³We [Paul, Silas and Timothy] continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

Um, ok…”caught” is probably not the best word.  “Convicted” is probably more appropriate…

Mainly because at times, if I were honest, Paul may have phrased this a little differently about me (…maybe even you).

Maybe something like:

³We continually [lift you] before our God and Father [because of] your work produced by guilt, your labor prompted by obligation, and your endurance inspired by fear of our [gracious] Lord Jesus Christ [and the totally wrong thought you have that you've got to "bank" good things to make Him love you, accept you, and answer your prayers].

x

Oh, to be like the Thessalonians…

Read the transcript at Sivers’ blog.

Your name and renown [Lord] are the desire of our hearts. (NIV)

My Observation: It’s all about “heart”…without it appearance, words, & deeds are empty. I saw some HUGE hearts on Sunday. I was Blessed and I have to believe God smiled…

Sunday, our church held its 7th annual Car and Bike Show on our lawn. It’s come to be a great annual event that draws many from the community and offers a chance for car and bike (the motor and the pedal-types) enthusiasts to show off their toys and those who don’t have the toys to check them out, even drool (in a dignified way, of course).

The afternoon is always filled with cars & bikes, food, music, a dunk tank, a jump house, and tons of conversation. As in past years, we had a lot of people and the lawn was filled with cars.  People come and hang out for 10 minutes or for three hours…it’s all good!

If that were all it was about, we’d call it good and start planning next year…

But that is not what it was about. As Pastor John put it Sunday morning, “it’s about people.”

It was about people.

It was about community.

It was about getting out of the “cube” in the corner of the lot on 2827 Flint avenue we call “church” and being the tangible hands and feet of Jesus.

Being the true Jesus.

The one that cares unconditionally and that is approachable and interested in talking without any “hitch” or angle – just being a friend.

I saw that. I heard it. I saw people at worship.

For sure, God smiled.

So I posted my weekly Service Set list, Recap, and Confessional last night – including a whine (or waa!) in the confessional portion.  It felt good to write about it and get it off my chest.  Sunday AM was rough – I felt rushed and didn’t like not have things under control…

THE SKADOOSH*:

Fast forward to this morning.  I’ve been listening to Andy Stanley’s podcast series, Defining Moments and this morning I was on episode 8, Playing God.  The text was from John 18:28 to 19:16…it’s about Jesus before Pilate.  The key being that while Pilate thought he was in control – he wasn’t.

From chapter 19:

⁹…”Where do you come from?” he [Pilate] asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

¹¹Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

¹²From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free…

Some key thoughts from the podcast:

To respond to events with the attitude of “if I don’t, it won’t” [or I am or I have to be in control] is to assume a position, a power, or an authority in the universe that I don’t hold.

Can we live life with this attitude: “If I were absolutely confident that God is in control, what would I do or how should I respond in this circumstance?”

Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  Implication…it’s not been given to you/me.  Therefore, live your life as if He is sovereign and in control.

Do we live as if God’s hands are shackled or bound and that we have to jump in and help Him?

The things we have “control” over are temproary, short-lived, and given by God.  We are merely stewards.

x

Kinda puts my whine or “waa” in a little different light.

Umm, not much more to say…

. . . . . .

me: waa!

GOD: SKADOOSH!*

*If you’re not familiar with this word, it is from the movie, Kung Fu Panda and is the word said when you preform the mushi finger hold.  See below:

I was prepping for Sunday School this evening (Francis Chan’s Crazy Love), and two things hit me smack dab between the eyes:

First, in watching the Crazy Love Study DVD, Chan says (paraphrased for this post):

Can you imagine if the early church, having seen the Son of God tortured, die on a cross, and rise again, decided to simply to get together once a week and have services, where one of them would preach and they would have really cool music, and then they would go back to life as usual?

Wow – I quickly tweeted a paraphrase:

“Imagine if the early church only got tgthr once a week for services & then went back 2 life as usual? -F Chan / wld I be writing ths? -me”

The second, was a tweet that hit my TweetDeck at 6:15 (five minutes after the tweet above).

The tweet was a link to a blog post at shaungroves.com about a pastor in India who is doing church “wrong.”  I won’t lift any of the post…you need to read it yourself and absorb the pictures to get the whole effect.

The upshot is that we (American churches) have predominantly got it wrong – as the pastor eloquently says, “Our witness is our service.”  At times, I think we get lost in the programs, the “sound”, decor, and image at the expense of our witness.  Of course, we should do everything well for the Lord, but if we don’t have the Gospel at the heart of it all, well…

OK, I’m Listening God…may Your Holy Spirit work in and on me!