By Who's Authority?

This is the picture we wanted to get yesterday. Don't worry, I have the AUTHORITY to put it on here for FREE! That's the way to go.

Brooke and I had an interesting experience yesterday at a certain store that I'd prefer NOT to name. We went to this store "simply" to print out some of our pictures. In the past, this has been an easy process. We walk in the doors, go to the back of the store, and insert our flash drive into the photoshop computer. My goal was for this process to take less than 5 minutes so we could exit the store as soon as possible. I don't like stores. I don't like shopping. I don't like even thinking of it. (I encourage you to read an earlier post about the religion of mall shopping). This experience was different. Please permit me to explain.

Whenever you print pictures, the first screen that comes up will say something to the affect of "If you don't own these pictures...copyright....blah blah blah...punishment by blah blah blah... (do they really punish people?)... blah blah blah... do you agree these are your pictures? (such a deep question). So, we clicked "YES." Why? Because they were our pictures. Are you following me? These pictures were purchased from our photographer from our wedding. Brooke and I wanted to print some before Christmas. We paid much money for them. We wanted them. Well, this is where the story turns to the worst. We simply asked one of the ladies working the station about a picture issue and her direct answer was with a question (she must know Jesus or of Jesus). Her question was, "Did you take these?" Well... of course we didn't. We went on to explain to her that they were purchased from our photographer after the wedding. Her response after this amazed us! We needed a copyright signed paper or document saying that we had AUTHORITY to print the pictures! I asked her..."With all due respect, we are holding the pictures on this drive...isn't that the first clue that we purchased them since we have them." Her answer was hilarious. "Sir, you need something to show me that the photographer knows you are printing them." I asked her what kind of "something." She said an email or a note was fine. (Wow, we live in such a structured nation). I asked her more questions. "If we never asked you a question, than how would you know that we don't have on us a "something" that tells you we can print them?" Her response: "We wouldn't." More questions came. "Why would we sign the first screen saying we agree to the copyright laws." "Why even have this screen?" Anyways, If I were to tell you the store name, I'd encourage you to NOT shop there. But, I don't want to be mean. Brooke and I looked at each other with confused faces, and left. We didn't get the pictures. Story Summary: We needed authority to approve of pictures taken of US. Amen to America. (I later found a sheet of paper, typed on a computer saying we could use the pictures we bought. I recommend we have a better process... I could've typed that letter) What was funny with this? We didn't have authority to get them and 3 ladies from walmart had their fingers on the "police radio" to make sure we didn't buy any pictures.

This frustrating but yet funny experience led me to today's post. Look with me at John 17:1-3. Jesus says in this beautiful prayer to His Father, "Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You. even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." I love this prayer. It encourages my soul. When I looked at it this morning, the word, authority jumped out at me. In the original language, we see the word exousia (ex-oo-see'-ah: privilege, i.e. (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery, delegated influence -- authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right), strength Christ carried with Him the authority from His Father. It goes beyond our understanding. Christ Jesus, the Son of the Living God, has all power, mastery, influence, authority, liberty, force, capacity, competency, right... OVER US!

What an amazing truth! What a foundation to rest in! We follow after the King, we worship the King, we are redeemed by the King who possesses the authority over us; from the Father! Why belittle Him in songs, sermons, and other ways of communication? Why abuse His name? Why take credit for things HE has done? Friend, I encourage you as we approach Christmas in a few days to think about the fact that Christ has authority over all that walk this earth. Rather we are born again followers, or sinners (enemies) of Him; He still has authority over us. I pray that you live your life in complete recognition of His everlasting authority. Live in such a way that brings His authority to light so others can see the Spirit of His glory living in you.

Too often, I see "christians" live in such a way that shows me they don't recognize His authority. I look at many profile pages on facebook and see no recognition of His authority. It hurts me. It frustrates me. It leads me to my knees in prayer. Jesus, here in this passage is praying before His crucifixion. I love the intercession. Do you know that He still serves as our intercessor to the Father? Do you know this prayer in John 17 wasn't just a 1 time prayer? If you ever read Hebrews, you'll see that Christ Jesus still goes to the Father on our behalf. We come to God only through the Son. By what authority do we live our lives? By who's authority?

Fake or Real Rolex Watches...

My dad used to have a habit in his life. Growing up, we had a tradition of driving to the deepest spot of Texas to visit my grandparents while they lived there. Durnig these visits that I still cherish in my heart, we would travel across the border to Mexico. These trips always excited me! I loved going into an unfamiliar place to see an unfamiliar culture. While I was walking around and looking at all the cool hats, sweaters, etc., my dad was going to the same store he always went to for the purpose of one thing; to buy an imitation rolex watch. It was an unusual pursuit, but one worthy of mentioning in this note. Dad, over a course of several visits, accumulated several of these fake watches. He never sold them or did anything illegal with them, he just loved the idea of wearing a watch that looked like a REAL rolex. He even gave me one! If you ever want to know how to DISCERN the difference between a real one and a fake one... then you need to do the research. I only know of one major difference; the FAKE rolex second hand stopped within each second... the REAL rolex had a continual motion. Please add if there are others you may know.. I'm not a watch expert.

This story came to mind after my quiet time this morning. How do we discern in the church between the truth of God and the lies of man? Well, we must know the REAL source to determine the FAKE. Do we preach Christ crucified like Paul was so passionate about when he wrote the letter to the Galatians? Do we hold to a high view of God that that Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 40:12-16? Do we look to God as the only God worthy to be praised like the psalmist wrote in Psalm 148:13? Do we seek out the truth in our worship like Paul commanded in Ephesians 5:19-20? There are several forms to discern between the REAL and the FAKE in the church. I encourage you today to search the Scriptures and see in God's Word the truth that needs to be proclaimed in order to preserve the REALness of His Name and to eliminate the Fake approaches and attitudes that many hold to God.

Paul commands us in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 to "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.." Lets look at 2 words here: EXAMINE and ABSTAIN:

Examine - dokimazo (dok-im-ad'-zo: to test; by implication, to approve -- allow, discern, examine, like, (ap-)prove, try) Do we do that in our church? Do we do that in our preaching? Do we do that in our small group teaching? Do we do that in our musical worship? I encourage you, through the guidance of God's Word, to daily EXAMINE what is real and what is FAKE.

Abstain - apechomai (ap-ekh'-om-ahee: to hold oneself off, i.e. refrain -- abstain.) I make this a daily practice. If we ever do anything as a church that doesn't hold to truth and keep a high view of God, I abstain from it. I do this in personal walk. If there is something in my life that doesn't magnify the truth of God, i abstain from it. I believe this is dealing with sin. I believe this glorifies God when we are more concerned about His approval and not the approval of man (Paul writes about that in the first chapter of Galatians)

So, with that, I encoruage you to make it a daily discipline to examine what is REAL and to abstain from what is FAKE. By the way, it's ok to wear fake rolex watches! If you want to see them or know more about them, just ask my dad.

Not us..but HIM

This is a picture of the chapel on campus at New Orleans Baptist Seminary. I'm thankful for all the times I spent in there, proclaiming the glory of Christ with my brothers. May His Spirit continue to rest on their ministries... wherever they are.

Yesterday in my quiet time, I read Matthew 20:17-28. This is a powerful passage of Scripture. In this text, Jesus is sharing with His disciples the result of their trip to Jerusalem. He was explaining to them that His purpose for going to Jerusalem was to give His life as the propitiation for sins. It wasn't going to be a simple walk through the city on a beautiful day where the vendors were out and the children playing. No, on this visit, Jesus was going to "be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up" (Matthew 20:18-19). What a tear jerking verse! Here, the Son of God was willing to go to Jerusalem to please His Father by giving up His life for the ransom of many! I wonder how the disciples reacted? I'm not completely sure in this text, but I do see a response. This response broke my heart. Look at Matthew 20:20-23 with me. Take a second. I'll wait...



Arrogance! Pride! Self-Centeredness! Greed! Jesus proclaimed His pending death and the first reaction in this text is the mother of the sons of Zebedee wanting her sons to be famous! WHAT A TRAGEDY! I wonder, how would you have responded if you were standing there that day? It would be easy for all of us to agree that her response was not focusing on Christ, but more on her sons. It would be easy for all of us to rally up within our souls anger and judgment upon her for her selfishness. However, I do see a trend in the church today that parallels with the response this woman gave to Christ. In complete honesty, I see a parallel at times in my life that goes with her response.



When you think of the reasons why Jesus came to die, what comes to your mind? Growing up in church, I remember hearing these statements:

1. "Jesus came to die for you and for me" True... but does that identify all of the purpose?


2. "Jesus was thinking of you when He was on the cross." Maybe true... but is that Biblical?


3. "Jesus stretched out His arms to show His amazing love for you." maybe true... but again, where is that in Scripture?


4. "Jesus died for you and is waiting for you to invite Him into your heart." That is a response to the propitiation... how?

I want to do something that I rarely do; a book recommendation! I'm currently reading a book entitled, "50 reasons why Jesus came to die" by John Piper. This book has challenged me to look at the atonement in light of God's Word, not our selfish guesses. Here are some of the 50 that I've studied so far.

1. To absorb the Wrath of God (Galatians 3:13, Romans 3:25, 1 John 4:10)


2. To Please His Heavenly Father (Isaiah 53:10, Ephesians 5:2)


3. To learn obedience and be perfected (Hebrews 5:8, Hebrews 2:10)


4. To acheive His own resurrection from the dead (Hebrews 13:20-21)


5. To show the wealth of God's love and grace for sinners (Romans 5:7-8, John 3:16, Ephesians 1:7)


6. There are more, but I wanted you to look at these. These are the first 5 in the book I'm reading. They do match up with Scripture. They are biblical. They would lead us to a different DAILY response to what Jesus said in Matthew 20:17-19.

This passage broke my heart. Jesus proclaimed His death and a prideful mom was thinking of her sons. Why do we today, removed from this part of history by more than 2,000 years still do the same? We sing songs about ourselves. We give for ourselves. We study for ourselves. We love for ourselves. We dream for ourselves. We may even preach for ourselves. We do so many things for ourselves. Why? What would your response have been if you were there?

During Christmas, I beseech you to proclaim the glory of Christ. Look at Colossians 1-2 and see the Supremacy of Christ. Live your life in agreement with John the Baptist when he wrote, "He must increase but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Join the Psalmist when he wrote, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth" (Psalm 115:1).

I close by including the lyrics to a hymn that will be my Christmas song today. I invite you to join me in singing this and may words like these be in churches across this nation that have slipped and fallen short of proclaiming the excellencies of Jesus.

How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measure That He should give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure How great the pain of searing loss,The Father turns His face away As wounds which mar the chosen One, Bring many sons to glory Behold the Man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, Call out among the scoffers It was my sin that held Him there Until it was accomplished His dying breath has brought me life I know that it is finished I will not boast in anything No gifts, no power, no wisdom But I will boast in Jesus Christ His death and resurrection Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer But this I know with all my heart His wounds have paid my ransom

KALEO... are you called?

Have you ever received an unexpected call in your life? I can look back in my life and see visuals in my mind of moments in which unexpected calls came. Some calls were good, some were bad. Please permit me to share one with you.
On August 22, 2005, my cell phone rang. The call was from Pastor Aaron. At this time, I was living in New Orleans, working at a hotel, and trying to juggle a full load of classes at the seminary. At that moment, life seemed to be normal. Each morning, I woke up knowing full well what the day was going to be like. I knew what time my classes were going to be, what time I needed to be at work, and what time I needed to be in bed. I knew when upcoming exams were as well as busy weekends downtown. At this time, life was routine (for a lack of a better word). However, on this particular day, a call changed my life.
Pastor Aaron left me a simple challenge; “Dave, pray about the possibility of moving to Acworth for a ministry opportunity.” I was dumbfounded. I was confused. I was not sure what I was going to tell my girlfriend (now wife) at the time. I spent time in prayer and trusted the Lord in His plan for this unexpected call. Little did I know what was going to happen in the near future.
A few days after Aaron called me, hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Brooke and I evacuated… and found ourselves in Acworth (of all places!) It just so happened that the Lord led a search committee to “call” me to this ministry. It just so happened that this committee was unaware of the “call” that the Lord placed on Aaron’s heart (I really mean that, they had no clue). God was working in His divine call to lead us to this ministry. 3 years later… I still praise Him for that call.
Look with me at this passage: Mark 1:16-20. As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. Do you see what happened? Jesus was passing along the Sea of Galilee and called four men to follow Him. In verse 20, the Greek word Kaleo is used (kal-eh'-o: to call (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise) -- bid, call . forth), (whose, whose sur-)name (was (called.) This word is used to describe what happened; Jesus called these men to follow Him in a ministry that would forever change the world. I wonder what thoughts came to their mind when they received that “call” from the Master. I wonder if the thoughts I had years ago would compare. I wonder what your thoughts would be?
What are you called to? Have you ever been called? As adopted children of God, we are called to make disciples of all nations (see Matthew 28:19-20). This weekend, I challenge you to take time to listen. Take time to read His Word and understand the beauty we have in following the call. Perhaps the call today is simply to give Him your loving devotion, as these 4 men did so many years ago. Read Mark 1:16-20 again and think about your own life. Are you called?

Peace on Earth?

This is me behind a pulpit at a church in Yucatan, Mexico. Peace is found only through the cross of Christ.

This afternoon, Tina Buchanan (our student ministry administrative assistant) and I were talking about "peace." Tina asked me a few questions regarding my thoughts toward this word. It was a fun interview to have on this cold Friday. After our conversation, thoughts of "peace" came with me upstairs to my office. This thought is still on my mind right now. What comes to your mind when you hear the word, "peace"?

When I was in middle school, I went to 6 flags (a theme park) with my cousin, Keith. While we were there, we had the idea of taking things from different stores without paying for them. Keith told me that he saw someone do it once and thought it was cool. Of course, in my willingness to submit to peer pressure, I gave in. After we went to a few stores, we met up with my mom and aunt. Of course, they knew we didn't have money. When they saw the items in our hands, it didn't take long that they realized they were stolen. I thought my life was over. Mom's face turned into the same color my skin was that day (i forgot to put on sunblock). I knew I was dead...I had to go home and tell dad. Yup, my life was over.

When we got home, I discovered what "peace" really means. My dad punished me for my actions, but still embraced me with love and forgiveness. I was disciplined, but given grace. He could've grounded me for years... but it was only for a month (or so). I'm grateful. (By the way, on a side note, I did return all the items to their stores). Dad showed me grace and mercy which led me to have peace within this terrible situation. He gave me back his trust. He never lost his love for me. He never gave up on me. Again, I experienced peace. I still do today.

This is the verse I shared with Tina today: "Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love" (2 John 3). I love this verse. John is writing to either a specific lady OR a church. This salutation is so encouraging. Look at the order of it with me. Grace, mercy AND PEACE. I believe there is a reason for that.

1. Grace looks at guilty sinners with an undeserved gift. (Charis: acceptable, benefit, FAVOR, gift, pleasure) Look at Romans 5:20, Ephesians 1:7.

2. Mercy looks at as; seeing that we are helpless and needy. (Eleos: compassion, tenderness, mercy) look at Matthew 5:3-5, Romans 11:30-32, Ephesians 2:4-5

3. Peace is the result of God's gift of BOTH! (Eirene: peace, rest, quietness, set at one again) look at Acts 10:36, Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:14, Colossians 1:20.

When we receive grace and mercy from our glorious Father; through the cross of His only Son, we are given the undeserved gift of Peace! My dad could've easily punished me with the fullness I deserved, but yet held off and gave me his forgiveness. I still was disciplined, but yet the peace I had wasn't a causal, "thats ok son, many people steal." but a "son, you let me down. You broke our standards we set in our home, but out of brokeness and love I forgive you." That was the grace I received from my parents. I praise God for giving me parents that forgave me. Thank you mom and dad.

Do you have peace this Christmas? Do you have this gift of rest and quietness? I'm here to tell you today that you will only find peace once you receive the grace and mercy from the Father in Heaven. If you don't have or know about that peace, I recommend you to read the book of Romans and celebrate in the grace and mercy we receive!

Stop playing! Or.... continue?

Having fun at 2008 Dnow.

Last night, I heard some noise in another room next to my office. I walked down the hall into the room that we use for our Middle School small groups. Inside the room, there were about 10 middle school students playing "hide and go seek." It was about 6:00pm, 30 minutes before our middle school program began. My first thought was to yell at them and tell them to stop playing in that room. However, something stopped me. I looked inside the room and saw students playing with each other an innocent game. They were in one room, next to my office. They were having fun. They were playing inside a church building. Is that wrong? I'm told that is irreverant. I'm told that we are to stop all their playing and maintain discipline at all times. I'm told that playing is not acceptable in the Lord's house... why? The same room they were playing in would host them an hour later for "serious Bible study." Why just use it for that?

This morning, I read this passage in my quiet time. "And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all. And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them" (Mark 10:13-16).

Do you wonder if those children acted like children today? Could there have been middle school aged students in that group? Could they have been running around and playing with each other? Could the disciples' response to them parallel with the response some of us adults would have today?

Look at the response of Jesus. The bible states, "He was indignant." This word, aganakteo (ag-an-ak-teh'-o: to be greatly afflicted, i.e. (figuratively) indignant -- be much (sore) displeased, have (be moved with, with) indignation) translates well in our modern day. I was upset with myself for the temptation to yell at them. What were they doing wrong at that moment?

I know you may be thinking... "Dave is just a youth minister and all he does is play." Well, I agree with you for most of that assumption. I do love to play. However, there is a time and place in which it isn't bad. If I walked into the room and they were drawing on the walls, throwing things out the window, breaking things on the tables, making out (I hope not), or other things,.. then yes, I would've yelled at them! They were dishonoring the church by that. However, playing a game of hide and go seek reminded me last night of the child like joy I can have in Christ. Do I come to church and have the same joy and fun that these students had? Can my walk with Christ be labeled as one with child like faith? Do we as adults forget that walking with Christ doesn't mean 24 hours of sorrow...but a life lived victorious in Christ! I love what Romans 6:4 teaches, "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." Do we walk in "newness of life."? Do we walk as if Christ truly is out treasure, as Paul writes about in most of Philippians?

I believe this passage teaches us to walk and live as if we truly ARE children of God. We are adopted into His kingdom (see 1 John), and because of that...we are His children! I encourage you today to put aside all of the adult stresses, worries, concerns, etc. Walk today as if you are a child of the King. Have fun. Play a game. Run in the rain. Eat after dinner. Stay up late with your kids. Enjoy this day. Give Praise to the King of Kings... who blesses the children.

Let it Rain Let it Rain Let it Rain

This is my dog "Chulo" and me. We are sitting on a rock at Red Top Mountain

Praise be to God Almighty... it's raining today! It's raining HARD. I love the sound of rain hitting the roof. It puts me to sleep at night and reminds me of God's amazing provision. Today, if you haven't already... praise Him for the rain. This side of Georgia needs it. Amen. What "THE" Wonderful Maker.

I've been reading alot of Matthew this week. I was challenged today to read this: Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-- and great was its fall" (Matthew 7:24-27). This verse blew me away! What a challenge from the Savior.... it made me think.

Do you abide in His Word? Are you sanctified in His Truth? When it rains, are you prepared? Today, I knew it was raining (it was wet outside... that was my first clue). I put on a rain coat and walked to my car. I made sure the windows were all up and the car parked close to the church in case I had to run to it (I know, I'm not considerate, don't judge me). I was equipped. These verses above place many questions in my mind:

1. Do those that "build their home on the sand" realize they are close to water and the danger of that location?

2. Do those that build on the sand do so because it is easier? (sand feels better on the feet)

3. Do those that build on the sand NOT KNOW about how it is better to build on the rock? Or... if they do, refuse to build?

4. There are other questions.... but these were some on my mind.

Friend, we have the foundation. Friend, we have the rock. Look at these verses: "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:19-21). We have the foundation which is found through Jesus Christ. I find it to be such a relief to daily follow His Word and to know that He came to fulfill The Word. He is the Word! Rest today and know that when your foundation is upon the rock, you need no fear of the rain. Repent, enjoy the restful waters of His baptism and enjoy His eternal company. (see Acts 2-4 for more information)

It's raining even harder now. I'm loving it.

addition to tool post.

I forgot to explain one part of my post.

When you walk without Biblical community around you, its the same as shaving with a dull blade. Look at Hebrews 3:13. Look at Acts 2:42-47. It's important. Don't neglect people for the sake of your pride. Sharpening one another allows us to truly function as the church (one of several functions of the bride). I hope i clarified that. Sorry!

Get your tools out

Jonathan, the best man in my wedding. Brooke looked great that day. She looks even better today.

When I first moved to Murray State University in the Fall of 2000, I was a nervous 18 year old that had no clue what my future would hold. I was seperated from my family in a state that I was unfamiliar with. In fact, the only person I knew in that state was my older sister, Lisa. I'm so grateful still for the way she made me feel welcome in a new phase of my life. Thank you Lisa.

One of the first things that my sister wanted for me was to get involved in the B.C.M. (Baptist Collegiate Ministry) on campus. One day, she took me over and introduced me to Jonathan Clark, one of the ministry interns. Jonathan took time beginning then to invest in me. We met once a week for discipleship. After a short time, we became great friends... and then best friends. I use that term "best friend" in the most conservative way. Brooke is my number one best friend... my suga mama, my bride. Jonathan is my best friend, my brother. I hope you get the connection. 6 years after we met, I had the joy of being his best man in his wedding... and then 1 day short of a year later, he was mine. I'm grateful for our friendship and brotherhood.

Here is my point for this blog; do you have friendships that sharpen you in your walk with the Lord? I love this verse: Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17) I'm sharpened by Jonathan. I believe what makes our friendship strong is our support of one another for glorifying the King and being Godly husbands and fathers (for Jonathan at least). We pray for one another almost every day. We challenge each other in theology, ministry, and other topics that may arise. I've journaled now each day for almost 6 years because of his accountability (I recommend journaling to anyone). I'm grateful for how I'm sharpened by him. His passion for the Lord each day is contagious to his family, friends, and students.

Ever notice that when you shave with a dull blade, you'll hurt yourself more? This morning, Leon (our minister of administration) walked into the office with a cut on his head. He shaved this morning with a dull blade; resulting in a large gash. When I shave in the morning with a dull blade, several things happen: 1. I'm automatically in a bad mood. 2. It takes longer which increases the bad mood. 3. It hurts! 4. I flirt around with the idea of using my wife's razor... but I don't! (I promise Brooke). Why? Because the blade is not sharp enough to get the job done easier.

I look at this verse and wonder about the importance for us to invest in one another. This verse challenges us to sharpen one another. Get your tools out. Take time to invest in someone else. I'd recommend you to begin in your home. I believe the joy we receive of sharpening one another coincides with what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-5 "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus." Paul then goes on to testify to the humility of Christ; which also revealed the Divinity of Christ. I'd encourage you to read it.

Get your tools out. Go out and sharpen one another. In doing so, we proclaim the Gospel. We model theology with application. We lift one another up and marvel at how lovely the bride continues to be.

Jonathan, I hope you find your dad.

The Danger of Department store religion

This picture is of the Riverwalk; a mall in New Orleans.

Today, I decided to spend my Saturday...shopping for Christmas gifts. Well, it really wasn't the best way to spend my day. I've come to the realization now of a few things:

1. I don't like the mall

2. I don't like busy outlet centers

3. I don't like shopping

4. If it fits the above category... I don't like it.

There were many points in which I wanted to give up and head home. However, my remedy to the many times of frustration was the thought of my wife opening up gifts on Christmas morning. It was worth it for me to endure a long day of "suffering" (I use that word very lightly) in order for Brooke to receive my love through gifts. I still love this time of the year, I promise. My challenge to you is think online. It's a beautiful source for shopping.

While I was in the mall, I decided to go to a store that was very popular among my generation or younger. I picked out a few items and proceeded to the register. The young college age guy behind the counter took my items and began ringing them up. What I thought to be an easy exchange turned out to be an interrogation. "Sir, would you like to open up a store credit card?" NO "Sir, would you give us your phone number?" WHY? "Sir, would you please give us your email address"? WHY? These questions came so fast that I wasn't clever enough to give a humorous response. My thought of simply picking out an item and buying it with cash turned out to be a process I wasn't ready for. What ever happened to the old system of buying what you can afford with cash? (Debt is a monster, don't fall for credit cards.)

This experience reminded me of what we often do in the church. We seem to place grace aside and focus on so many efforts on our part for salvation. For example, someone comes forward after hearing a message (an American idea of an invitation), they are given a list of 6-7 questions by someone they often times don't know. After answering the questions, the "counselor" determines what God has done in their life. I'm not saying this in itself is bad, but it runs the risk of confusing people to having to do certain steps that may go outside of Scripture. You must trust in Christ Jesus AND then.... You can "rededicate your life" OR "invite Jesus into your heart" OR "transfer your letter to this church" OR.... the list goes on... Those people that heard Peter's great sermon in Acts 2, responded with a question in verse 37..."what shall we do?" Peter's response was simple: "Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."(Acts 2:38).

Look at Ephesians 2:8-9 with me. Paul writes, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." This word for grace is: charis (khar'-ece: acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace, and other words to describe it i'm sure). We are given salvation (the act of being rescued from the domain of darkness and into the light of God's righteousness), as a benefit, a favor, an unearned gift from the Holy Father. Why should we place many questions within the process? I believe that salvation is an act from God. He saves. He draws lost sinners to Himself. We must be careful not to add any work from our part in salvation.

Some may say, "Dave, James talks about salvation AND works." Does this contradict Scripture? I'm glad you're thinking that. I don't believe it does. If you look at Scripture, you'll see that once we are saved, (justified, Romans 5:1), we are made right in the sight of God. We are given His gift of...HIMSELF. What happens next is beautiful. God begins a work in us that sets us apart for His purposes; to become holy. We are saved through the blood of Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit daily sanctifies us to become more like Jesus, for the glory of God the Father (look at the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:3-16). Look at John 14:15.... I could give you many more if you want more Scripture on this. (justification, sanctification, glorification.. I was saved, I'm being saved, I will be saved... I'll blog on this later).

So...I was reminded today of the glory of God, His grace in salvation, and the reminder that I'm not a big fan of shopping.

Mom, shoeboxes, and ministry

On Tuesday of this week, I had the blessing of joining my mom along with our friends Julie and Denise to work downtown with the operation Christmas child center. We worked from 12-6pm; sorting through boxes and packing them up to be shipped. My mom's job was to open up each box and take out whatever was not allowed to be sent. My job was to tape up the crates and move them to be loaded on a truck. It was the best excuse I've had all week to get away from the office. More important than that though, I had the joy of doing ministry work with my mom.

Have you ever had an opportunity in your life to do ministry work with a family member? Have you ever gone on a mission trip or served in any capacity in your church with a family member? If not, I encourage you to find time...MAKE time for it! It's been years since I've done something in ministry with my mom. In fact, I believe the last time we worked together was on a trip called "project lift off" (a weekend retreat in which I took students from Kentucky to Alabama to see the Space and Rocket Center... while engaging in Bible studies in the evenings). During this weekend, my mom organized all of our meals at the church. She has such an incredible heart for the Lord. I love and respect her very much.

You can see family members serving together in Scripture. Look with me at Matthew 4:18-20: Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. Immediately they left their nets and followed Him." Isn't that a wonderful passage? These two brothers were in employment together. They would wake up each morning and pretty much do the same thing; fish to raise support in their families. Together, these two brothers left and "followed" Jesus. I love this word "followed." In the Greek, we see the word akoloutheo (ak-ol-oo-theh'-o: to be in the same way with, i.e. to accompany (specially, as a disciple), to follow or to reach). The brothers were in the same spirit. The brothers became true disciples of Christ, and together, reached many for the kingdom. I imagine that was a blessing that they shared in their lifetime. I imagine they rejoiced together in glory. It wasn't an easy lifestyle. I can only imagine times in which they fought or had disputes with one another. However, they were "in the same way with" each other...following Christ Jesus!

Make time to do ministry with a family member. I had a great privilege of going on a mission trip with Brooke back in September. I can't wait to go on another one. Don't worry, I'll blog about that and her soon.... Take this as a friendly challenge.

Mom, when you read this, thank you for a wonderful day of ministry. I love you and I'm honored to be your son! To God, be the glory. His Glory is my reward.