The Best Blog Post Ever (PERRY NOBLE)

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PERRY NOBLE: Stop Showing God Your "But" 

WEEKEND UPDATE (092610)

Great day at Crossroads Sunday!!  We finished up our series "Healthy Habits" with two awesome services.  My prayer is that you really got something you can use for your life over the last three weeks.  I'll tell you this:  If God messed with your world half as much as He did mine during this series, you are CHANGED!!  Thanks to all who made this series rock!  Here's just a few things rattling around in my brain this morning:

• 
  
  Lots of first and second time attenders Sunday and MANY people indicated that they were renewing their comittment to Christ!!
• 
  
  MANY more people indicated they wanted to go public with their faith through Baptism next Sunday!!  Can't wait!
• 
  
  Caleb did a GREAT job leading worship on Sunday while Nic & Janna were out!
• 
  
  I was suffering from a MAN COLD on Sunday and I felt horrible.
• 
  
  We had some good laughs about it though, and LAUGHING always makes me feel better.
• Healthy snack choices in the lobby were great.  But I didn't act fast enough to get an apple.  More stuff next week.
• Crossroads U video was ridiculously funny.  Funnier still: My daughter was sitting next to some young people who had never seen the SNL Spartan cheerleaders sketch, and so had no point of reference.  I think the video just left them having some concerns about Matt and Hollie. (It's okay, I share their concerns, ha-ha!)
• Speaking of my daughter, I had the honor of being her escort for the Homecoming Court at Friday Night's Enterprise football game.  What a thrill!  (I know, that has nothing to do with Sunday's service).
• So here: God used this series to rock my world.  I'm not the same as I was before.
• 
  
  That's a choice, by the way.  You and I get to CHOOSE for ourselves if we're going to be changed!
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  I love being in a small group.  If you're not in one, you should get in one.  Yes, it will require you to do something that maybe you're not doing right now.  But it will be good for you.
• 
  
  Really glad that Alabama beat Arkansas.  And yes, that does too have something to do with Sunday's service.  I saw Nick McReynolds (hog wild, sooey-hollerin', Razorback-lover) in the lobby on Sunday and I had the opportunity to console him.  It was the "Christian" thing to do. :)
• 
  
  Natalie's video segment was great!  I think she needs her own TV show.  If you missed it, we'll upload it to the Crossroad's Vimeo and give you a link later in the week.
• 
  
  Oh, and if you're not in a small group, it doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the resources available.  Go HERE to listen to a podcast of the service and download all my notes and small group resources for each service.      

Just like you, I have a hugely busy week in front of me, so I'm going to leave you with this:  What marks a follower of Jesus Christ is a CHANGED LIFE.  This series was all about giving you a practical approach to embracing the kind of change that is pleasing to God.  Like everything else in life, the choice is yours and yours alone.  But I earnestly and regularly pray for you that you would CHOOSE LIFE!  Have a GREAT week!



THE ROADIE CHEER

If you haven't seen this yet, here you go.  Our new ad for Crossroads U.  It's Matt and Hollie our awesome Children's Pastors.  So glad they're at Crossroads with us!  Not only that, but you'll never see them pacing the sidelines.  Their always in the game!  Way to go guys!  That's some serious ROADIE spirit!  (PLEASE NOTE:  This paragraph has less than 10% of the exclamation points contained in the video below).

Crossroads U from Crossroads Community Church on Vimeo.

My Brother On Your Mind

Several people have asked for the cool video my brother Frank Oden provided that we used last Sunday.  He gives us a practical, clinical, secular and totally appropriate view into how our brains work when it comes to establishing behaviors (habits), either bad or good.  Thank you Frank, for sharing your insight with us!

Frank Oden On The Mind from Crossroads Community Church on Vimeo.




 

This Song Messes Me Up

Probably old news to many of you, but in case you don't know JESUS CULTURE, or Chris Quilala, thought I'd share this with you.  Heard the NewSpring band play it last Thursday and thought I was going to explode.  This song definitely messes me up.  Thank you God!  Enjoy.  (NOTE: If the video won't play all the way through, click it to play on YouTube.)

MONDAY EVENING UPDATE

So totally slammed at work today that I'm just getting to the Weekend Update, Sunday Night Reflections thing.  But oh, how my heart LEAPS for joy inside me!  I am so blown away by God's grace and mercy and goodness!  We are SO FORTUNATE that God is working in us, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases Him! 

What a wonferful weekend at Crossroads.  Let me move over, and let some other folks give you THEIR take on Crossroads this weekend from the comments on Communication Cards:

“Enjoyed the service.”

“This was the 3rd visit for me & my 2 young sons. We have all enjoyed being here.”

“Awesome worship!” Can’t wait for Beach, BBQ, & Baptism.”

“Love, love, love it here.”

“This church was made for me. You read my mind & then give a service! Thank you.”

“Thank you for this awesome place of worship.”

“Breathtaking. Amazing. Great. Awesome. Funny.”

“Powerful message. Needed to hear it. Battling my own “bad” behaviors. Thank you!!”

“Thanks for your prayers.”

“Amazing times here at Crossroads!! We will miss you & will be sure to come back!!”

“Thank you for your prayers, for being a wonderful church full of love and God.”

“Awesome.”

“Thank you.”

“Really like the band’s new song. Good message!”

“Great message.”

“Message right on target!”

“I am always happy to see everyone every time I have the chance to come to service.”

“9 am service was amazing this morning! Heard loud & clear!”

“Worship was off the chain!”

“Mindfulness, Awesome! Great message!!”

“I feel at home here.”

“Love the new baptism video! Good to see the building again.”

“Incredible message!!!”

“Love this series! Great application!”

“Good to be back!”

 

What, and I'm going to add to that?  I don't think so.  Thank you God for letting us be a part of people coming to faith in Jesus and growing in that faith!

Have a GREAT week!

 

NewSpring Conference...Wow.

Totally blown away at the events of today.  I'm not a big conference hound.  This is the first one like this for me and Leslie in almost three years.  It was worth every minute.  It was like drinking from a fire hydrant.  Unfortunately, after not leaving Enterprise until after 5PM yesterday, we didn't get to Anderson, SC until well after 1AM.  We overslept a bit, got lost on the way to NewSpring and totally missed Perry Noble's opening session, which is a bummer because Perry is a huge influence on my life and work.  Huge.  But here's a bit of what happened after that:

• Mark Driscoll - He taught on Ephesians 5 (Paul in jail), and specifically about suffering, and was clear about the fact that when you dedicate your life to Jesus, it's not all gonna be snowcones and lollipops (my words).  His words were a bit more succint: "Those whom God uses greatly, will first be wounded deeply".  A few other quotes (in no specific order): "Preachers who preach repentance but don't practice it create a toxic culture in their church".  Also, "The world's not filled with good guys and bad guys.  The world's filled with bad guys and Jesus".  Also, "Jesus did not suffer so that you would not suffer.  He suffered so that when you suffer, you would be like him".  And,  "Religious people don't suffer.  They cause other people to suffer".  Love him or don't (he's a lightening rod to be sure and not one to shirk from sharing his opinion), Mark Driscoll is a Gospel heavyweight who propels the Kingdom of God forward with insight, intelligence, deep understanding of the Scriptures, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  No two ways about it.
• Jud Wilhite - He said this (well, Jesus said it first, but he re-stated it real good): "Go to work, put your hand to the plow and don't look back".  Jud was AWESOME!  "Reach out to eh broken and you will always have an audience", he said, and should know well by now.  He pastors a huge church in Las Vegas where 1 in every 5 attenders are unemployed, and a hughe component of his congregation is people in recovery from addictions of every description.  The Las Vegas economy is one of the worst in the country, and the resources of their massive church have been hit hard.  Driscoll said about them, "You guys aren't just bbroke, you're college-broke!"  Despite all that, they have the largest recovery ministry in the State, they have a church plant in a 700-person Women's Prison, one of their formerly homeless attenders sued and beat the Mayor of Las Vegas paving the way for continued feeding of homeless people on the street, and they have fostered a culture of saying "Yes!"  I'm taking home many big learnings from Jus Wilhite.
• Judah Smith - I was really prepared to not like him, until I heard his story.  Then I had to love him.  He's a real young guy whose a 7th generation pastor, who recently took over his father's church after his father pastored it for 18 years.  He's totally a Pentacostal dude and because of my background in Pentacostal and Word of Faith churches (which I finally ran sreaming from after 16 odd, and I mean odd, years) I was pre-disposed to dislike him.  Having said all that...he TOTALLY won me over, and left me in a puddle of tears after his extraordinarily compelling and right on the money message.  Says Judah (preaching on stormy weather and small watercraft from Mark 4:35), "The only way to get from where you are now to where you should be is to stay in the boat".  He wasn't talking about not walking on the water, he was talking about not giving up when you're afraid, and the wind is blowing and the waves are crashing in on you, and you have NO IDEA how long it's going to last.  Good stuff.
• Francis Chan - Well, let me just say that Francis Chan has the kind of integrity you don't even hear about, let alone see.  I say that based on this: after founding Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA and pastoring for 16 years, he recognized that his own celebrity was getting in the way of the Gospel message.  He said today, "I heard the name Frances Chan from the people in my church way more than the name of Jesus".  He stepped down, turned the ministry over to someone who isn't famous, sold his house and is moving with his family to Asia...or somewhere...?  He has absolutely no idea what God is going to do in his life.  He was the most transparent leader I've even seen on the platform.  Honestly, he was a holy mess.  I'm not kidding either.  God is tweaking him so much that he could barely speak today.  So, weeping, he fell to his knees and prayed for everyone in the room.  I've never seen anything like it.  It was...I don't even know how to describe it, except to say that the Holy Spirit moved on the hearts of everyone in the room.  What an incredible honor to have been there for that moment.  He said many things that blew my small mind, and touched my heart very deeply.
• Steve Furtick - Furtick was great, as anyone who has seen or heard him might imagine.  Simple, to the point, and no holds barred.  He said about Jesus (quoting Jesus mother), "Whatever he tells you to do...do it!"  He masterfully wove his message to this point: "Jesus always sent someone to do what He had already planned, and worked out.  So whatever he tells you to do, do it like it's already done, because it is!"  Loved this too, "If no one has laughed at the size of your vision yet, you're not dreaming big enough!"  Furtick did way more good in his message than this short paragraph about it can descibe.  Hugely impressed with his heart, his message, his delivery and his ministry.  Incredible story, for which God gets all the glory.  At the end, he gave everyone in the room (about 2500 people) a copy of his new book, Sun Stand Still.
• Andy Stanley - Guys, if you know me then you know that Andy is a huge mentor to me (of course, he has no idea about that) and his teaching is probably the single largest influence on our church and our ministry in terms of target, and teaching content and style.  Leslie and I sat in the sixth row, center and listened to something that is so large, I can't even talk about it yet (but I did take several pages of notes).  I'll be bringing it back to our staff and leaders soon.  Yes, I totally have a man-crush on Andy Stanley and I make no apologies for telling you that sitting there receiving Christ's message tonight through Andy Stanley was one of the highlights of 21 years serving God.

Big, big day.  I know this was a long Blog post, but if you're stil reading, I really wanted to share just a little bit of what we experienced today.  NewSpring is a wonderful church, and I was blown away by their incredible (and massive, and massively motivated) corps of volunteers!  I've never seen anything like it.  They served with joy, grace, and humility.  What a crew!  On another note: The music, singers, musicians, and songwriters at NewSpring were simply amazing!  But here's the most amazing part: they've got nothing on Nic & Jann and the Crossroads band (except several hundred thousand dollars worth of great sound gear).  I am absolutely serious guys, the whole time I was worshipping today, I kept thinking how blessed we are that God has given us what He's given us at Crosroads!

 

I praise God for each of you and for our church family and the direction He's sent us in the short time we've been Crossroads.  And I want you to know that I thank Him continually for the amazing honor He has given me to serve as your pastor.  I am humbled by it, and I count it as the most precious and important responsibility and privilege that anyone could ever be afforded.  Peace.

ROAD TRIP & TEASER!

Tomorrow Leslie and I will be attending a one-day conference at Newspring Church in Anderson, SC.  So excited to be going there!  Perry Noble, Francis Chan, Mark Driscoll, Steven Furtick and Andy Stanley among others!  Totally freaking out about how cool this is going to be!

Here's FOUR OTHER THINGS I am so excited about I can't sit still:

1. SMALL GROUPS start this week!  I love the new format with notes AND questions.  It's going to get better and better each week!  I have missed our Small Group so much and can't wait to get started again! 
2. BEACH, BBQ & BAPTISM is coming up on Sunday October 3rd at 3PM on the East Beach at Lake Tholocco.  It is our 5th BB&B, and around 20 people have already indicated they are coming to be Baptized!  This time around, we have a couple of HUGE innovations that will make BB&B a more meaningful experience for everyone!  We'll talk about them in a couple of weeks.  Look for the new BB&B video this Sunday!
3. CROSSROADS U starts Sunday October 3rd at 9AM in Cinema 3 with ROADIES 101 and continues for the next four weeks, same time - same location, with ROADIES 201.  I am thrilled that we are finally able to launch our comprehensive discipleship training process.  These classes are designed to answer a HUGE question that Crossroads attenders have been asking: "What is spiritual maturity all about and how do I get some?"  Can't wait!
4. NEW WEBSITE launches very soon, and will contain a new slate of resources to help people stay connected to God, to each other, and to the world around them.  

Okay...I can't keep this in.  There's actually a fifth thing.  But keep it quiet, okay?  Promise?  Good.  In the next 30 days, we will be announcing Crossroads very first satellite church.  It's going to cost us virtually nothing to launch, and you will not BELIEVE the location.  There.  How's that for a teaser?

As the most interesting man in the world says, "Stay thirsty my friends!"  God is doing HUGE things at Crossroads!

 

With Selfish Determination

Though we're covering a lot of ground Scripturally in our continuing series HEALTHY HABITS, here's where we're lining up each Sunday morning:  "...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose". (Philippians 2:12-13)

God has a part and we have a part.  God is working in us, as we said last Sunday "being faithful to complete the work he started in us".  But we have to put one foot in front of the other and do the "work" part of working out our salvation.  We don't work to recieve salvation and forgiveness of sins.  It's a gift of God, through Christ, that we couldn't possibly ever earn.  But we "do the work" of working out our salvation as we meet God daily in His Word, reading and studying the Bible; as we speak with him (and listen to him) daily in prayer; as we embrace generosity as a lifestyle, and as we gather together for fellowship, accountability and mentoring with like-minded believers.

There's another aspect to "working out our salvation" that I think is important, and maybe not something we think about in these terms: selfish determination.  So much of the time (and rightfully so) we focus our attention and study and teaching and activities on determining what we can and should and must do for others.  As followers of Christ, we practice self-LESS-ness.  And when we do, we do it to good result.  But part of "working out our salvation" is making the wholely selfish determination that WE alone are responsible for choosing what path we will take.  WE alone are responsible for beginning and maintaining the HEALTHY HABITS that mark a follower of Christ.  WE have to do the work, because NO ONE ELSE is going to do the work for us.

So pursue your salvation, and the CHANGED-LIFE it promises with a selfish determination to HAVE it!  And have it you will!  Hold fast to the correct belief that YOUR decisions and the actions YOU take will make the difference in YOUR life, and ultimately make you useful to God in the lives of others.

Don't wait for someone else to move.  Don't wait for God to drop it in your lap.  Don't wait until you feel like it.  Do it today!  Grab hold of your own life.  Grab hold of your own salvation.  With selfish determintation decide that you WILL be changed!  And God will work in you to will and to act according to his good purpose in ways you never even imagined! 

   

SUNDAY REFLECTIONS (091210)

Wonderful day at Crossroads this morning.  Two great services, with a crowd full of energy and expectation as we turn the corner into Fall.  Here's a few quick hits and a few things I noticed this morning:

• I don't know what it is, but we have had MORE DECISIONS in the past few weeks than in the last several months!  Again this week, MANY people made high quality life-changing decisions to trust Christ for the first time, to renew their commitment to Christ, or to go public with their faith through Baptism!  That is AWESOME!!!
• GREAT to welcome all who attend Crossroads through our podcast across the United Stated and the World.  HUGE special shout-out this morning from both services for those Crossroads attenders currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan!
• I am SO STOKED to maximize our web-resources to serve ROADIES who are attending on-line.  Look for our BRAND NEW WEBSITE soon, complete with LIVE STREAMING VIDEO MESSAGES!  I can't wait.
• Everyone needs to know that a GREAT amount of our financial support comes from people who do not physically attend Crossroads.  Thank you for your support.  We are working on ways to serve you better!
• Band rocked this morning!  Great to have Janna back on the stage.
• Small Group sign up is smoking!  We have 8 small groups that are maxed out.  If you still want to get in a small group (and you DO want to) email Pastor Ben at ben.rice@crossroadsenterprise.org
• Great crowd today!  Good to see attendance back up after the holiday weekend.
• Great numbers of first, second and third-time attenders!
• Love this new series.  Lots of ground to cover today about establishing healthy habits.
• If we want to be like Jesus, we have to develop the habits that he developed!
• I am SO EXCITED about CROSSROADS U, that I can hardly sit still.  CROSSROADS U is all about discipleship.  Attend ROADIES 101, 201, 301 & 401, and GROW as you Discover Membership, Maturity, Ministry and Missions!

I pray that God keeps you focused this week.  That you being doing a few small things DIFFERENTLY as you walk out a day at a time your path to spiritual maturity.  Spend time in God's Word, spend time in Prayer, practice Generosity, and embrace Fellowship with like-minded believers.  Remember, it is God who will give you the desire and the power to do the things that are pleasing to Him.  Your part is to faithfully do the work in front of you.

Small Groups start this week!  I pray that those attending would really take seriously the call to grow in Christ.  Dig in, and dig deep.  Make the most of the resources offered at Crossroads, and have a GREAT TIME of fellowship as you develop friendships in your small groups that will last a lifetime! 

May the God of peace keep you, protect you, guide you and prosper you at all you do this week, and may you fully turn your life over to His loving care as the Holy Spirit mentors you to new HEALTHY HABITS for your HEART, for your MIND, for your BODY and for your LIFE!!!!!!!

What's your Hurry?

According to cosmetic-surgeon and author of Pschyo-Cybernetics Dr. Maxwell Maltz, it takes a person 21 days to establish a new habit. Where did he get that idea?  Maltz noticed that amputees took, on average, 21 days to adjust to the loss of a limb and so he argued that people take 21 days to adjust to any major life change.  As one blogger I admire acerbically noted, "Unless you're in the habit of sawing off your own arm, this is not particulaly relevant".  I'm with him.  Here's why:

If we enter into a pattern of life-changing behavior expecting that at some point we will reach a critical mass in terms of the effort required to sustain that life-changing behavior, we may well be setting ourselves up for failure.  When I start looking down the road comparing my present state with that glorious state in which I imagine I can be, it can cause me to feel less than satisfied about my personal progress.  Yes, we should live fully in today looking forward to the future that is to come, but (for me) looking ahead to the second-coming of Christ doesn't use the same visionary musculature as looking ahead to being 20-30-40-50 pounds lighter, healthier, smarter, richer, more devoted or _______________! (fill in your own blank).  Know what I mean?

I think that's a part of what Jesus was talking about when he said, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof".  In non-Yoda language, it might be easier understood as, "Don't worry about tomorrow, today's trouble is enough for today".  One might even say, "Just take it a day at a time, bro".

Leslie and I have enjoyed nearly half a lifetime of sobriety taking it one day at a time.  I'm pretty sure that developing other life-changing habits works much the same way.  Whether your desire is to deepen or enhance your spiritual understanding or your walk with God, to grow in some way intellectually, or simply to begin living a physically healthier lifestyle go ahead and put the goal on the wall, but once it's up there, walk away from it.  'Cause the only way to actually live it out is a day at a time.

For what it's worth to the reader, Leslie and I began several weeks ago making some significant nutritional changes in our lives, and developing some new habits.  It's been way more than 21 days now, and though we are both seeing and feeling the impact of our decision, the changes are slooooooow.  It's okay though.  I'm not in a hurry.  I have a goal.  It's on the wall.  But we're walking this decision out one day at a time.  I'm glad about that.  The last two times we made the choice to walk it out it a day at a time, and stay comitted no matter what, it resulted in nearly thirty years of marriage, and over twenty years of following Christ.  One day at a time.  Try it.  Whatever new habits you desire to develop.  It works...if you work it! 

See you Sunday.

      

New Series: HEALTHY HABITS

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi telling them that he was praying for them, "confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion..."  I think Paul wanted us to trust that as we took steps as followers of Christ, God would work with us, in us and through us to accomplish His great purpose for the world, and for each of us individually.  It's as if we are simply a "work-in-progress"; under construction, if you will.

If you're anything like me, there are probably times (sometimes many times) where you feel you haven't made a great deal of progress in an area of your life.  Whether it's developing a deeper relationship with God, overcoming self-esteem issues, or desiring to live a healthier lifestyle physically, we all fall short at times of our desires and expectations.  Our minds often see change as the exception for us, rather than the rule to live by.  Not surprisingly, that viewpoint can short-circuit our own attempts to make positive changes in our lives.  After a host of failed attempts, we often give up assuming that change is simply not within our grasp.

But it is!  In fact, the hallmark of a follower of Christ isn't more bible knowledge, or steadier church attendance, or a desire to make covered dish casseroles for the church picnic.  the hallmark of a follower of Christ is a CHANGED LIFE.  That's why we always say that INFORMATION without TRANSFORMATION is meaningless.  Because God cares about you and me changing.  His desire for us is that we would grow to be complete.

Paul writes later telling the Philippian church to, "Work hard to show the results of your salvation...".  And he let them know they weren't working alone when he said, "God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him".  We're not in this thing alone.  We have a part and God has a part.  And if we'll do our part, He'll do His...and then some!

This Sunday at Crossroads we're kicking off a new original series called HEALTHY HABITS, where we'll take the idea of growing and changing head on, and we'll look at what it means and what it takes to develop the kind of lifestyle God desires for us to live.  And we'll start it all with this understanding: None of us are where we want to be, but if we'll apply ourselves, we will see positive change in our lives! 

Healthy Habits for your HEART and your MIND and your BODY.  Can't wait to see you there!

     

WEEKEND UPDATE (Labor Day 2010)

This weekend was truly awesome as we wrapped up our series on the end times, OUTTATIME.  So many great things happened at Crossroads on Sunday.  Here's a few of the highlights:

• MANY people made high quality decisions Sunday morning!!!  Some decided to trust their lives to Christ for the very first time, some decided to renew their comittment to follow Jesus, and some decided to go public with their faith through Baptism at our upcoming 5th Beach, BBQ and Baptism!  HUGE, HUGE day for many people!
• Absolutely TONS of First-Time Attenders at Crossroads on Sunday.  What a thrill to see so many new faces on a big holiday weekend!
• Worship was fantastic.  Nic and the band are charting a graph that's moving UP and to the RIGHT.  OUTSTANDING job!!
• Sunday's services were probably in the TOP 5 all time for awesome teaching from the Holy Spirit and for God moving on the hearts of people in attendance.  If you had to miss it, make SURE you listen to the podcast.
• We talked about JUDGMENT.  The Great White Throne (GWT) Judgment, AND the Judgement Seat of Christ (JSC).
• Bottom line on the GWT Judgment: Many will stand before God on that final day and say, "NOW, I believe!", but sadly it will be TOO LATE.  We can either COME before the throne of grace TODAY, or STAND before the throne of judgment TOMORROW.  Strong stuff, but a truth we need to hear, know, and share.  Now matter who people are or what they have done, ALL who die in judgment rather than grace WILL stand before the Great White Throne on that day.
• Bottom line on the Judgment Seat of Christ (JSC):  Thank God that He sent Jesus to die for all of our sins past, present and future!  At the JSC believers will NOT be judged for their sins, but ALL believers will stand before the JSC as Jesus Himself views our lives from start to finish so we may receive what is due us for the things we did in this life with what God gave us.   
• For some that will be a day of GREAT REJOICING!
• For some, I imagine it will be a very difficult day as we come face to face with the realitythat we wasted our time, talent and treasure on selfish pursuits.
• I want to be HIGH-FIVING YOU for the great reward God gives you for following Christ and serving Him faithfully with all the gifts and talents and abilities that He has given you! (And I want YOU to be HIGH-FIVING ME!)
• We talked about the FIVE CROWNS.  Good stuff!
• We talked about you and I will lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus as we worship Him!

Remember, your LEGACY doesn't END when your BODY goes in the GROUND.  It resounds and echoes in the lives of those people that YOU impacted for Christ.  What if you and I lived EVERY DAY thinking about how we can do that?  What if - amid all the hustle and bustle, happiness and heartbreak of live, you and I made impacting others for Christ the MOST IMPORTANT thing we ever did? 

Hope you enjoyed a GREAT Labor Day.  I know I did.  Spent 7 hours in the garage today, cleaning, organizing, and lining up all the wrenches in my toolboxes like soldiers waiting for their orders.  THAT was big fun for me, and something I don't get to do very often!  Later, it was ribeyes on the BBQ with Leslie, a couple of our kids and a dear friend celebrating his 74th birthday.  Tonight, it's Boise State and Va Tech.  What a full and enjoyable day!  Have a GREAT week!  Peace.

 

A Few Words About...Sheep (Part 2)

The Bible talks a lot about sheep and shepherds. Do you know about sheep? Sheep are amazing creatures. They may seem dumb, truly stupid even, but they are incredibly resourceful. They may all look like one another, but each one is absolutely unique. They are individual in personality and appearance. Though the differences can be subtle, they are easily recognized by those who spend time with them...shepherds. 

I was reading a blog by a shepherd not too long ago (That’s right, blogging shepherds. Who knew?) and he’s talking about standing at the parts counter of his local tractor dealer, and he overhears a big sheep rancher exclaim, “Heck, every so often one of my sheep just jumps up in the air and dies, Sheep are wimps!” And this really ticks the blogging shepherd off, and so he blogs about it and here’s a portion of what he wrote: 

Contrary to what this man says, I find that sheep are just the opposite of being "wimps". But in defense of this man's attitude they often look that way. If you have a flock of 10,000 sheep, you are an exceptional human to notice the BEGINNING of a sheep's problems. But it is hard to miss the END of a sheep's problem, when they finally give up, and die. 

If you have a small farm flock, and you spend a fair amount of time watching them, you will get to know when something is going wrong. And a lot of the time, it is very subtle. My wife will occasionally say of a particular sheep "it just doesn't look right", which generally means that the sheep is not "acting" right. 

The blogging shepherd continues: Sheep have an amazing tolerance for pain. We humans equate "screaming and crying out in pain" with the expression of pain. If a sheep is injured in an accident, they do not lay there and scream; they get up and hobble off in silence. Sheep are very stoic, when it comes to pain. 

And he says: To understand a sheep, you must keep in mind that they are "lunch" for hungry wolves, coyotes, and other predators, and have survived as a species by NOT showing their pain. A sheep that is sick from a disease, and is weakening, has only one means of protection, and that is to go with the flock, and pretend to be healthy. 

I get something HUGE out of that. See, we’re all like sheep. And in church we have this mindset that says, “I’m beat up, bruised, and battered by life, but I can’t let anyone know it, because they’ll think I’m weak. So I’m just going to go with the flock and pretend that I’m healthy”.

And if no one is paying attention, before long that sheep just “jumps up and dies”. Withdraws from the fellowship. Stops coming and disappears. Goes back to their old way of life. Any number of other things. The tragedy is that they spent all this time in the sheepfold and no one EVER KNEW there was anything wrong. 

Perhaps, like me, you've seen that same scenario play out in church, or you have experienced it first-hand. It's a misguided mindset that says, “Oh, aren’t we a pretty flock of sheep? Infirmity free, sin free, very nearly perfect”. That’s such a dangerous way to live.

The blogging shepherd says of damaged sheep: If you’re at risk of being eaten alive, and have virtually no way to defend yourself, then YOU BETTER KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT WHEN YOU ARE INJURED, because the hungry beasts look for those who are weak and injured!

Wow!  Sounds just like us!  It's like we're programmed naturally to keep our mouths shut when there’s stuff going on in our lives because we are afraid of being devoured by hungry beasts.

In the end, if it’s in our honesty and humility and willingness to reveal our weaknesses that healing comes, then it’s a good bet that we need to foster ENVIRONMENTS where people don’t feel they’re going to be devoured when they reveal that they are injured. 

That’s what small groups are all about at Crossroads. Sign up this weekend. More on sheep tomorrow...

A Few Words About...Sheep (Part 1)

Have you ever been lost? I’m not talking about being shipwrecked or marooned on a deserted island. I mean, when you were a little kid did you ever get separated – even if it was just for an instant – from your mom or dad, like when you were at the store or something, and this wave of sheer terror washes over you as you realize that you are alone? Have you ever experienced anything like that? 

Here’s the deal, that feeling that washed over you, that terror, that anxiety…let’s call that the REALIZATION OF SEPARATION; that point at which you realize you are all alone. Perhaps nothing brings greater fear for a human being than the REALIZATION OF SEPARATION. 

Why is it so scary? Maybe because the need for the security that only a loving mother or father figure can provide is built into us by God. The need for security is somehow elemental. To be separated from that security is to be lost. And then your mom or dad or Aunt Sally, or the whole store, or the whole neighborhood comes looking for you…they want to find you, because you’re lost. 

In Matthew chapter 18, verse 12, Jesus speaking to His disciples says to them:

What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? (Matthew 18:12, NIV) 

Why does mom or dad or Aunt Sally, or the whole store, or the whole neighborhood drop everything they are doing to go look for you? Maybe it’s because the anxiety, the fear, the terror is EXACTLY THE SAME FOR THEM, as it is for you. The REALIZATION OF SEPARATION is as real and as painful for the one that’s looking as it is for the one that’s lost. 

You see that reaction – unfortunately – just about every day on the news, when a child has gone missing, and a parent is being interviewed. And – barring foul play on the part of the parent – they appear on the screen and they are – rightfully – devastated; consumed with fear and terror, longing only for the safe return of their child. Perhaps you have been through such horror personally. You know. 

The story that Jesus is telling we refer to as ‘the parable of the lost sheep’. And it is a theme repeated over and over throughout the bible. Jesus concludes the matter by describing the reaction of the shepherd when he finds the lost sheep. He says, 

And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about the one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. (Matthew 18:13, NIV) 

That’s true of a parent isn’t it? “You kids stay here; I’ve got to go find your baby brother”. And she rejoices that baby brother is found; expecting that the siblings will remain right where she left them. And that’s the shepherd’s reaction. But Jesus says something after that. He makes an amazing comparison that maybe no one ever thought about before when he says, 

In the SAME WAY, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. (Matthew 18:14, NIV) 

God is not willing that ANY should be lost, young or old. Because He, better than anyone, knows the pain of separation, the horror of aloneness, the fear of apartness, the dread of disconnection, and the terror, and the panic of our own detachment. Christ went though it on the cross. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  He knows. 

More about sheep tomorrow…