to think about the crushing weight of sin that is present in our lives? It is a humbling thing to experience even just a portion of this burden which can instantly paralyze. I'm not sure how someone could think about the impact of sin in his or her life and not feel the gut wrenching sickness that being held in its vice-grip can bring. Sin has a destructive force that we cannot overcome on our own, which many of us know and yet, we still try. It is impossible to stand up on our own under this crushing weight and yet, we still try, leaving us to piece a fragmented life back together.

I was thinking about this the other day and was humbled by how far short I fall in trying to be like Jesus. Humbled is just a watered down way of saying that I could relate with Paul when he says, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24). I don't know about you but I am sick of sin in my life and the feelings of emptiness, guilt, and shame that come with it.

In steps Jesus.

Paul answers his own question, "Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:25). Jesus fills our emptiness, erases our guilt, takes our shame. It is Him and only Him who is able to pull us out from under the weight of sin and allow us to be truly free and completely whole. The One who is willing and able to bear the weight of it all desires to do so for you and I. Sin doesn't have to weigh us down anymore.

The Avett Brothers

I just can't seem to get enough of these guys right now.

"rethink: Salvation"

This is the outline of my sermon from Sunday (11/8) around salvation. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions.

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rethink: Salvation

A few weeks ago I gave a message challenging us to rethink a couple things, they were: sin, grace, church and evangelism. If you remember, the idea to "rethink" something is to either think about it again, as if maybe we haven’t thought about it in a while or to reconsider something in an entirely new way. I realized after having some conversations in the office over the past couple weeks that it's possible that not many of us ever think about salvation. We really don't use the word much, if at all and so I thought it might be good to rethink it.

I don't know where you are in your relationship with Christ but I would guess that you fit into one of these three generalized scenarios:

1. You would say that, for whatever reason, you do not have a relationship with Christ whatsoever. I'm also going to assume that you might be interested or at least open to the idea of what that might look like for you because you are sitting in a pew, in a church (or maybe reading my blog?).
2. You would say that you have a relationship with Christ but it is nominal at best. You could say that you are a Christian but that is about as far as it goes.
3. You would say that you have a relationship with Christ and that it is strong and growing as you attempt to be more and more like Him each day.

My hope is that regardless of whichever scenario you might consider yourself to be in, you will find some benefit from taking some time to think about salvation as I highlight these three points...

1. what Salvation saves us FROM
-Sin (Matthew 1:20-21; Romans 6:17-18)
*this is the power of sin over our lives
*we no longer have to be slaves to sin
*we can even be saved from the guilt of past sins
-Ourselves (1 John 1:8; Romans 3:23)
*in the first chapter of James he talks about a pattern of sin that starts with our own evil desires, which when full grown gives birth to....
-Death (Romans 6:23)
*notice the word "wage"...this is something we've earned
*this is a spiritual death that pervades every aspect of our lives: relationships, attitudes, and even our very soul

2. what Salvation saves us FOR
-Freedom (Galatians 5:1, 6; Matthew 11:28-30)
*each one of us clearly have things we need to be set free from
*Jesus is the only one that can truly set us free
-Now (2 Corinthians 6:1-2; Ephesians 2:1-10, 13; 3:17b-19)
*salvation is not some ticket to heaven that we simply hold onto while we sit in this "waiting room" we call life
*it saves us now to make an impact today
-Forever (Romans 6:22)
*it also saves us for eternity
*there is more to this than just the "here and now"
*salvation secures our eternity

3. what makes Salvation POSSIBLE
-Christ (Romans 3:22-24; John 3:17)
*the price that Jesus paid that day on the cross and His victory over death three days later
*the righteousness of Christ
-Faith (John 1:12; 3:16)
*not "good" works or being a "good" person because we'll never be good enough
*an act of faith that Christ really did pay the price for my sins
-Repentance (Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9; Romans 10:9-10)
*which involves confessing we need a savior
*the idea of repentance is to turn in the opposite direction, to do a 180
*John Wesley said, "Whatever your sins might be, "though red like crimson," though more than the hairs of your head, "return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on you, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
-Acceptance (Romans 6:23; Revelation 3:20)
*like any free gift, you have the option to accept or reject
*for some of you, Jesus may have been knocking on the door of your heart for some time
*the question you have to deal with is whether or not you will open the door and let Him in?

James 5

The 5th and final part of our five week study through the book of James. I have always enjoyed the book of James because it is short, to the point and extremely practical. I hope you have found this study to be helpful in some way as you spend some time studying this book of the Bible. Don't hesitate to share any questions, thoughts or comments you might have.

James 5

Vs 1-6: this passage is addressing issues of equality and fairness while keeping in mind the dangers of wealth and possessions. More than likely James is addressing rich non-believers as they abuse power and authority by taking advantage of others in order to maintain a certain level of living or lifestyle. (2:5-6) This also serves as a reminder to the believer not to get caught up in wealth or "things". (1 Tim. 6:10; Rom 12:1-2)

Vs 7-11: early and late rains remind us of the need for patience as we go through "seasons" in life that will eventually change (2 Pet 3:8-10). This is not a passive form of patience but rather James is calling us to action by having courage and strengthening our hearts which can bring about peace and justice. Grumbling against one another is not living in patience.

Vs 12: (Matt. 5:34-37) the oaths that James is talking about are oaths that people would make verbally and then back out of through some legal loophole. Similar to the fine print we come across in various legal documents, warranties, etc. This really becomes a matter of honesty and goes back to the words we use and the power of the tongue, as James mentioned in chapter 3.

Vs 13-18: prayer is a powerful tool in the good times and bad. Confession can bring about healing, as well as praying for each other. Looking back at 4:2-3, we see that our motives going into prayer really do make a difference.

Vs 19-20: the power that you and I have to bring back a lost believer is humbling and yet also a significant responsibility. (1 Tim 4:16)

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations: Extravagant Generosity

The fifth and final part in our series through the book by Robert Schnase entitled, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. The topic is Extravagant Generosity. If you have any thoughts you would like to share, comment below.

Extravagant Generosity

"The money talk"...no really likes to do it or have to listen to it. Part of me wonders if it's because we aren't really sure how to address the issue. Schnase says that generosity is how a Christian demonstrates his or her unselfishness in a way that makes a positive impact for Christ (112). I think giving should be talked about in a way that helps people see it is simply one aspect of what it means to follow Christ. "Growing in the grace of giving is part of the Christian journey of faith, a response Christian disciples offer to God's call to make a difference in the world" (Schnase, 107).

Giving of ourselves (time, treasure and talents) helps us prioritize our lives. Being willing to practice giving provides us with a perspective that is outside ourselves, that sees others needs before our own. Just as Jesus did. It also helps us value the things that are truly valuable, to make heavenly things our "treasure" (Matthew 6:19-24). Paul tells Timothy that generosity helps us to take hold of "the life that is truly life" (1 Timothy 6:6-19).

So often when we talk about money, we put a heavy emphasis on tithing. I wonder if we are missing the point by doing that. I'm not saying giving 10% is wrong or bad but I'm not quite convinced that is the model we should be shooting for. The word "tithe" doesn't really show up in the New Testament and yet clearly Jesus emphasized the importance of sacrificial giving. What would happen if we focused on the idea of sacrificial giving instead of a certain %? Jesus doesn't tell the rich young man to give 10%, instead He tells him to give all he has (Matthew 19:16-24). I'm thinking this might be another post for another time...

James 4

Week 4 of 5 in our study through James. Post your thoughts, questions or comments below.

James 4

Vs 1-6 "Friendship w/the World": notice that the conflicts are a result of what is inside us, the desires that lead us away and into sin against God and one another (1:14-15). Paul talks about this struggle in Romans 7:14-20. James goes on to talk about "wrong motives" and I can't help but wonder if this is something we should be challenged by when it comes to our prayer life. There is a strong statement made about friendship with the world and how it leads to becoming an enemy of God and the jealousy with which God desires to know us and us to know Him. What types of worldly things have you and I allowed to compromise our friendship with God?

Vs 2: in the Greek "conflict" = make war

Vs 3: in the Greek "wrongly" = badly, wickedly

Vs 7-10: one of my favorite passages of Scripture. We see another pattern here that James is presenting which leads to God lifting us up...submission > resisting the devil > drawing near to God > repentance > live with humility > God not only lifts but sustains. I LOVE the idea that you and I can actually resist the devil to the point of making him actually wanting to flee from us. This, of course, is not done on our own power but through the power of the Holy Spirit, helping us not only resist the devil but to draw near to God. The other idea I LOVE is that God would actually be willing to draw near to us. The thought that the pure and holy God would even want anything to do with me let alone come close to me is mind-blowing! We've got to ask ourselves what we are doing to draw near to God, it takes action. "Drawing near" is not a passive thing, it is a deliberate act. How deliberate are your acts of drawing near to God?

Vs 11-12: we are reminded again of the power and importance of our words. Again, how much hurt could be avoided if we would simply be "slow to speak" and "quick to listen".

Vs 13-16: we deceive ourselves if we ever think that our time is actually our own. As if somehow we could ever do anything to bring about or get back any moment. C.S. Lewis writes in his book The Screwtape Letters, "Man can neither make, nor retain, one moment of time; it all comes to him by pure gift".

Vs 17: might be one of my favorite verses. Simple. Clear. Real.