When you finally stop caring about the Joneses

I preached on Sunday about "Keeping up with the Joneses". That's what they called it where I come from. You know, when you live your life trying to have and do what others have and do. The Bible calls it coveting. We covet our neighbors possessions, income, house, cars, spouse, kids, success, job. There are a million things to covent, some material, some relational.

It seems as though the material stuff gets in our way the most, though. We live in a world with newer and flashier gadgets than ever before. Advertisers market to our lust for more or our lust for what everyone else has. Just think about the commercial..."If you don't have and iPhone, well, you don't have an iPhone." They're basically saying, "You're not cool like everyone else. You HAVE to get one." We know that's not true, but we struggle with it. Sometimes, I'm not even sure we understand who powerful this influence is to "keep up w/ the Joneses." We buy a house because everyone else says that's the thing to do, when we should be renting an apartment and saving money. We get the latest phone or iPad or laptop. We HAVE to get that flatscreen. We go out to eat and buy designer clothes when we have a full pantry and a full closet...because it just seems like we ought to and that's what everyone does.

The problem that a lot of people don't get about this seductive force is that it handcuffs us from doing what God wants. It inhibits our giving to our local church. It puts a roadblock in front of our ability to help the poor and serve the community and world. It simply thwarts our generosity. We simply can't be generous because our money is tied up in all these things we've convinced ourselves that we need. That's why I was pretty amazed when I read a story about UGA football coach Mark Richt.

Now, if you know me, you know that I'm pretty nuts about Georgia Football. And I love Mark Richt. I really love him when he wins a lot of games. More importantly, I respect him greatly as a man, this story would stick out to me even if he was the coach for one of our rivals. Basically, it was reported that he had his recently built lakehouse up for sale. One website reported that this was a sign that he was preparing to be fired at the end of the season. An ajc beat writer went to Richt to get the real story. His comments were astounding in this day and age:

“Within the last year, I read this book, “The Hole in Our Gospel,”
written by Richard Stearns. He’s the president of World Vision, U.S. I think
people understand who World Vision is but, basically, they help the poor.
Through their organization, you can help children, you can help build wells, you
can buy them donkeys, whatever people need. World Vision helps people across the world. Well, anyway, there was a lot of statistical data in there about the
amount of people that live on a dollar a day around this world. Billions of
people. So I’m reading this book and it really affected me. It helped me realize
that what we have is way more than we need and that our ability to give is
hindered by this property. I guess that’s the best way to tell you. We just
wanted to be in a better position to give and bless people that don’t have
anything. We felt like this was one way to be able to do that.”

Look, you and I probably don't make $3 mil. a year like Mark Richt. Let me rephrase that. I know I don't. You probably don't, either. However, it's pretty common for big-time coaches to have second lake or mountain houses. It's what you do if you make that kind of money. It's amazing to me that Richt has the inner understanding that 'the normal life of a coach' was taking away from his ability to give and bless others. He goes on:

“This book just talks about how much of that is going on around the
world and, if it was sitting right outside our door, what would we do about it?
It’s a very compelling book. Compelling enough for me to say, ‘you know what, I
don’t want to pour money into a home like that when I can use it for better
things, for eternal things.’ It was just very alarming to find out what’s going
on out there and we need to do something about it.”

What is inhibiting you from being generous? From tithing? From blessing others? From doing what God is calling you to do? Some people say that money is personal...and it is. Some people say that God or the church shouldn't be worried about your money. Okay, you can hold that opinion if you want. But the God's will for us and our money is that it would be just another tool through which we live in His will. And the question we have to ask ourselves is this:

Am I as free as Mark Richt when it comes to my money or am I in bondage to my money and possessions?

You can read the whole article here: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2011/05/25/mark-richt-says-decision-to-sell-lake-hartwell-property-was-christian-motivated/

Thanks, guys

Just a thanks to all those that serve and have served to give us the freedom we all enjoy. A happy and safe Memorial Day to all!

Baptism Sunday!

Congrats to Gina & Tyler on your baptism. Awesome day today!

Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Tragedy. It is a cruel reality of life. Word spread quickly throughout the Archer Community this morning that an Archer student had died tragically in a drowning accident on Saturday. Everyone who heard the news was stunned. It is tragic. It's the only word I can come up with -- tragic.

I thought of two things when I heard the news.

1. There will be some people who will mistakenly say that it was just this young man's time or that God just "needed him more that we did." That's ludicrous. God's not in the business of killing teenage boys. God is not pleased with death. Death breaks His heart. God's will was that we would never die. God's plan was that we humans would live forever. But when Adam and Eve made that first mistake, just what God said would happen happened -- death came. God is not an evil God that kills people or takes people. God's heart breaks with us and for us when we lose a loved one because it is another reminder to Him of how this world took a wrong turn. That's why he sent Jesus. That's why he's in the process of redeeming this world again through Jesus. That's why Jesus offers life. That's why Jesus defeated death. Death wins no more. Jesus is the answer to the problem of death. In Christ, we die no more. We live for Him on this earth and with Him in eternity. And, one day, death will be no more -- because of Jesus.

2. The other thing I thought is how some people will understandably want to blame God for this. Sometimes we live under the illusion that we are immune from tragedy. It's just not so. There are no promises from God that life will be honky dory. There are no promises from God that we will escape tragedy. Just because we put our faith in God doesn't mean that we'll be protected from all that is ugly in the world. But when we blame God, we misunderstand His promises. He never promised that this would be easy. But He does promise to be with us. He promises to walk alongside us. He promises to love us and never leave us. He promises to give us hope in despair and peace in anguish. He promises His presence.

Know that this is not the work of a sinister God taking a young man. And this is not God abandoning us. This is a reminder that we live in a broken world. Know that God is big enough for your questions and gentle enough to dry your tears. But, most of all, know that He is here, amidst the tragedy. Just as the Psalmist wrote thousands of years ago:

"Though I walk through the vally of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil, for you are with me."
Psalm 23:4

Hard Work

I've never really been much of an NBA guy, but I'm intrigued by the NBA playoffs and excited about the Finals, namely because of Dirk Nowitzki. I've enjoyed watching LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh with the Heat, too, as they've sacrificed personal stardom to be a part of a better team. But Nowitzki's been unbelievable. He's a very talented player, but he's excelled because of hard work. I grew up in a time of Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, two of the most notoriously hard workers in sports history.

The truth is, no matter what your field is, you're going to be working with or competing against talented people. Often, hard work will separate the good from the great. Nowitzki spends hours in the gym perfecting his shot. Bird and Jordan were known for spending hours alone working on moves and shots. They weren't just talented, they were relentless workers. Do we work that hard at perfecting our craft? Do we spend hours getting better, even if we've already achieved some of our goals. Are we satisfied with good when we might could be great.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." You might not compete for a World Championship, but God has called you to do something...to be something. God has given you a talent and place in the world. Are you putting in the extra mile to be the absolute best you can be? We all want God to bless us, but are we willing to bless Him by following His word to do what we do with all our might? Sometimes, the answer is simply what your folks always told you -- Hard Work.

Commencement

So, it ends for many today...sort of. Last day of school. Seniors graduate from high school today. Eighth graders graduate from Middle School. Fifth graders graduate from Elementary School. My oldest little guy graduates from Kindergarten. Next year, on to 1st grade! But graduation isn't an end.

Have you ever noticed that they call graduation "Commencement." To commence something is to begin something. Graduation isn't an ending, it's a beginning. It's commencing on a journey in life, a new path. The truth is there is no ending until we take our last breath.

There isn't a time we get to stop. We never stop growing, changing, evolving. Now, the question is whether we're growing in the right direction. Are we changing for the better or for the worse?

The cool thing about God is that He gives us a chance to graduate to a new life in Jesus. In fact, he says in the Bible that when Christ comes into our lives, we are a new creation. I guess you could say we graduate from our former life and 'commence' our new one. In this new life, we don't have to hold onto our former life, our shortcomings and mistakes. We don't have to go on with our past. We can leave our past behind. Now, this is really cool. God is always ready to give us a fresh start. Maybe you got a fresh start a long time ago and got derailed. Whenever you're ready, he's ready for your 'commencement.'

My prayer today for graduates and kindergartners and all the students going onto their next step in the journey would be that this would be a new beginning. That this would be a fresh start for growth and new horizons. My prayer for all of us would be that we take his offer for a commencement. Are you ready to graduate to a new era in your life? He is.

Do as I do

This past Sunday I talked about some parenting issues. The truth is, every parent needs to keep seeking to improve. I know I do. I think one of the biggest issues for parents the issue of authenticity. Sometimes you hear parents say, "Do as I say, not as I do." You know, parents want their kids to be better than them. They don't want their kids to make the same mistakes they made. And they want their kids to live out their values, not necessarily their lifestyle. But kids are just smarter than that. I recently read a quote in SUCCESS magazine by Peter Buffett, the son of investor Warren Buffett, one of the world's most wealthy men:

"I've lived an extraordinary life, not because of my father's money but
because of the exemplary life he's live as an example to me."

That's a powerful statement. Our example means everything. It doesn't matter if you have a 4 year-old or a 14 year-old, kids can see right through a hypocrite. Kids know when our lifestyles don't line up with our language. In the end, it won't matter what we say. However, it will matter immensely what we do. The Bible says it this way: "Do not merely listen to the word...Do what it says" (James 1:22). Kids need more than lip service. Kids need more than just direction on how to live. Kids need to SEE how to live. They need to see us struggle with the issues they struggle with. They need to see us overcome our fears and deal with disappointment. And, most importantly, kids need to see integrity -- that our actions match up with our words.

Years from now our words will have been forgotten a hundred times over, but our actions will anchor themselves in the minds of our kids. May those of us that are parents make sure that our actions are the kind of actions we want to be remembered.

A Little John Wesley Love

I'm a United Methodist Pastor. Now, I'm kind of the rock-n-roll type, but that's the tribe I belong to. Christians are all on the same team, but you have to pick one and that's the one that God led me to.

Anyway, John Wesley is kind of the father of Methodism. He's what John Wayne is to Westerns and what The Allman Brothers are the Southern Rock. So, what's the deal with Wesley? I don't talk about him that much, but this is the time. May 24 is called "Aldersgate Day" with Methodists. It was the day a long time ago that John Wesley on Aldersgate St. in England felt his heart 'strangely warmed.' It was the moment that he got it...that it all made sense.

And I think that's important for every one of us. Down here in the Deep South, it's hard to find people who don't have some experience with church. And a lot of people are raised in church. Still, everyone has to have a moment that "they got it." A moment it "all makes sense." Maybe you've known about Jesus and the cross for a long time. Maybe you know some Bible stories by heart. But my hope is that you would have a moment that it hits home. Folks like us don't get days named after us and we probably won't launch a denomination off of our life-change, but it might just be the most important day of our lives.

Be blessed and may your heart be 'strangely warmed.'

The End of the World as We Know It

Surely you've heard of Harold Camping. If not, he's the person that started all this May 21st end of the world stuff. He predicted for years that this past Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 6 p.m. the rapture would take place and millions of Christians would be taken.

I was having dinner with my family at a park at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Now, I'll have to admit that there was a part of me that thought, "What in the world am I going to do if the sky opens up. Good Lord, I'd probably have a heart attack." Everything seemed pretty quiet to me, though. Of course, Camping said he was 'flabbergasted' that Jesus didn't return when he thought he would. He couldn't believe it. He was beside himself, upset and disappointed. He was confused.

I just thought..."Really?" You mean, you were disappointed that you don't know the one thing that only God knows? In an article in the AJC, one person who lives in the same town as Camping said this:

''It's given people who hate Christianity an excuse to hate it even more,"
she said. "People can just paint with broad brush strokes."

That really says it, doesn't it. I don't know Harold Camping. I'm sure he's a fine man. I'll bet he means well. And I find no amusement or joy when fellow Christians beat up on each other. But, if I could sit down with him over a glass of sweet tea and some fried chicken I'd say, "Harold, you're not helping the team. You're hurting us." This is the reason so many unbelieving people don't believe, because we Christians often seem crazy and unattached from normal life and culture. It's assanine to think that you know when Jesus is coming back. I have no idea and I've read it over a million times in the Bible. No one knows. What I do know is that my job until I die or until He does return is to love God with all that I am and love my neighbor as myself. My mission is to treat people the way I want to be treated, to put others first and serve the community. My heart is to live with integrity, clarity, and His purposes. I think that's what changes lives. I don't think scaring people or trying to predict the end of the world works. I think it's a huge turn-off, and it only gives those outside the church more fuel for the fire.

So, if you're journey has you in a place where you're not sure about Jesus yet, I want you to know that we're not all like Harold Camping. He was wrong. Heck, sometimes I'm wrong. We're not perfect. Christians are broken and sometimes confused. We struggle to have it all figured out, too. But most of us aren't predicting the end of the world. Most of us are normal folks trying to be who God wants us to be.

By the way, if you want to read the whole article it's here: http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/harold-camping-flabbergasted-rapture-954932.html.

And, of course, he's not said that he was off by a few months. It's really coming in October. Man, some people have a hard time admitting they're wrong.

We mess...He fixes

Boy, we messed things up. I was reading the first three chapters of Genesis today, and I realized what a colossal mess we made of the world. You know the story. Adam and Eve choose to disobey God, and that one decision turns everything upside down. Up to that point, no one died, even the animals for all we know. People were vegetarians and walked around naked with no shame because we had not learned to objectify people yet. It was pure. Then we sinned.

Everything changed. Humans became aware of their nakedness and even hid from God. We tried to blame others for our mistakes and shunned responsibility. And God made some interesting declarations. The most striking of which comes to the man when He says, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you willeat of it all th days of your life...By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground." (Gen. 3:17 & 19)

We weren't supposed to have to work. Ain't that a doozy. God was our provider. I mean, ultimately, that's why you work, right? Because you've got to eat. You've got to live. In a world with perfect weather and you walk around naked because you're not ashamed and all your food is provided for you and you don't feel threat from any animals because there is harmony in the world...you don't need to work. You just enjoy being with God. Like I said, we really messed things up.

But God, in His nature, is a fixer. The most beautiful part of the story of the Fall of Humankind to me is found in Gen. 3:21, "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." They had made fig leaves. He made something better. He sacrificed the first animal to cover their shame. He did it better than they did and set the stage for an eternal fixing. There would be more animals sacrificed to take away the shame of His people. Countless lambs and bulls and pigeons and goats. Then there would be one big sacrifice to cover up all our shame for all time. Because God is a fixer.

Maybe you messed up your life. Maybe you took it in the wrong direction. Maybe you've tried to cover it up. Won't you let Him fix it. He's been trying to fix our problems since the beginning. That doesn't mean that everything is perfect again, but it does mean that there is no more shame. You are free to live shame-free because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Do it. Stop trying to cover it up on your own.

Back in the Saddle

Okay, so I'm going to give this blogging thing a real run for it's money. I want to do it. It's just that it takes time. That's probably not the biggest thing, though. I've had several friends tell me that I need to get serious about blogging. Despite their prompting, something's been holding me back.

1. I'm not sure I'll be good at it.


2. I'm not sure I can or want to commit the time to do it successfully.


3. This is the biggest one...I'm not sure anyone cares.

There is this weird thing about social media -- there is a sense of self importance tied to it. I mean, you have to believe that people actually care what you have to say. And I just don't know if they do. I'm just a dude. My family knows I'm a big goof-off. Does anybody really care what I have to say? But God's been doing something in me lately. And I've realized something: it's not about me.

I pastor a great church - Church of the Way. I preach there every Sunday. And people show up not to hear what I have to say, but to hear what God has to say through me, and that's a big difference. And I guess the short answer is to say that I think God has more to say through me, and I don't have enough time on Sunday morning to get it all out.

The other thing is that I'm fully coming to terms with my role as a leader. Sometimes I look in the mirror and all I see is the same kid I was in high school -- with a few more wrinkles and many more gray hairs (hey, that's why I shave them off!). And I have a role as a leader to lead. it doesn't matter what I see in the mirror. It doesn't matter if I see a 34 year-old and wonder what a 50 year-old has to learn from me. What matters is that God has called me to lead. I'm reminded of 1 Tim. 4:12 when the Apostle Paul says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you're young." I was looking down on myself, and letting that cause me to not lead. One of the best ways to lead for me is writing. In a sense, I'm a writer. Yes, I have to deliver sermons, but I write them first. I spend most of my time writing. So, I'm going to write.

Now, everything I say isn't from God. I mean, that's the goal, right? But I'm just a guy. And I don't want to post on a bunch of stuff that's all 'super-spiritual.' That's not life. Life is made up of a bunch of stuff, but what I think we find is that Jesus wants to be involved in it all. So there. This is a way for me to lead. I want to lead people to find the way to God. I want to lead people to become deeply devoted followers of Jesus. If all this helps one person have a better day - great. If it helps people in our church and community get through the week - great. If it opens me up as a person - great. And maybe, just maybe, God will use me to change someone's life. Maybe someone who doesn't even live around here but got sent a link by a friend of a friend of a friend. I want to help people and lead people. That's simply what I've felt God call me to do.

So I'm going to give it a shot.