Was able to have lunch with a couple old friends today, well one old friend and one new. Sometimes, all the time, its good to know that there are people, just like you, goin through the same trials, struggles, temptaions, and other junk that you are. I guess thats why Paul loved having Barnabas around so much, he was just a good encouragement. Someone who lifted Paul's spirits when he got down, when he was in prison, when he was getting beat for preaching the Christ crucified.
So to those who encourage...thanks!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Thursday, August 21, 2008
"Back to school, back to school"
"Back to school, back to school to prove to dad that I'm not a fool. I've got my lunch packed up my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight. OOH' back to school, back to school, back to school." Ahhhhh, back to school. Billy Madison said it best!
I'm gonna make this as clear as I possibly can, school is one of the best and most needed things any human can possibly participate in; and one of my least favorite things!
The ability to attain knowledge and learn from those who have turned their knowledge into wisdom and become wise, is not a privilege that most have. I forget the exact statistic, so it may be wrong to even try, but it goes something like this. As we graduate high school, high school, HIGH SCHOOL, we are more educated than some 65% of the rest of the world!
But, our ability to attain knowledge has surpassed our desire. We desire to be wise, not knowledgeable, we desire to be a philosopher but with nothing to philosoph about. We have the desire to put what we know into practice when it counts, but no desire learn how to do that. No desire to take the time to learn the things of God.
I'm starting seminary this fall, my first class was today actually. Excited? Sure. My struggle is this, I enjoy knowledge, but just like everyone else I enjoy the benefits so much more. Of course I want to be knowledgeable about the things of God, but I desire to be wise more than that. I guess what I have to realize, maybe what you have to realize, is that wisdom does not come without knowledge, and knowledge without practice is...knowledge. These, wisdom and knowledge, go hand in hand.
I pray as I go through these few classes that I will not be selfish and think only of myself. I pray that God would give me only what He knows is best, right, pure, truth. I pray that my desire to be a wise man of God will be fueled by my knowledge of Him and His grace!
I'm gonna make this as clear as I possibly can, school is one of the best and most needed things any human can possibly participate in; and one of my least favorite things!
The ability to attain knowledge and learn from those who have turned their knowledge into wisdom and become wise, is not a privilege that most have. I forget the exact statistic, so it may be wrong to even try, but it goes something like this. As we graduate high school, high school, HIGH SCHOOL, we are more educated than some 65% of the rest of the world!
But, our ability to attain knowledge has surpassed our desire. We desire to be wise, not knowledgeable, we desire to be a philosopher but with nothing to philosoph about. We have the desire to put what we know into practice when it counts, but no desire learn how to do that. No desire to take the time to learn the things of God.
I'm starting seminary this fall, my first class was today actually. Excited? Sure. My struggle is this, I enjoy knowledge, but just like everyone else I enjoy the benefits so much more. Of course I want to be knowledgeable about the things of God, but I desire to be wise more than that. I guess what I have to realize, maybe what you have to realize, is that wisdom does not come without knowledge, and knowledge without practice is...knowledge. These, wisdom and knowledge, go hand in hand.
I pray as I go through these few classes that I will not be selfish and think only of myself. I pray that God would give me only what He knows is best, right, pure, truth. I pray that my desire to be a wise man of God will be fueled by my knowledge of Him and His grace!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Blahh...
Ever wake up with that, blahhh, feeling? This morning I woke up with a really dry and scratchy throat, I couldn't breath through my nose, I had a bit of a headache, I just felt like blahhh. It didn't help that the morning was kinda dreary and my wife turned the lights on as I was trying to wake up, (That's the worst you know! Trying to take your time waking up and someone turns the lights on thinking they're helping out; that just makes it ten times worse! My mom always did this to me when I didn't wake up for school, serves me right I suppose).
Its a shame that we don't feel the same way when we're living in sin; or when we do feel that way we ignore it.
These past couple Wednesday nights in youth I've been leading discussions on questions that are burning in the hearts of the teenagers. They give me their questions and we take Wednesday evenings and discuss them trying to come up with some sort of answer. Last nights question was quite fitting, "Why is the world so attractive?"
When thinking about these questions its sometimes easier to ask the same question in other ways, thus making this question look something like this, "Why is it attractive to sin?", or "Why is it a desire to sin?", or "Why is it attractive to drink, smoke, lie, gossip, curse, live in lust?". Whats so attractive about these things that we choose them over the goodness of God?
Its been fun trying to answer these questions with the teenagers. What I've found is that they know the answers, which is sort of a relief, now we can struggle together to make the answers not just answers but ways to battle the desires of our flesh. How? Psalm 119:11 and Hebrews 5:14.
Its a shame that we don't feel the same way when we're living in sin; or when we do feel that way we ignore it.
These past couple Wednesday nights in youth I've been leading discussions on questions that are burning in the hearts of the teenagers. They give me their questions and we take Wednesday evenings and discuss them trying to come up with some sort of answer. Last nights question was quite fitting, "Why is the world so attractive?"
When thinking about these questions its sometimes easier to ask the same question in other ways, thus making this question look something like this, "Why is it attractive to sin?", or "Why is it a desire to sin?", or "Why is it attractive to drink, smoke, lie, gossip, curse, live in lust?". Whats so attractive about these things that we choose them over the goodness of God?
Its been fun trying to answer these questions with the teenagers. What I've found is that they know the answers, which is sort of a relief, now we can struggle together to make the answers not just answers but ways to battle the desires of our flesh. How? Psalm 119:11 and Hebrews 5:14.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Here's me, found in Christ!
So, I'm totally new to this whole blogging thing, we'll see how it goes! But I guess the whole purpose and philosophy behind this craze would be to get my thoughts, ideas, questions, and purpose out into this, sometimes dark world.
Here's me; born and raised in small town Missouri, I'd have it no other way! Brought up by two of the most God loving, God fearing parents I know and shown the love and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Playing soccer, running, hunting, driving that old '82 red pick-up, trying to stay out of trouble while always finding it. I remember finding my worth, my value, in these things! If I had a bad game, it was the worst day of my life! If I didn't get to go run, I'd be in a bad mood until I was able to! I remember one time I made bad grades and my dad wouldn't take me hunting with him, I was quite upset! And that dang pick-up was the root of most of my trouble, it was my personal country song, ran off in the middle of the night with the "girl of your dreams" got stuck in the mud 10 miles from home, only to have to walk home and explain to dad what the heck you were thinken! "What was I thinken!" That really is a country song!
But then something happened, something only God would allow to happen. I heard the words "Now I know what it means to live for someone else, to give up myself". And when I say I heard the words, I don't just mean I listened to those words, like so many words just go in. I heard these words! I knew that in that moment they were intended for me to hear and not just listen to, and at the same time had no idea what they meant! I had no idea what it meant to LIVE for someone else, namely Christ Jesus.
The story is huge from that point on, the work of Christ Jesus in my life has been revealing and painful, but filled with grace. Christ has shown Matthias the meaning of 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 when Paul reminds the Corinthian church that "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." It doesn't matter how good I play, how fast I run, how many deer I shoot, what car/truck I drive. It doesn't even matter that I play, or if I run, if I shoot a deer or drive anything; Christ has called to so much more than the things of the world.
So here's me, struggling every day to find my weight in Christ Jesus.
Here's me; born and raised in small town Missouri, I'd have it no other way! Brought up by two of the most God loving, God fearing parents I know and shown the love and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Playing soccer, running, hunting, driving that old '82 red pick-up, trying to stay out of trouble while always finding it. I remember finding my worth, my value, in these things! If I had a bad game, it was the worst day of my life! If I didn't get to go run, I'd be in a bad mood until I was able to! I remember one time I made bad grades and my dad wouldn't take me hunting with him, I was quite upset! And that dang pick-up was the root of most of my trouble, it was my personal country song, ran off in the middle of the night with the "girl of your dreams" got stuck in the mud 10 miles from home, only to have to walk home and explain to dad what the heck you were thinken! "What was I thinken!" That really is a country song!
But then something happened, something only God would allow to happen. I heard the words "Now I know what it means to live for someone else, to give up myself". And when I say I heard the words, I don't just mean I listened to those words, like so many words just go in. I heard these words! I knew that in that moment they were intended for me to hear and not just listen to, and at the same time had no idea what they meant! I had no idea what it meant to LIVE for someone else, namely Christ Jesus.
The story is huge from that point on, the work of Christ Jesus in my life has been revealing and painful, but filled with grace. Christ has shown Matthias the meaning of 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 when Paul reminds the Corinthian church that "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." It doesn't matter how good I play, how fast I run, how many deer I shoot, what car/truck I drive. It doesn't even matter that I play, or if I run, if I shoot a deer or drive anything; Christ has called to so much more than the things of the world.
So here's me, struggling every day to find my weight in Christ Jesus.
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