Delivered message on the Supremacy of Christ as guest speaker at Southside Baptist on June 28th, 2015.
You Can Breathe Now
It HAS to be something! An angel! A sign from heaven! An answer to prayer! There’s more to this life. In noticing the reactions online to a rare weather phenomenon called a “Fire Rainbow”, I’m reminded of the hope of heaven, and the longing of creation to see redemption.
When a loved one dies in Jesus, isn’t it a wonderful thought to think that they may be looking down at us from heaven? While the grief is gut wrenching and we want to have our loved ones back with us, knowing they are with Christ moves our heart to long for the eternal.
This longing is worldwide. Every one wants something more, something deeper. It comes with a realization, after chasing a dream for years, even decades, that a dream without eternity in mind is often short-lived, and somehow misses the mark of what we seek. Maybe it’s a financial dream. Retirement? There is joy in seeing people do things they have worked all their lives to attain. All that hustle for a few decades of healthy (maybe) relaxation and rest? Maybe it’s a career dream. Then the bottom falls out and you’re without a job and with mouths to feed, including your own, you know there’s something more than living for a paycheck.
The fire rainbow reminds me of a collective gasp for air in all of us. There’s a God-shaped hole nothing else can fill. C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity writes, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
Romans 8:18-25 make things clearer:
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
In short, this desire is something only God himself can fulfill. That hope and fulfillment is found in his Son Jesus Christ and the forgiveness made available to us. Jesus is the ultimate breath in our lungs. Even as the beauty of the skies are but a glimpse of the true glory to be revealed in the Son of God in his salvation to those that know him on that day. We wait with patience, for the sons of God to be revealed on that day. You can have a relationship with God through Jesus today. Live life for God now. Don’t wait. Give him your best years now. Amen, Come Lord Jesus.
Why I Celebrate America’s Independence
Freedom is given to us by our Creator. The founders of our great nation knew this. The God of heaven also has graciously bestowed upon those who know him amazing freedom. We are free to confess our sin. We are free to be forgiven. We are free to love others. We are free to approach such a loving God, from which peace was made through the sacrificial blood of Christ.
America, in particular, the thirteen colonies who boldly set out to declare freedom from a leader who hailed themselves as a princely person, yet ruled with tyranny, knew inherently that to be free, a price would be paid. Removing themselves from a heavy-handed ruler, who imposed taxes without consent, rendered impotent a legislature powerless to act against his rule, burned towns and let mercenaries get away with murder of America’s citizens through sham court proceedings, America could stand under such tyranny no more. That’s the American spirit. According to this Declaration of Independence,
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
How far we have come! I know this same American spirit resides still in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Such bravery and freedom among those citizens of these United States must not shrink back when presented once again with tyranny. Indeed many have given all for such freedom. This is why I celebrate Independence Day. There is hope for America. It lies within the freedom endowed by our Creator. Let us stand united together, under one nation, under God, indivisibe, with liberty and justice for all! Happy Independence Day!
The Heart of A Father
Delivered message on The Heart of A Father as guest speaker at Southside Baptist Church on Father’s Day, June 21st, 2015.
Lots of Junk
Cleanliness is next to Godliness. As much as you might think, this statement is not in the Bible. You may have already known this to be true but I write this to simply make sure all the messy people out there (including me!) are off the hook. Well, not exactly, but what does it matter? Quite a bit. We actually get the quote from John Wesley from a sermon of his. So there’s truth to the statement about being clean and honoring God through that. So being aware of the mess in our lives is important. It does matter.
I was recently part of a cleaning effort in our church. It’s amazing how much “stuff” (I’ll be nice and not call it Jesus Junk ‘cause Jesus don’t make no junk right?) I digress. Lots of items were tossed into a huge dumpster that would be hauled off to the place where they put the holy trash. Hold on. Church trash is just like everyone else’s. Ok so not so holy. Looking into every nook and cranny, we dispersed of old furniture, filing boxes, plants that had seen their better day, and lots and lots of “why are we hangin’ on to that” type of stuff.
It reminded me of the cleaning we all must do in our lives to remain clean. It’s not what on the outside that makes a person unclean. In fact, Jesus himself pointed out to the religious leaders of his day (think preachers, pastors, Bible study teachers, etc) that what makes a person unclean comes from the heart. (Full disclosure: I’m a pastor) It is decidedly a spiritual matter. (Matthew 23:25-26) Let me be clear, there is nothing that we can do on our own to make our heart “clean” spiritually before a holy God. Christ alone can do this. But I do think of Paul’s challenge to the church to “rid ourselves of such things as these” of which he included anger, rage, malice, and so on. (Colossians 3:8).
My point is simple. God has reminded me that Christ has purified my heart, but there are always areas that I need to clean up. But cleaning needs to be done on a regular basis. When we don’t clean, the junk just piles up. Don’t let the junk pile up. I’m reminded of the verse in James 5:16, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Like the sign on the truck, “Got Junk”? We need to say Yes! And then confess to God our need for Christ, and seek to be lovingly held accountable by close friends so that healing will begin!
Jet Skis and Leadership
Jet skis can teach one a lot about leading well. I happened to learn very quickly a lesson on leadership with my first experience with a jet ski.
Let me begin by saying I don’ t own this jet ski. In case you were wondering, that small speck in the water is me, clutching tightly to the handles on my first solo run on a 750cc streak on the water. Since their speed is right up there with the word “dangerous” and “this is crazy”, I exchanged some perfectly stable land mass for the unpredictable nature of the Intracoastal Waterway. Here are the lessons I learned:
- Respect others who have gone before you. In leading well, having confidence in approaching something new versus not knowing your limits can easily land you in troubled water. That’s where relying on others to teach you is crucial. My friend knew the waterway and knew watercraft very well. He grew up on the water. He is a commercial fisherman. From his knowledge and experience, he taught me the basics of the operation of the craft, and the ins and outs of boating safety, and how to navigate the waterway safely. The verse in Proverbs 3:20 holds true, “Whoever walks with the wise grows wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Instead of jumping in on a matter, considering the wisdom of others advice and knowledge, especially the counsel of God’s Word and other seasoned authors, the ability to lead is based on a collective, foundational truth: There are no loners in leadership.
- Be mindful for warning signs of trouble ahead. Sometimes the best leaders can be blindsided by trouble or conflict because they don’t follow this principle. When making decisions involving people, being mindful of their strengths and weaknesses up front will help avoid trouble down the road. Setting up a person or team for success involves knowing what they are capable of and what they are not capable of. Setting unrealistic expectations for your team leads to mistrust and low moral in accomplishing the target goal. Sandbars are a boater’s nemesis. Discolored water, as well as breaking water around smooth water is an indicator there may be a sandbar ahead. Being able to see the trouble before you get to it allows for smoother sailing.
- Lead others to take risks with you. The waters never parted until the leaders took the first step and got their feet wet. (Joshua 3:15-16) Imagine stepping into a flowing river and not even knowing how to swim! That was the faith of the priests that led the nation of Israel to cross the Jordan river! Someone once said, “To live without risk, is to risk not living.” We have to take risks in life. In our walk with God, we have to take steps of faith towards Him. The day I rode the jet ski, my friend was on the back. Only when I opened up the throttle did the real exhilaration and thrill of riding on the water at 35 to 40mph sink in. When I was slowly moving, the watercraft was taking on water, but when I got on the gas, my friend and I both had fun! I was nervous at what it might mean to accelerate so fast. But I took a risk, and the risk paid off nicely. We were moving down the ICW in no time! My friend could have pressed the gas and awkwardly steered over me, but it’s not what I was meant for that day. I was meant to fly! Other people need risk takers to lead them. Other people need you and I to lead with the eyes of faith.
Real Faith
Real Faith from derik100 on Vimeo.
Delivered Message At River of Leland Church as a Guest Speaker on Real Faith from 1 John 5:1-5
I Wanna Know What Love Is
I Wanna Know What Love Is from derik100 on Vimeo.
Delivered Message at River of Leland Church as a Guest Speaker on 1 John 4:7-14.
Middle School Forest for the Trees
Sometimes you have to see the Middle School Forest for the trees. Ministering to Middle School students is a thrill! I love to see the light bulb come on when they connect their lives to biblical truth or live out life in such a way that shows true discipleship is happening. Today was a glimpse into that crazy forest called Middle School Ministry and I definitely saw some trees poppin’ out in the distance! Okay, enough with the metaphor…but today in our middle school small group, I saw something amazing happen. i flipped the structure of the class to keep things hoppin’, and we did things in reverse. Prayer Requests first, bible study next. Over the next few minutes I saw middle schoolers who normally shy away at praying and even giving requests, give deep, passionate requests for their friends and family. The room was covered with a quiet hush (!) as they shared of their struggles and desires for others. Rather than me praying for them and the “list” of prayer requests, I asked each of them to pray (yes, out loud) for someone else in the room. As we prayed, it was exciting to see students connect with Jesus on their level, praying in whatever way they could, most fearlessly, to a God understood and cared. I”m so proud of these students for stepping up today, and I know God will continue to honor their efforts to seek Him authentically. The next part, the Bible Study, was also just as exciting. They were engaged in reading and pondering how God used Nehemiah under Artaxerxes (get a Middle Schooler to say that with a straight face!) to accomplish his will for the israelite people. I love these students!
What People Really Hear
After a recent Wednesday night student service, I was approached by one of our students and they began telling me of how God used the message to speak to them. It was a moment for me to check my spirit, to make sure that the glory was God’s and not mine. It’s never about me. When a student grows in their faith as a result of some attempt by me to teach the Word of God, it is only because of the working of the Spirit of God moving in the lives of these students that accomplishes anything. Yes, I’m humbled for sure, that God would use me in such an awesome way to impact teens. And it’s such a joy to celebrate that in their lives. But I’m also aware of the warning James 3 has for teachers, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” It is by the grace of God that I have the joy and privilege of seeing students “get it”. Not from anything I do, but from a simple willingness by me to be moldable by what God is doing in me. If God isn’t doing anything in me, how then can he do anything through me? I know God has given every believer a story to tell. The question then is not can we tell of what God has done in our lives, but will we? To some degree, all of us are teaching others with our lives. People are either seeing Jesus in us or we are leading others away from Jesus based on what they don’t see in our lives. My continual prayer is not that students would hear words, but they would see the words of Jesus lived out in my life and those that live out Jesus in front of them.
Just a Few Thoughts... 