"It's All About The Heart"

Last week, Chad focused on Colossians 4:2-4 which talks about prayer. Chad emphasized, just as Paul did in his letter, that we need to have a devotion to prayer because prayer opens doors.

Chad even went so far as to illustrate a few prayer “mindsets” that some of us may have. He had a “deal or no deal” looking button and said that sometimes, we do that in prayer. The thing is, God is the one deciding “deal or no deal” when we “bargain” with Him. I’m sure we’ve all had times where we have tried to make deals with God haven’t we? Though, we needn’t have to if we know how much He truly loves us. We don’t have to make “deals” with our Father. He already made the ultimate deal by giving us grace!!

The next illustration Chad showed us was the “time card” area where we just kind of serve our time in prayer. Clock in and clock out….pretty monotonous. Not that having scheduled prayer or carving out time to do so each day is a bad thing, but we got to be careful that it doesn’t become so “routine” that we don’t engage our heart in it.

Then, there are the “dartboard” prayers. He had a target hanging up in the air and then just kind of tossed some darts at random up in the air (kind of like some kids do when they are tossing pencils in the ceiling at school). We just kind of throw up some quick prayers here and there and then go about our day.

Then, Chad showed us the basketball prayers - the kind of “hit or miss” prayers. He says with those, sometimes our devotion to the request is greater than it is to God. We are so focused on the ball and making it in, that we forget about whether it’s God’s will or not and if we should be “shooting” for it at all.

The final illustration that he showed us was the lawnmower/chainsaw prayers. He used his son to help him demonstrate it because he said that whenever he uses those machines, his little boy is always right there. “He’s all about my business” he said. So, hand and hand, they do the work together and they have that fellowship.

These are only but a few of the many mindsets that one may have about prayer. Chad said there are pros and cons to all of the things mentioned. None of them are really “bad” methods. What counts is the heart and how our minds are focused on prayer. As God always reminds me, “It’s all about the heart, Melissa.” God is interested in our hearts; our business.

I have probably prayed in a lot of different mindsets before (probably all of the above mentioned and then some!). Though, if I were to describe my “ideal” way of prayer, it would probably be illustrated a lot differently. When I think of true heart to heart prayer, I think of peace, comfort, and intimacy. I think about sitting on the couch and imagining that I am just sitting on the lap of my Father - telling Him everything. Or, maybe it’s kind of like going to a “shrink” where you lay on the couch and tell God about everything and He listens, counsels, and instructs you - filling you with wisdom, instruction, and helping to transform you into a better person than you were when you walked in the door. As wonderful as that is, I think that vision of prayer sometimes scares people because they fear that closeness (as well as change). Getting to that place with God can be uneasy and painful sometimes - especially if you aren’t really open to His instruction. Even more so if you are dealing with a great deal of buried pain and need healing. Even still, it’s all worth it once you get it all out!! God is with you through it all and He’s all about restoration and renewal!!

I pray that throughout this week, prayer will be something on the hearts of all of us. Prayer needs to be a continuous thing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) no matter how long or short the prayers are. It’s not quantity, it’s the quality - it’s the HEART!!! Connect to God through your heart; that’s all that matters!!!

Grace and peace to all of you!! God bless you!!

Love and Submission

Last Sunday, Chad hit a “hot topic” so to speak. In continuance with the Colossians series, the next scripture verses in line happened to be Colossians 3:18-19 which talks about husbands loving their wives as well as wives submitting to their husbands. Of course, Chad also pointed out that in Ephesians 5:21, Paul also told us to submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. In other words, submission is a mutual respect and not something that should be demanded or lorded over another person. We need to remember the definition of love as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 which tells us that love is patient and kind. It’s not envious, boastful, proud, rude, selfish, or easily angered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs and it delights not in evil but rather, in truth. Love protects, trust, hopes, and perseveres.

The more we are “with” Christ and hidden in Him, the better we understand real love. And likewise, the opposite is true. The more we are just trying to do things on our own, the more we miss the point and the less we understand real love. Chad said that when we just do “the best we can” we are devoid of “with”. When we just do our “best” in the flesh (separate from God) we can’t do a thing. Jesus said in John 15:5 that He is the vine and we are the branches. Apart from Him, we can’t do anything. I know that’s true, because I never have true success when I try to do things on my own. Nothing ever lasts when I do things on “my” terms. I am nothing without Christ!! If He were not in me, I would have no fullness, no life, no joy, no anything. I would be empty, lonely, and my life would be meaningless.

The more we accept this concept, the better our lives will be (and particularly in our relationships). As we all know, it is very hard to love people on our own. Speaking from experience, there are a lot of people that I have struggled to love - but through the grace of God, and Him living in me, He has enabled me to do so beyond my human ability. I’m so grateful for that!!

Chad said that sometimes, it’s especially hard to love in our marriages when we begin seeing just how different we are. Aside from the fundamental differences between men and women, he also described the concept that many of you might already be familiar with. He said he got it from a book called “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage”. I also think there is another book that describes this concept called “Men Are Like Waffles; Women Are Like Spaghetti”. In other words, men are very compartmentalized and women are very connected. They have these “boxes” in which everything is separated and basic. For women, however, everything is connected - like a long piece of tangled wire or spaghetti. Men’s boxes don’t “touch” but for us, EVERYTHING touches!! We can go from topic to topic, but men only focus on one at a time (which is why we can talk for hours and hours and most men usually can’t). ;)

Chad used a lot of humor and a lot of his own experiences to describe these concepts. So, if you’re curious to know, you can click on the link provided to learn more!! It was a really great message, and I enjoyed it a lot!!

Grace and peace to all of you!!

Get "With" It

“With.” It’s a tiny four-letter word. It probably doesn’t stir much emotion within you when you look at it, read it, or think about it. However, if you think about it in the sense in which Chad described it last Sunday, you might look at “with” a lot differently.

Chad continued the Colossians series by talking about chapter three, verses 1-11. In these verses, Paul talks about how our lives our changed when we meet Christ. Who we were before is dead and in Christ, we are made new and alive!! Specifically, verse three says: “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”

So, what does it all mean? Well, the key to that verse is that little bitty “with.” It’s the bridge between the old and the new. I like the different definitions that Webster’s dictionary uses to describe it. One of those descriptions says: “used as a function word to indicate a participant in an action, transaction, or arrangement.” In this particular case, the participant is “us” the action is Christ’s sacrifice, and the arrangement is the forgiveness of sins; resulting in a transformed life and more importantly, ETERNAL LIFE!!

That’s a BIG “with” now isn’t it? Just thinking about my “with” moments leaves me in awe of Jesus as I think about all the old junk of mine that He took away and all the newness that He filled me up with (and continues to every day!). Chad asked us if we knew “new” like we know our “junk.” Well, do we? Or, do we simply identify with all our scars of old and not HIS scars that makes us new? When we die to self, it’s the “dumping place for our scars”, as Chad called it. But, do we dump it and leave it there at the foot of the cross, or do we continue to come back to pick it up and wear it again? Do all the scars from our sins identify us, or are we embracing God’s forgiveness and choosing to identify with the scars of grace instead? Aren’t those scars more than sufficient enough to “hide” ourselves in Him?

Chad told us a story of a girl that carried so much hate and rage. Then, unexpectedly, God emptied her out and freed her from it when some people laid hands on her to pray for her deliverance. Afterwards, she could hardly make sense of her new freedom. Chad said the two biggest questions she had were, “Is that possible? Is that God?” I think all of us have the tendency to believe that it just can’t be that easy, or that becoming free doesn’t have to be that hard when you are coming to the one and only God who is Lord over all the “impossible” things!!

There is so much more depth to the sermon than what I can probably describe. So, I encourage you to listen to it for yourself. And, I further urge you to check out this video of “cardboard testimonies” I found on God Tube. It’s an illustration in which everyone shows the “old” side of who they were on a piece of cardboard and then flips it to the “new” side. Chad and several others shared their own cardboard testimonies last Sunday. Chad’s sign said “Tattooed…..Renewed.” He said “the only difference between the front and the back is ‘with’.”

What would your “with” sign say? Or, maybe you don’t have a “with” sign yet because you’ve never identified yourself with Christ. If that’s the case, don’t hesitate to talk to me about it. I would be more than happy to show you the meaning of “with.” After all, I have had a lot of “with” moments myself! If I were holding that cardboard, it would probably read: “Lived in legalism…….Now living under grace.” Or, as I had commented about one of my friends at church (who happens to love landscaping and rocks lol) “Rocky life…..Life on the ROCK!”

Grace and peace to all of you as you fellowship “with” Him!!! God bless you!!

"I'm Not Good Enough."

Last week’s sermon was taken from Colossians 2:4-23 in which Paul talks about clinging to Christ and not being deceived. He warns against “fine sounding arguments” as well as “hollow and deceptive philosophy” among other things. (Wise advice for today as well isn’t it? I could go on a political tangent here, but I won’t). He encourages his readers to cling to the principles found in Christ and not the principles, legalism, and rules of the world. After all, we are aren’t saved by law, but by grace (Ephesians 2:8).

I encourage you to read the text for yourself. Because of the length, I haven’t posted it, but Chad did a great job of breaking it down and explaining it (hear it for yourself on our church website - http://www.missionoflife.com/ - when the sermon is uploaded). Chad explained what the “arguments” were and the audience to which these arguments were presented.

The recipients of Paul’s letter were a mix of Jews and Gentiles. So, those that sought to teach false doctrines fine-tuned their “fine sounding arguments” by appealing to the weaknesses of both groups. Jews came from a background of “law” and the Gentiles came from “sacrifice” (as in, sacrificing to whatever god they needed to sacrifice to for whatever reason). Chad described that for both groups, it was a “never enough” problem. For the Gentiles, it was their altar of sacrifice. For example, if they offered one of their gods a sacrifice of the blessing of crops they had had, but then had a bad year the following year, they must not have given the gods “enough.” But, if they had had a good year, then they would owe the gods MORE of a sacrifice because of the blessing they received. That creates a problem doesn’t it? How do you judge how much to sacrifice each time? There’s always that burden of worry of “is what I give good enough?”

Similarly, the Jews were the same way. Obedience through the law was how they attempted to find favor - though, in their case, it is just ONE God (the one and ONLY GOD!). Though, whether Jew or Gentile, their degree of obedience or sacrifice was never sufficient. One’s best was never “enough.”

However, Paul assured his readers that the issue of “enough” has already been appeased. The “enough” has been satisfied through Christ!!! CHRIST SATISFIED THE SIN DEBT ONCE AND FOR ALL AND THROUGH HIM (AND ONLY HIM - AND NOT THROUGH OURSELVES) IT’S ENOUGH!!! Hallelujah!! We don’t have to worry about the burden of perfection and legalism anymore!

Sadly, however, the “fine sounding arguments” still exist today. Many of us still walk in the lie that we have to be “good enough” which is pushed on us by the endless materialism (another variant of the “enough“ problem), rules, and legalism of our society - and even our churches!! Many of us still struggle to be “good enough”; whether it’s in the eyes of our peers or God’s. In fact, Chad showed us a list of many of the denominations that are around today. He said the only thing that separates one from the other is “rules.” What a shame that the Pharisee mentality still exists; all this “adding” of rules and requirements in order to obtain rightness with God. The church needn’t be a “credit” building system. You can’t “brownie point” your way into the Kingdom! And while most would say, “well duh!” there are some that think of salvation this way; as if church attendance could save you!! I remember seeing this very idea on “Home Improvement” when Randy decided he didn’t want to go to church with the family anymore. Tim told him that he shouldn’t skip because it was like “credit” and if you don‘t go, you “lose a credit.” It’s a rather humorous and ridiculous notion isn’t it? Yet, there are those that live as if that statement were an actual truth!! There are lots of “Sunday morning Christians” out there who mistakenly think that rules take precedence over grace and a real relationship with God. If they can just be a “good person,” that will be “good enough.” That is, until someone else who is “better” than you points out just how worthless you are and how much “holier than thou” they are than you.

I, for one, know what all of this is like. I had the “not good enough” mentality for a good while, and thought that I somehow had to earn my way to grace. I’m sure that there are those that probably felt like I did in that I had to be “perfect” like Billy Graham or Mother Theresa in order to go to heaven. It’s only been in the last couple of years that I have been able to break free from those lies and embrace the whole truth that it’s not anything that I “do“ or “earn” obtain favor or salvation. IT‘S ONLY GRACE!!

Legalism is a terrible burden to bear; I know this firsthand! At times, I still have it creep up on me, but I’m much better about identifying and shutting it down quickly than I used to be. Reading Paul’s letters, especially Galatians, really helped me with that. The whole idea is to embrace CHRIST and His atoning sacrifice as the only way to have right-standing before God. As Chad has said before, Jesus is the “filter of grace.” It’s by that filter that we are purified. Jesus is the way to fellowship and relationship with God. There can’t be any relationship without the blood. So, if we are trying to “earn” what we’ve already been freely given through Christ’s sacrifice, we are totally missing it!! If we, in our pride (and probably even ignorance), continue to think that we have to purify and perfect ourselves in order for God to love and accept us, we are getting it backwards. God loves us regardless; period. And, the purification and salvation comes through our outright admission that nothing WE can do can earn our salvation. What need would we have for a Savior if we could earn it ourselves? And, furthermore, who are we to basically tell Christ that His blood isn‘t sufficient enough and that our salvation depends on our own “righteousness“?

We MUST admit our need for the grace of God; which is only obtained through Christ. That surrender is what perfects and purifies us; through submission to HIM and not trying to do it ourselves. Even when you think about it, doesn’t it make more sense to come to Jesus in the state you’re in so that you can be cleansed rather than waiting for the “right moment” when you’re perfect so that you can come to him? For one, that day will never come and for two, even if it were possible, what need would we have for a perfect God if we were already perfect on our own?

If you are waiting until you’re “good enough” to accept Christ, maybe it’s time to learn the truth: You don’t come to Christ when you’re “good enough.” You become “good enough” THROUGH CHRIST when you come to HIM!! Don’t delay….come to Him TODAY!! Paul says in the latter part of 2 Corinthians 6:2 that “..now is the day of salvation.” DON’T WAIT!! Any “righteousness” that you can obtain is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and will never make you “good enough.” That’s why Jesus died for us in the first place, BECAUSE we aren’t “good enough” and never can be good enough on our own!!!

So, to all of my friends who (like me) have believed that they aren’t “good enough,” I encourage you to embrace the truth of grace. Allow Jesus to take away the burdens of unworthiness and legalism as you submit your confession of, “It’s true. I’m not good enough….and THAT is why I need you! Save me from myself!! Redeem me!!”

If anyone wants to talk more about this with me, I am here for you!! I have been there!! I know how you feel (and Satan still tries to trap me with it sometimes). I love you and want to help you through it!! Grace and peace to all of you!!

Afflicted

Last Sunday, Chad finished up chapter one of Colossians and started getting into chapter two a little bit. The scripture reference is Colossians 1:24-29 and 2:1-3 in which Paul talks about being afflicted for Christ; suffering for Him as well as for all his brothers and sisters in the faith.

Chad talked about how Paul willingly embraced suffering for the sake of Christ and His church. He was willing to carry the weight of the burdens of others as God opened and sensitized his heart. He always strived to see others through God’s eyes; knowing the Father’s heart for those he was trying to reach.

Chad further illustrated the kind of life Paul was living by giving a modern day example of a woman he met in Guatemala who had a passion for the people there. She started hanging out in nasty and undesirable trash laden dump areas where people would scrounge for whatever they could salvage and use. One time, she handed out 500 coupons to the people and told them that on a certain day, they could come and exchange it for the blankets she was giving out. Chad said that she ended up having thousands show up - and they all had a coupon. They made one out of whatever they could find; the need and desperation was that great!

The story didn’t stop there. Chad also talked about how she was willing to be afflicted for Christ in the orphanages. She stayed with the children and comforted them. These orphanages are so bad that children look for any way out of there that they can - even if it’s by killing themselves. If they can get to the roof, they jump. If they can drown themselves in a bucket of water they use to help the toilets flush, they do so. So, she made every effort to love and comfort them, even if it meant that she contracted lice while sitting on their beds and holding them in her arms. Chad said that she could even feel the lice just moving into her head. Still, she sat there and didn’t do anything about it. Holding, loving, and comforting those children in the safety of her arms was more important to her. She said it was humiliating to suffer the judgmental looks and stares as her lice filled hair was cut off bit by bit. Yet, she would have done it all over again if she had to. No cost was too high for her to serve others.

How willing are we to be afflicted in inconvenient, and possibly humiliating ways, for the sake of those we are trying to reach? How willing are we to get our hands dirty? How willing are we to humble ourselves and serve? Paul says in Philippians 2:5-8 that we should have the same attitude of service that Jesus had. We do that by humbling and submitting ourselves to the will of God. We must deny ourselves, pick up the cross, and follow HIS lead (Luke 9:23-24).

I’ll close with something I just seen a few days ago. It was in the movie “The Second Chance” (starring Michael W. Smith). In it, he plays an associate pastor and singer who is sent to a sister church to learn humility and help out. I think the movie did a good job of showcasing some of the problems that the church has today with serving (and with the right attitude and motivations). It also points out the fact that we just try to throw money at a problem, rather than actively participating (and being “afflicted” like Chad’s sermon and Paul’s words suggest). Michael W. Smith says in the end of the movie that for a long time, he served Christ, but only if he could be “comfortable.” Though, through truly serving and getting involved in the ministry and mission of the church, he started realizing that true love and outreach is about getting personally involved; even when it’s “uncomfortable” or the cost is high. After all, isn’t that what REAL LOVE is? (See May 25th’s sermon blog “Getting Off Your Donkey”).

I pray that the church will be revived and refocused. I pray that we will function in unity and that we will all be truly led by the Holy Spirit; and not out of our own wills while using the “Holy Spirit” as our justification. May we all be of one mind and one Spirit - HIS Spirit!! Grace and peace to you all!! May we all venture out of our comfort zones and learn to endure persecution and affliction for Christ!! Amen!!

[This sermon is now available online. You can listen to it by clicking on the link provided.]

"Congratulations! You Are Reconciled!"

Today, we had baptisms. However, before we proceeded to witness the beautiful and symbolic declarations of faith, Chad continued preaching in the book of Colossians. Today’s scripture was Colossians 1:19-23:

19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;

20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Chad did a beautiful job of describing God’s reconciliation; how He restored peace and unity between Himself and His creation through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 says:

19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

These scriptures describe the character and nature of our awesome God. His goal is to mend and fix what is broken; that fellowship and intimacy between Himself and His children. His intense love provided the way for us to have that restoration of fellowship through Jesus. ALL of us need Jesus in order to have fellowship with God! Jesus’ blood is the only way we can be presented before God holy and blameless.

Does your heart understand how much God loves you? Do you know that there is no limit to God‘s love and that He ALWAYS has an attitude of love towards you? He will go to any length to win the human heart; and the cross proves it!! The sacrifice of His own Son is the ultimate proof of His love and that He holds nothing back.

Chad said in the simplest of terms that “God is for you.” He said if we understand that, we wouldn’t “bargain” with Him and make promises in exchange for whatever goodness, blessing, or grace we hope He’ll show us. He is our loving Father; all good gifts come from Him. He gives and gives to us regardless of any “deals” we make with Him. Chad stated the case and point with his own children. He always has interesting stories to tell about the things his boys do and the small trouble they get into. He was talking about how his boys made a mess, used markers to draw all over the bathroom (in fact, his son John even wrote his name on the toilet seat - “John….how fitting.” LOL) picking on each other, etc. He said each time they got in trouble, they would apologize and make deals and promises and “I’ll be good…….I’ll do this/that….I’ll clean my room…….etc.” Chad said that it was kind of sad, in a way, because if his children really understood the depth of how much he loved them, they would know that no “deal” they could make or anything they could do would ever “earn” his love and forgiveness. Chad, like any parent, loves his children unconditionally; just like God loves His children. Chad told us not to “misunderstand God” and that “our promises don’t affect God’s behavior towards us.” He LOVES you unconditionally and forever. Nothing we do can change that. And, no one else can change God’s mind about us either. Nothing and no one can change God’s opinion of us and how much He loves us because, as Paul describes in Romans 8:38, NOTHING can separate us from the love of God!! We don’t have to “earn” God’s love; it just “is” because God IS love!! We don’t have to make deals and promises. God already made the ultimate deal when He sacrificed His Son on the cross for our sins.

One other point that Chad made was how when one balances a checkbook, you have to reconcile your balance with the bank’s. Often times, he said that his didn’t match the bank’s and there would be a button online that would say “Do you want to reconcile?” And, when you click that button, you hear a little sound and a little window comes up and says “Congratulations! You are reconciled!” Chad said that as simple as it seems to just click that button and be reconciled, we just get stumped by the simplicity; just like we can’t seem to understand that God really reconciles us when we confess our sins (1 John 1:9). Chad said, “Trust that’s it’s done.” Trust that you are “reconciled” and forgiven. He remembers your sins no more.

If you have never been “reconciled” to Christ, I pray that you will consider that “button” in front of you that asks that question: “Do you want to reconcile?” I pray that you choose yes so that when you face God when you die, He will say “Congratulations! You are reconciled!” Otherwise, you will have to pay your negative balance yourself…….and will be paying it for all eternity because a sin debt is more than one can ever pay for (which is why Christ paid it for us all). All we have to do is make that choice to accept that payment towards our sin balance. Will you allow Him to pick up you tab, or will you stubbornly and foolishly choose to pay for it yourself and suffer the consequences? What is your choice?

If you want to “reconcile” but need help taking that step, please don’t hesitate to talk to me!! I am here for you!! I love you; and God loves you even MORE!! Grace and peace to you!!! Have a blessed week!!

Got Hope?

Hope. What comes to mind when you hear that word? What is it and where does it come from? Today, Chad talked about “hope” as he continued the sermon series on the book of Colossians.

Chad talked about Colossians 1:3-8 and said that as he was preparing for the message, he kept coming back to verse five in particular. Chad showed the NIV version which says: “faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel..”

Faith and love “spring” from hope. Where does the hope come from? Hope comes from the gospel. And what is the gospel? 1 Corinthians 15:1-14 describes the gospel as Christ’s sacrifice for ours sins, his burial, and resurrection. The fact that Christ accomplished all this and that it’s TRUE is why the gospel brings us such hope. Paul said in verse fourteen “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” In other words, the gospel is TRUE. If it weren’t, then talking about it and believing it would be a meaningless waste of time.

So, what is hope? Hope is the blessed truth that JESUS IS ALIVE!! Hope isn’t merely the idea that we will “someday” experience Jesus in heaven when we get there. Hope is alive NOW because Jesus is alive TODAY!! Hope is in us and with us because Jesus is HERE!

Where do you see hope? Chad talked about how having the hope of Jesus within himself and the Guatemala team enabled them to touch the lives of those they met on their mission trip. Chad said, “there’s hope for the hopeless because Jesus lives.” In verse 27 of the first chapter of Colossians, Paul says: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

Sometimes, people find it hard to hope. Sometimes, it‘s because they don’t know Jesus who IS hope. Whatever the case, they can begin to understand the hope of Jesus through seeing it at work within His people. We bear the gospel of hope; a message of peace, compassion, love, mercy, and grace. We have all these encouraging and good things in the gospel of Christ!

We hope and have all these good things because of Christ. All of it is a gracious undeserved gift from God. You see, we’re all sinners and justice demands that sin be paid for. God abounds with love and grace and because of Jesus‘ blood sacrifice, we are spared from paying the price for our sins ourselves if we call on His Name. Chad said, “You name the Name, you get the benefits by grace.” Grace is the filter. We can’t enter heaven any other way except through Jesus. To enter in, we must have that blood red filter of grace.

How blessed we are to have this hope of the gospel and all the good things it brings!! Who wouldn’t want to share it?! So,…are we? Are we showing the hope of Christ to people? Chad asked “who has hope?“ I raised my hand and said, “yeah!“ ;) Some others raised their hands too. Chad said if anyone needed some hope, start hanging around some hopeful people. If you hang around some hopeful people, you will start wanting what they have. You’ll see the source of that hope: Jesus.

When talking about hopeful people, I had one particular person come to mind: my sweet and humble friend Saundra (Don‘t blush, Saundra. I just had to! LOL). She radiates hope and people see and experience it every day! She feeds and clothes the homeless in her area and is always giving of her heart. She says that sometimes, people come to her and ask her why she does what she does. She just shows them the love of the Father and tells them of the hope she has. Often times, they even ask where she goes to church. Her hope is contagious and it inspires their hunger and thirst for God. They want to come to her church and hear more about this God of hope - and meet even more hopeful people!! Her testament of hope draws people to Christ!

So………got hope? Got Jesus? Are you hopeful or hopeless? If you are hopeful, share it! If you are feeling hopeless, talk to me. I’ll share my hope with you! His name is Jesus! He loves you, and so do I!! Grace and peace to all of you!! God bless you!!

An Unchanging Speaker For The Ever-Changing Audience

What does it take to understand something? How does one understand a story; a conversation; a testimony? Well, it’s all about the speaker and listener; the author and audience. That’s the important point that Chad made when starting his new sermon series on Colossians today. (Be sure to listen to all the details when the sermon is uploaded online!).

The concept of knowing your audience is something that my English teacher always emphasized. He always told us that in order to communicate effectively, we always had to have our target audience in mind. In order to reach them, we must understand them and put ourselves in their shoes. The better we understand them, the better they will understand us and the less of a communication gap there will be.

Paul (who penned the letter that became the book of Colossians) understood his audience. He always knew how to explain things and help his readers/listeners understand the spiritual concepts he was trying to convey. However, that was years ago and the audience has now changed. Therefore, there is often a very huge gap between what Paul wrote and meant then and what we understand about it in the here and now. It’s kind of like Shakespeare. We, in the present day, sometimes have a hard time understanding the things Shakespeare wrote because we no longer talk in the same form or live in the same time period. Therefore, we don’t understand and receive his message as well as his target audience did. I laugh to think of how future generations might scratch their heads at our own present-day communication. Can you imagine how a phrase like this might perplex someone a hundred years from now?: “I gtg…bbl. I’m gonna go hang with my peeps 4 a while (fo shizzle!). LOL So,…I reckon I’ll ttyl….tc!” Did you get all that? I’m assuming most of you did because these are the times we live in. That type of lingo, dialect, and communication isn’t foreign to us. But, for the members of my “audience” who do not understand, let me clarify the meaning for you: “I’ve got to go. I’ll be back later. I’m going to spend time with my friends for a while (definitely!) *laughing out loud* So,…I suppose I will talk to you later. Take care!” When there is very little burden on the audience to decipher what the author is saying, there isn’t much room for confusion, misunderstandings, or misinterpretation. However, because so much has changed between then and now, we DO have that burden to try to understand more about the communication, culture, and what things were like THEN if we want to understand it NOW!!

This is why Chad likes to “peel back the layers of history” in order to get to the core of what the authors of the Bible were trying to say. Studying intensely will help the text “come alive” and help the present day reader relate and understand. Therefore, Chad’s introduction to Colossians begins with some foundational understanding about Paul.

As most of you may already know, Paul wasn’t always the “saint” that we know him to be. Our author, Paul, or rather “the author formerly known as Saul” (See! Many in this present day “audience” will understand this referential joke and laugh!) was once a persecutor of the very faith that he professed in his letters. As Saul, he was a Jew, and he followed the laws of his Jewish faith very strictly. He and others persecuted those that “belonged to ’the way’” because “the way” (Jesus) wasn’t “their way.” However, all of that was about to change….

In Acts 9:1-22, we read of Saul’s miraculous conversion on the road to Damascus. A sudden bright light from heaven brought Saul to his knees and Jesus asked him; “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul inquired to who He was and Jesus revealed himself to him saying: “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” Then, He directed the now blinded Saul to get up and go into the city where he would soon be told what to do next.

After Saul’s three days of fasting and praying (oh yeah, there’s a sermon in itself right there!!), the Lord sent Ananias to Saul to lay hands on him and restore his sight. IMMEDIATELY after the scales fell from his eyes, he was BAPTIZED (as Chad pointed out, he didn‘t wait until he was “spiritually mature” but rather, got baptized at his conversion - as we all should in order to signify our rebirth and our faith in Christ! If you’ve been born again, why wouldn‘t you want to be baptized?). Then, he ate some food to regain his strength, and then began preaching about Jesus!!

Saul/Paul traveled everywhere and all were amazed that he was once a violent persecutor of the Christian faith! Even Jesus’ own disciples had a hard time believing it at first; some even had disagreements with him about different things (oh yeah, Christians do have disagreements sometimes!). Chad reminded us that Paul and Peter even had to part ways after Paul called him out on his hypocrisy (See Galatians 2:11-21). I won’t go into a whole other subject by discussing the content here, but basically, Peter was in the wrong and he and Paul had to part ways. Thankfully, Jesus worked on Peter’s heart and through CHRIST’S intervention, he was able to see the truth and have a changed heart and mind on the issue (and then some!!). Once Peter humbled himself, surrendered, and got over his pride and stubbornness, he became sensitive and open to the truth of what Jesus was trying to show him (please see Acts 10:9-48 and continuing in Acts 11:1-18). And, through his humble submission to the AUTHORITY and WILL of CHRIST, change occurred in him; and subsequently in OTHERS TOO!! (You just got to read it for yourself!! It’s awesome!!)

Chad said if there was one thing to asterisk about this message it would be this: **JESUS CHANGES PEOPLE!!** AMEN TO THAT!!! A TRUE ENCOUNTER with Jesus Christ brings surrender and repentance, just like we have seen with Saul/Paul. Jesus grabs our hearts and transforms us into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our lives are changed and WOW….WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!

When was your encounter with Jesus on your own “road to Damascus”? Or, have you not had that encounter yet? Or, maybe you have, but the “wow factor” of your conversion has fizzled out. You’ve taken a detour, gone your own way, and now, you are “lukewarm” like in Revelation 3:16. That’s not a good place to be!! If you are unsure of your salvation don’t hesitate to reach out for some help. I’m your sister in Christ and I’m here to help you and pray for you!!

Jesus really does change people!! He is the ONLY one that can change anyone; and that is a concept that every audience in every era can understand!! Even though the times and audiences change, He never does. He remains the same wonderful, loving, merciful, forgiving Savior He has always been!! He’s still in the business of creating life-changing transformations each and every day. And, each testimony resulting from those transformations carries a tremendous impact!! The world is our “audience” and each story has the power to show everyone the reality of how wonderful and REAL God is!! God really can do anything, and he can soften and change even the most hardened of hearts!! Paul said so himself in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” If the self-proclaimed chief of sinners can be saved, there is indeed hope for anyone to change!! It’s just like what my former atheist friend always likes to remind me of: “No one is beyond redemption.” He hated Christians just like Paul did, but God brought him to his knees as well on his own “road to Damascus” and changed his heart forever. If he can change; if Paul can change; then I KNOW there is hope for everyone and it motivates me to pray all the harder for those I know who are unbelievers or backslidden. I know that Jesus can open their eyes and change their hearts!!

If you haven’t already done so, please, encounter Christ and allow him to change your life from the inside out!! Then, boldly live and share your story in order to glorify and bring honor to HIS NAME!! Like Saul was renamed Paul, so are you also renamed as a son/daughter of your heavenly Father when you are adopted into His family!! You are an heir of God; a child of the King!! Bear that title well and may all the world know that you are His disciple!! The world is your “audience”….and they are watching and listening to you!! God bless you all!!