What Do You Look Like
My kids have begun to watch some of the movies that I grew up with. One of their favorite series to watch now is Rocky. Tonight we were watching Rocky 4 where he fights the “big Russian” and right before he goes out to fight he is kneeling and praying in the bathroom. Right then my son said, “I didn’t know Rocky was a Christian.”
Made me think. What does a “Christian” look like? How can you tell without someone telling you they are?
- Is it the music they listen to?
- Is it the clothes they wear? Maybe a WWJD bracelet?
- Is it the fact they have a Jesus fish on the back of their car?
- Do they say amen a lot? Maybe they say brother and sister with every sentence?
- Do they raise their hands while they pray publicly in restaurants?
How can you tell someone is a Christ Follower and not someone who is simply religious and going through the motions?
I think you can tell someone is a Christ Follower by what they find important. By how willing they are to love others unconditionally. By how they serve others without expecting anything in return. By how they share their story with others. By how they get convicted of sin.
John 13:35 says, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
As I write this I don’t think there is any one way to tell if someone is a Christ Follower because I don’t know if there is any one way to love.
What is your thoughts on this?
East To West
Building and maintaining healthy relationships is one of the greatest challenges we face in life. It’s a struggle. Getting along with people is a huge struggle! Sometimes we may even wonder if healthy relationships are possible. There is one key that helps in this process of having “happy relationships” and that key is forgiveness. This series will investigate the depths of forgiveness, and how we can have a clean, new start with the people we hurt and the people who hurt us. Our journey will help us know how to give forgiveness, seek forgiveness, and guard against refusing forgiveness.
East To West Series from Fellowship Today on Vimeo.
Are You Funky
Do you ever go through a funk? I don’t even know how to describe it to you but you know when your going through it. Some funks last longer than others. Some funks hit during different seasons of life.
- Sometimes it will hit you spiritually even though things may appear to you that they are going well. Maybe it’s the fact that your in God’s Word but nothing seems to be speaking to you in a fresh way and that doubt creeps into your mind if your really even in God’s will because why can’t you hear Him.
- Sometimes it will hit you physically where you have no desire to do anything. The things that excited you yesterday don’t seem to today. You start to look critically at yourself and totally disregard the fact that you were created in God’s image.
- Sometimes it will hit you emotionally where even a kitten makes you want to cry. The littlest commercial or song or picture puts you on the verge of tears and you have no way to explain or describe it. Mentally your exhausted and wonder if you can take anymore? You know that God is your provider and your strength but it sometimes just doesn’t feel that way.
- Sometimes it will hit you relationally where you don’t feel like you connect with anyone. Your alone. You wonder who you can talk to? Would anybody even want to listen? Yes you can once again turn to God but as it was spiritually you wonder if He is even listening?
So, do you ever feel that way? How do you get out of that? How do you get out of the “funk” that is in your life?
Online Service Options
- LifeChurch.tv (multiple service times including Saturday night and Sunday)
Perry Noble
- NewSpring Church (11:15 am & 2:00 pm Sunday)
Dino Rizzo
- Healing Place Church (11am & 9pm)
Mark Beeson
- Granger Community Church (6:30pm & 8:30pm)
Tadd Grandstaff
- Pine Ridge Church (11:00am)
Troy Grambling
- Flamingo Road Church (9:30, 11:00, 12:45pm, 5:00pm)
USC Prodigy-David Sills
Maybe you have heard of this 13 year old kid David Sills who is a 7th grader at Red Lion Christian Academy in Delaware. Maybe you have heard that he was offered a scholarship from Lane Kiffin to USC. I know what your thinking, are you kidding me? A 13 year old, 7th grade boy. However, what if one of the greatest recruiters the college game has ever seen sees something that in 5 years every other coach sees but is too late to capitalize on? I don’t know if I agree with the tactic of going after kids who barely have hair under their pits yet. This opens a very dangerous but potentially exciting door.
There is something to say about someone who can see talent and potential in others and help them get to that point of greatness. The tough thing is David will live his entire football career under a microscope. Every mistake will be magnified as well as every victory. To come from a small Christian school and reach what some consider the Mecca of college football is no small feat. The Bible says, “Pride comes before the fall.” David will have to watch himself that he does not fall into this category as so many of us do and see it end due to our own inability to remember who gave us our ability to begin with.
I hope for David that he fulfills the expectations that are on him. From his coaches, parents and friends there will be a constant bombardment of those trying to “get in” with him and those who constantly will be telling him what he needs to do to be great or even worse that he has already arrived. I’m excited for the kid and for what this means to Red Lion Christian Academy. After all I am a USC fan, and as they said on ESPN, “Is there a better place to play football anywhere in the country?” I’m sure my Penn State friends will love that.
We all have those moments where the expectations far surpass the experience. Don’t miss out on the journey only to arrive at the destination.
You can check out these links to hear the full story:
Check out the video of David. For a 13 year old, he has skills.
The Farmers Market
Our staff went out today not for lunch but for an experience. I went to Booths Corner for the first time today which is your typical farmers market. What I was not expecting is to lose self control at every booth. Here is a few things that I ate today at lunch.
- Bacon, Ranch & Chicken pretzel wrap
- Sausage sandwich
- Cinnamon role
- 2 bowls of mini donuts
- Spiral potato on a stick
- Chili cheese dog
- Cheese fries
Here are some things that I learned.
- The farmers market is the Disney world for food lovers. There is something for everyone. Trust me I know now.
- Eating large quantities of food is always more fun with the staff. Except for when they take pictures and make fun of you.
- Our entire staff knows how to eat. I am not the only one with an appetite, women included.
- Bring cash. They don’t like credit.
- I can eat, buy car parts, shoes and get a hair cut all in one place. Great time management.
- Lost of Amish people, but not horse and buggies. How did they get there?
- Stand there long enough and they will give you free samples.
- Don’t settle for the first round, scope the place out and don’t just settle for mediocrity.
- Get home quick. I’ll leave it at that.
The Gospel According To Lost Book Review
I just finished reading a book called, The Gospel According to Lost, by Chris Seay. This book was sent to me by Thomas Nelson Publishers by my choice.
To be fair, I am not a fan of the show Lost. To me the best part of the show will be at the end of the season when it ends without an ending and everybody will remain lost and sitting there with the feeling of having wasted years of their life. With that being said I was impressed with Chris and his ability to make something that I’m not a fan of engaging. I did find myself intrigued at his ability to draw out real world comparisons with each character.
I like how he said in the prologue that, “The narrative of the show asks more questions than it answers.” In reality that seems to be the story of life and I loved the parallel. What a great leadership principle as well to ask more questions than you answer. For me the most intriguing quote of the book was on page 47, “The island has a way of recognizing each castaway’s Achilles’ heel and bringing about a healing journey as each confronts his or her weaknesses.” A healing journey as they each confront their weaknesses. That statement stuck out to me in my own life.
Overall it was an okay book. I do think he wrote this book because of his love for the show, not so much because of the gospel. Each person will have a different view on this. I am passing this book on to my wife who is extremely excited about it. Great writer, engaging in his approach, the topic just did not resonate with me.
Just Shut Up
I had a chance to talk to a very smart person yesterday who always seems to have a great handle on life even if they stumble through the journey just like me. This person talked about the spiritual discipline of silence. When I first heard that I honestly thought, “oh yeah, I remember that.” In college I took the time to learn a lot of different spiritual disciplines. Not just the spiritual disciplines of: reading the Bible, prayer, tithing and serving but the spiritual disciplines of fasting, responsive reading and silence. There are so many of them and many of them are revealed to us based on where we are in our journey with Christ. I had forgotten about the spiritual discipline of silence.
It’s the idea to listen to others without getting attacking, defensive or having any type of personal agenda. This is a huge one in leadership, one that I know I need to get much better at.
What I appreciate about this person is even though they don’t have it figured out they still shared their journey. Never once was I told that I should practice this discipline, but their excitement was compelling to me. I appreciate this friend and the truth that they speak into my life.
Do you have people around you that challenge you with lifestyle and not just their words? Do you have people who care enough about you to share their journey with you so you can grow as a result of it?
I Want To Be Average
I want to be average, who says that? Who goes through life never wanting to reach their full potential? Who goes through life be content being mediocre? I think there is a competitive spirit in almost everyone, maybe not to be the best but to simply be better. Better than the day before, week before or even better than last year.
I find in my walk with Christ that I have huge ups and then huge downs. I find that there are seasons that I play it safe, I don’t take risks and I can end up going through the motions. Francis Chan gives an awesome 4 minute challenge about not living ordinary.
Watch it and after you watch it answer the poll question.
Loading ...Tears
I have watched this video two dozen times over the last two days with the same result, tears. I think of my kids and my life and how I take the opportunities I have to truly LIVE for granted. I challenged teenagers last night to realize how precious their life is. That it is a gift. That no matter how difficult it gets or how much junk builds up, there is a God who loves us. There is a God who is bigger than our hurt and our pain. There is a God who is bigger than even our hopes and dreams because we have no idea the plan that God has for our lives.
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. -Ephesians 3
Just a reminder today to not just make it but to LIVE. LIVE with passion and excitement. LIVE with purpose. LIVE today with an intention to make somebody else’s life better. And may you not just exist but end today releasing a balloon knowing that you truly LIVEd.
