Tuesday, December 27, 2011

130. He Doesn't Care What It Looks Like

Mark 7:6


Let’s do a little experiment, okay? I’m going to ask you a question in just a second, and in your head I want you to try and answer it immediately, before you have a chance to think about it. In other words, I want you to simply read the question and then react - as quickly and as naturally as you can. Are you ready? Here goes: What is your definition of someone who is really spiritually awesome or impressive? Now - don’t think about it... just react. Get a picture in your mind or even a person you know who you think spiritually rocks. What is this person like? Are they really good-natured and pure-hearted and basically a nearly-finished product? Is it one of those people who never seems to mess up or ever have any problems or issues? Be honest... And if you answered ‘yes’ because your mental image of a spiritual rock-star was a person who is all lined-out and fixed already, I don’t blame you. In fact, most folks would probably choose someone just like that. Here’s the thing though: Jesus doesn’t see it that way. One time some religious guys looked down on Jesus’ disciples because they busted them eating food without going through all these religious hand-washing ceremonies. Most of us would have been really impressed with those religious guys, but Jesus called them “hypocrites” - which was the Greek word used for an actor... Essentially Jesus said they were pretending at religion, but their hearts weren’t in it at all. Jesus is looking for people who are honest, even if they are a wreck. He doesn’t care what a person looks like. He cares about your heart.

Monday, December 26, 2011

129. He's Going To Rule

Isaiah 9:7


Have you ever thought, “Am I still this same person?” or “Will I always be this way?” or “Am I ever going to grow past this thing and change?” In my life, it seems that there are certain things... certain struggles or patterns of thinking or cycles of wrong that seem to always persist. Every time I think I’m growing, I find myself right back there again and wondering if I’ve ever actually grown at all. I look in the mirror and see the same old face that seems to be losing the fight against the same old frustrations, insecurities and fears. Will I ever really change? I think everyone feels this way from time to time, and it’s a stifling emotion, because it makes you wonder if your faith is real at all. You know, when the angel Gabriel appeared to little teenage Mary and prophesied the coming of that first Christmas, he said that Jesus would be a king over an everlasting kingdom. Thing is, Gabriel wasn’t the first to bring that prophecy. 700 years before that, Isaiah said that the Messiah would come, born of a virgin and that “of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” The promise of Christmas is that Jesus will expand the rule of His kingdom to every single deep and dark corner of this vast universe. We’re not there yet, but one day, no place will be untouched by His power, kindness and will. No molecule will remain outside of His executive influence and meticulous control. Jesus will rule everything, including all the deep and dark corners of my own heart. It may be slow, but I am changing, and one day, I’ll be completely His.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

128. He Is A Bigger Deal Than You Think

Haggai 2:9


Does it ever seem like Jesus hasn’t made that big of a difference in your heart? Do you ever look at your own self and think, “Is this it? I mean, I gave my life to Jesus, but where is He? When is He going to show up?” The other day I was thinking about the Christmas story, and how Jesus came as a baby and then basically lived a normal, quiet life in a small town for thirty years, slowly growing from a baby into a little boy - then from a little boy into a man. In all those years, nothing world-changing really seemed to happen. For three decades, the excitement and upheaval of the Christmas story seemed to be an epic failure. Well, it seemed to be an epic failure unless you’re in on the secret: You see, hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Israelites had come back to their homes from captivity in a foreign country and rebuilt their temple. Only problem was, the new temple was a lame version of what had been this incredible masterpiece of architecture and devotional art. All the old folks who remembered the former temple were brokenhearted, but God spoke through a prophet called Haggai and said that “The Desired of all Nations” would come and fill the new temple with more glory than the former. After Christmas, baby Jesus went in there with Mary and Joseph and quietly fulfilled the prophecy. On the surface, just a baby in a building. Behind the scenes, all of heaven freaking out! Jesus in your heart is like a secret behind-the-scenes change. It’s more than it seems. He’s doing more than you know.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

127. He Became Guilty

2 Corinthians 5:21


Do you ever have one of those moments where some part of your mind forgets the Gospel for a second and so you wind up freaking out? Okay, wait... Time out - maybe I should explain that question a bit - Let’s back up and then zoom in: This morning, I was reading this obscure little book in the Old Testament called ‘Nahum.’ I had just started the book when something made me stop. It was chapter 1, verse 3 which says, “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.” Whoa. I mean, the first thought in any honest head simply has to be, “Oh no! I’m guilty! I’ve been guilty my whole life! I’m that guy! God is not going to leave me unpunished! Crap!!” Sometimes, when we freak out about stuff, it’s because there are places in our minds and hearts that haven’t heard the Gospel yet, or else have forgotten it. If I feel like something bad is happening because God is punishing me for my sins, then I need to go back over the simple message again. You see, the truth is simple, but it has to go into deeper levels of our heart and mind as we live. When you find an un-evangelized place in your heart, just preach the Gospel to it again. So, if you ever feel guilty and afraid of the judgment of God, just remember, Jesus bore your guilt. He took your place and declared you henceforth ‘not guilty’ forever and ever, no matter what! He became guilty for you. God will not leave the guilty unpunished. He became the guilty and the punished so that you could become the righteous one.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

126. He Likes You More Than You Do

Mark 16:7


Deep down, all of us struggle in our faith from time to time because some days, we just don’t really know where we stand with God. There is a deep place inside all of us that wonders from time to time if we are really acceptable to God, and even when we get settled on that point, there is still this lingering doubt that plagues us. It goes something like this: “Even if I have been declared technically acceptable in a spiritual sense, I don’t really believe Jesus likes me all that much. I guess I can believe He loves me, but that’s kind of His job, right? I mean, half the time, I don’t even like myself, so why would Jesus?” Have you ever thought those things? You know, after Peter disowned Jesus, he bolted. He fled the scene with tears running down his face and his heart screaming in his chest. He couldn’t believe that he had really just betrayed his best friend! Who would do something like that?! He probably hated himself. He didn’t follow the soldiers to the cross. He was hiding. If he could have hidden away from himself, I believe he would have. I know that feeling, but that feeling isn’t the end of the story. Jesus still wanted Peter. When Jesus came back to life, the angel said, “Tell His disciples and tell Peter...” In other words, this was good news for everyone - and it was also good news specifically for Peter. Jesus wanted to see Him. At the very beginning, Jesus saw a missionary in the fisherman. He saw a cornerstone in the curser and He saw a friend in the failure. He likes you more than you do.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

125. He Was The Ultimate Underdog

Luke 1:52


Have you ever cheered for the underdog for no other reason than the fact that they are the underdog? I mean, don’t you love the feeling of the little guy beating the big guy? Don’t you love the drama of the arrogant top dog falling to the little nobody who didn’t have a prayer? I mean, whether it’s David and Goliath or Rocky Balboa or even the Karate Kid, everyone loves the underdog! Actually, it’s scientifically proven that people will cheer for the underdog 90% of the time vs. the top dog - and it doesn’t even matter what the competition is. It can be sports, politics, business, or even something completely random, and people will almost always cheer for the dude or team or group that is supposed to get whipped. Ever wondered why that is? You know, here at Christmas time, I can’t help but think about the fact that Jesus was the ultimate underdog. I mean, how is the unknown and totally helpless baby of two poor, country, reject teenagers supposed to turn the world upside down? And yet, that’s what He did! When Mary sang her beautiful song in the first chapter of Luke, she said that this little baby would one day humble the proud and fill the empty with good things. And the amazing thing about this story is that against all odds, when there didn’t seem to be a prayer, He did it! Maybe the reason we all pull for the underdog is because of that little baby. Maybe we want the underdog to win because we’re the underdogs too. We needed the underdog of Bethlehem to win so that someone would turn this world upside down. His story makes our story possible.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

124. He Didn't Intend To Survive

Hebrews 10:5


Do you ever feel like the drama and stress of Christmas are just about to kill you? You know what I mean, right? It starts before your thanksgiving turkey is digested. People queue up outside department stores and wait for hours in order to capitalize on the outrageous deals of retail’s nastiest and most lucrative day in the US: Black Friday. I mean, people literally get trampled to death in this country because they are in a competition to try and get the best deal on some stupid something made out of plastic and wires. Really? On top of all that, you have the tensions brought on by extended family, the sinking feeling in your gut that you may not financially make it to the New Year and the guilt of eating way too much bad-for-you food, right?! It gets so bad for some people that you often hear folks say that they’re just trying to “survive Christmas.” Wow. What a sad thing! Christmas is a joyous time of celebration because God came down here for us! We shouldn’t be simply trying to ‘survive Christmas,’ rather we should be savoring Christmas. The funny thing is, the reason we should savor it is because Christ didn’t plan on surviving it. You see, Jesus was a baby born to die. The word ‘Christmas’ literally means, “the mission of the Christ.” Jesus came here on purpose with a plan to not survive Christmas. In the tenth chapter of the book of Hebrews, it says that when the Christ came into the world, he had Psalm 40 in His little infant mind, which says, “You gave me a body and I’m here to do your will.” He intended to die for us.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

123. He Was Vulnerable

John 1:14


It’s kind of amazing that Christmas washes over most folks. Tons of people just live through it and never once think about the magnitude of this thing. I mean, really?! Christmas is flat-out the most intriguing, amazing, outrageous, overwhelming and completely underestimated thing that has ever happened! It’s the most beautiful, heart-wrenching story about a poor, young couple who trusted God, which made them seemingly completely alone in the world. But then, you turn the page and find the night sky bursting open with company upon company of airborne, explosive, special forces warriors, singing the praises of the little Baby that was born into the arms of those thought-to-be alone teenagers. Turns out that the angels were singing because God Himself - who formed the night sky, the physics that governed that night sky, the angels, the sheep, the shepherds and the teenagers had come all the way down into the human story by becoming one of us. WHAT?! What kind of condescension is this? God became helpless! What if those teenagers dropped Him? What if He cut His little hand? Would God really bleed? Wow. The most under-rated fact of Christmas is the vulnerability of the Mighty God. Water would make Him wet. The sun would burn Him. The fists would make Him bleed. Who would do such a thing? Why would anyone with unlimited power take it off, making themselves vulnerable to pain? Well, Jesus would. He did. And the reason He did was because if He didn’t do it, we would be lost. He did it because we had no other hope. His vulnerability bought our hope. His blood, our freedom. His death, our life. O Come, Let Us Adore Him, Christ The Lord.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

122. He Was Speechless

Isaiah 53:7


What if you lost the ability to talk? What if all of a sudden, you couldn’t communicate with anyone? How frustrating would it be to go through tomorrow not being able to use words or string sentences together? If something suddenly prevented you from speaking, you would feel so limited and stifled. When Jesus was born as a baby in Bethlehem on that very first Christmas, He experienced something just like that. You see, Jesus wasn’t like other babies. He didn’t start existing when He was conceived. Jesus was and is and always will be the Eternal and Almighty God. He existed before time began. He invented the laws of thermodynamics before He jump-started them into motion! When Jesus became a baby, He emptied Himself. He limited Himself. The One who spoke the universe into being willingly entered into a situation where He could no longer speak. He became a real human baby, so He didn’t have the ability to string sounds together into words and words together into sentences. The One who gave life and meaning to the world wasn’t able to convey His meaning to anyone in the world. The Word of God wasn’t able to speak any words. Wow. That must have been so frustrating! It must have been staggering and disorienting for Someone so limitless to suddenly be so limited. And yet, there would come a day when accusations and fists and spit would fly into His face and Jesus wouldn’t say a word. A whip would fall on His back over and over again, and He stayed silent. He was led to a cross without having committed any crime and He was speechless. Maybe, becoming a speechless baby was just practice for the real thing.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

121. He's Going To Transform Us

Philippians 3:21


Do you ever get frustrated with the way you look? Are you disappointed with your body type, your hair, your athletic ability or lack of ability? Are you fed up with being sick, weak, tempted and small? Are you sick and tired of living in the body you have? I know that for me, of all the things in my life that are longing to take this walk with Jesus farther, the main thing that seems to be holding me back is this old body. As Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” The longing I have is to follow Jesus with reckless abandon every moment, and in every area of life; but dang, sometimes I just get tired, or sick or hurt and I have to sit on the bench. These bodies hold us back. They don’t define us. Your body is not a great representation of who you really are, but more like a schematic - a simplified representation of a person who is incredibly complex and eternally valuable. Here’s a beautiful truth: Jesus is going to upgrade your body. He’s going to trade in this current model for something so glorious, you can’t even imagine it. When you’re in heaven, you won’t be the same old you, just holding a white robe and a harp. No way! You’re going to be this mind-blowing, world-shatteringly powerful and wondrous creature that will never get sick or tempted or tired. You’ll be outrageously powerful and eternally able to love Jesus with every beat of your indestructible heart. Jesus is going to change your schematic, and it won’t be long. We’re just pilgrims here, waiting on an much-needed upgrade.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

120. He Saves The Best For Last

John 2:10


Doesn’t it seem like the more you get to know some folks, the more junk you find out about them? Folks that seem great on the outside oftentimes turn out to be a total mess. To tell the truth, this is the way most people are. What I mean is, we’ve all got a past we’re ashamed of, dark secrets we wish we could undo, habits, prejudices and hypocrisies that we don’t want anyone to see. Thing is, the more you really get to know someone, the more you find out who they really are. This is actually one of the hardest things about marriage - that you find someone you really love and then hand them an all-access pass into everything about your life, including all the darkest parts of who you are! Now, I’m not saying everyone deserves life without parole behind bars, but we’re all a mess on the inside and all capable of all kinds of darkness. This is true of any person alive: The deeper you dig, the darker it gets. Well, it’s true of everyone except one... Jesus. He’s the exception. Jesus just gets sweeter and sweeter the more you learn about Him. The more you love Him, the better He gets! One time, when Jesus was a guest at a wedding where the couple had run out of wine, Jesus made more. When the master of the banquet tasted it, he praised the groom, saying: “Hosts always bring out the best wine first, and then when everyone’s good and drunk, they serve the cheap stuff, but this groom saved the best for last!” That miracle was like a parable of who Jesus is. The deeper you go, the better He gets.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

119. He Loves Failures

John 2:10


Have you ever felt like a failure? Maybe someone labeled you as a failure or has said something to you like, “You never finish what you start.” or, “You always quit when it gets tough.” When people decide that you’re a failure, it feels so final. What I mean is, when you get labeled as a failure, it almost seems like being diagnosed with an incurable disease, as if you’ll only ever be a failure no matter what. The thing is, the label of ‘failure’ is really just a clever lie. It’s not that only some people are failures and other people are successes. Everyone fails from time to time. Everyone quits something. There’s no one who simply succeeds at every single thing for their whole entire life, but it doesn’t feel that way, does it? It seems like it’s us against them. They succeed, we fail. They rock, we suck. Well, if you’ve ever felt like a failure, I have great news for you: Jesus loves failures. His heart beats for people who aren’t good enough and don’t quite have what it takes. His love is irresistibly drawn to the folks who strike out and can’t cut it. Once, Jesus was at a wedding where the couple ran out of wine to serve their guests. Jesus didn’t pull this couple aside and give them a lecture about etiquette and the social gravity of their miscalculations! No, He just made more wine. When no disciple knew what to do, Jesus fed 5,000 people. When Peter and his boys fished all night without a catch, Jesus provided fish. If you feel like a failure, Jesus’ heart beats for you, and He turns failures into world-changers. He just wants you to ask.

Monday, November 14, 2011

118. He Prayed All The Time

Luke 6:12


Why do we pray? Really think about it... What’s up with prayer? Let’s make this even more personal: Why do you pray? Seriously, if you are a person who prays a lot, why do you do it? What do you hope to get from it? What do you need from it? I suppose that most of us are asking God to help us, and pouring out our hearts about our weaknesses and insecurities and troubles, right? That’s what prayer is about for us. Well, if that’s the case, do you ever wonder why Jesus prayed all the time? I mean, of all the people who ever lived, He’s the only One who could have gotten away with skipping His daily prayers. Jesus was different from us. Jesus was Almighty God with skin on. He was and is equal in power, wisdom, glory and eternal authority to God the Father. Jesus calmed a raging storm with a word. He healed terminal, incurable illnesses from miles away with a thought. Jesus raised people from the dead with a simple command... even once with just a whisper. Jesus didn’t need to take His ineptitudes or insecurities to God, because He was Himself God, who is clothed with power. So, why did Jesus pray all the time? Well, I think He prayed all the time because of love. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t know what to do in certain situations, but that He just loved His Father and wanted to hang out with Him. It was love. You just couldn’t keep them apart because they loved to be together. What if we injected a little more of that into our lives? What if we prayed just for the love of being with God?

Saturday, November 12, 2011

117. He Turns Enemies Into Family

Mark 3:16-19


Are there people in your life who just seem to hate you? Like, no matter what you do, they just can’t stand you? And maybe you don’t even know what you did, but they just seem to be against you. Or maybe it’s that you have some people you just can’t handle. Maybe this person has a personality that doesn’t mix well with yours or maybe they hurt you in the past, but whatever it is, being around them is extremely difficult. Do you know what I’m talking about? Well, one of the things Jesus is all about is dissolving those barriers of hate. When He hand-picked His team of guys who would turn the world upside down as a united force for the Kingdom of God, He picked people who really didn’t get along. In fact, some of them hated each other. For example, Matthew was a tax collector, which meant that he was a Jew who worked for the occupying Roman government, taking money from his own people to give to them. Translation: Most Jewish folks considered Matthew to be a low-down, two-faced, thieving traitor. One of the other disciples, Simon the Zealot, was a member of a grass-roots terrorist organization that hunted tax collectors! So, imagine you’re Matthew and you start following Jesus, who then recruits a dude that literally wants you dead! How would you get a good night’s sleep knowing Simon the Zealot was three sleeping bags away from you?! Thing is, Jesus turned those guys into brothers who loved each other, prayed for each other and went to battle together. He is turning enemies into family. He is taking over the universe and He’s doing it with love.

Monday, November 7, 2011

116. He Turns Misfits Into Missionaries

Mark 3:13


Have you ever secretly wished that you could do something that would change the world forever? Maybe you’ve never had the guts to say it out loud, but have you ever wished that you could do something that would go down in history? Haven’t you dreamed of playing an important role in something that will change everything forever? Last month Steve Jobs passed away and since then, people have talked about how he changed the world - and they’re right, he did. For years, people will benefit from his genius, hard work and innovation. But what if you could have an even deeper and more meaningful impact than Steve Jobs? Now, I know that you’re thinking... “I’m just a teenager, or I’m just an insurance salesman, or I’m just a stay-at-home mom, so how can I change the world? I don’t have the education, the skills, the money or the connections to change the world.” Well, that’s where you would be wrong. Jesus once called twelve guys to Himself who seemed completely incapable of doing anything together. Most of these guys were uneducated and poor. Some of them literally hated one another. Thing is though, the love of Jesus called them, changed them, gifted them, made them bold, fearless and unstoppable! Jesus can turn anyone into a world-changer. He can use you in ways you never dreamed and make waves that will never end. You might sometimes feel like your little life doesn’t count for much, but Jesus can do things through you (right where you are) that will literally change the world forever. Just give Him your life. Surrender your heart completely to Him and then stand back. The world will never be the same again.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

115: He's Making You Like Himself

Romans 8:28-29


Why did this have to happen right now? I mean, of all the people that this could have happened to, why me? - Okay, you’ve asked those questions before, right? You’ve felt this way before, haven’t you? I mean, have you ever looked at the walls of your life crumbling down around you and thought, “Why, Lord?” Have you ever felt like the problems and pains of your life all come at precisely the wrong time, so that you can never catch your breath or know where you stand? Have you ever looked at your life, then looked around and thought, “Why is it only me?” Well, you should know that if you have ever asked those questions, you are not alone. In fact, you’re in good company. Some of the people God has used the most throughout the history of the world have been people surrounded and overwhelmed by trouble, hardship, heartbreak, failure, disaster, sickness, loss and incalculable pain. People always sort of assume (and tons of false teachers say) that knowing God means that your problems in this life will disappear, but it’s not true. If anything, the people who know God best are the people who have had the most trouble in this world. Why does God allow that? Well, I don’t know. And really, you shouldn’t listen to people who say they do know, because no one does. Here’s the thing: I can promise you that whatever God is up to, He has a purpose in it. The Bible promises that in all your hardship, Jesus is there and He is at work. In fact, He is working everything together to make you more like Himself - 'The Man of Sorrows' - who will one day overcome everything.

Monday, October 31, 2011

114. He Has A Secret Weapon

1 Corinthians 12:27


In order to end World War II, the United States developed, built and deployed the first atomic bombs. They poured all their resources, energy, science and inginuity into a secret weapon that changed the world forever. I actually live in the little city that engineered the two atomic bombs that ended WWII. Thing is, it wasn’t just the bomb that was a secret, but the whole city! Oak Ridge was just a collection of farms in the hills of East Tennessee until the Marine Corps of Engineers swooped in and constructed a hidden town in a matter of weeks and then shipped in a work force of 75,000 people to make the weapon that ended the war. It was called “The Secret City” and they were really serious about keeping the secret! The army posted guards at every entrance to the little town and built the roads to be like a confusing maze. Everyone who lived there had to wear identity badges and they all had to keep their lives a secret because the hopes of the world were in the hands of those scientists and workers who developed the secret weapon. Did you know Jesus has a secret weapon? Jesus has a battle to fight and the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. In the midst of the fight, He’s pouring His time, energy, power and wisdom into a weapon that will change the tide. That weapon is you. You are Jesus’ hands and feet, eyes and ears. You are the body of Christ, and you may think no one sees or cares about your life, but that is because Jesus is quietly and secretly developing you into the weapon that will change the world forever.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

113. He's Down There

Deuteronomy 33:27


Man, I hate the way it feels to sin again. You know what I mean, right? You made up your mind you would never do that thing again, whatever it was. You went off again. You said that thing again. You looked at that garbage again. You went there with that guy again. You lost control again. You absolutely hated the way it felt to do it last time and you decided and resolved and prayed and cried and then BAM! It happened again. I hate that feeling. And now you’re back there at square one again. Now you’re down there, at what feels like the bottom of a deep well. Now you’re down there with the dregs, and who in the world would want you? Certainly not Jesus, right? I mean, He’s got to be over it by now, right? Jesus is probably completely sick of this crap, right? Well, no. That’s not quite right. I know it feels that way. I know it feels like you’ve gone too far this time and Jesus won’t want to have anything to do with you now. I know it feels like you’re so far down there that He could never delve that low or sink so deep, but guess what? He’s already there. That’s right. Jesus is already down there with you, down in the muck and mire of your deepest, darkest sin. One of my all-time favorite verses in the whole Bible is Deuteronomy 33:27 which says, “The Eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” In other words, Jesus is always down there. See, you can’t out-dive His depth of grace, because how ever far down you’ve gone, He’s underneath, ready to pick you up.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

112. He's Getting Rid Of Evil

1 John 3:8


Sometimes, all folks can think about is their own sinfulness. They obsess on it, they hate themselves for it, they torture themselves about the fact that they keep messing up so much that it’s really the only dynamic in their spiritual life. I mean, a life with Jesus in it is supposed to be filled with all kinds of joy and peace, and yet for some folks, their life is nothing but a compulsion on their own personal wickedness. Whoa. Now, don’t get me wrong, we’re all messed up. Every single person has a heart just as dark as it can be, filled with all kinds of evil thoughts, petty jealousies, rage, hate, lust and selfishness. and most of us have acted on all those feelings (and more) plenty of times. We know we’re a mess, but a life with Jesus in it is supposed to change everything! Knowing Jesus is supposed to give us a whole new perspective and obsession. Yes, human beings rebelled against God and yes, we’re part of that seditious lot, but we’re the way we are because of someone else... Satan. That’s right. He started this whole thing, and here’s the deal: The reason Jesus came here was to destroy the works of Satan, period. That means that Jesus doesn’t just forgive and forget our sin. In the end, all evil will wind up so eradicated, it will be like Satan and sin never even existed. All of the evil that ever was will be like the time when you were three years old and you tripped and busted your lip. I mean, it happened, but who remembers it, or still hurts from it? That’s what Jesus is going to do with evil.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

111. He Doesn't Put You On Parole

Luke 15:22-24


Don’t you hate it when people forgive you, but only sort of forgive you? You know, you do something to hurt someone and you have a big fight, and then after the hostilities end, they say you’re forgiven, but you can tell they’re not over it. You can still feel that tension between you and as soon as anything else happens, they just start bringing up all that old stuff again. Even years later, they bring up that old stuff as a way to remind you that you still owe them something. It’s like the wound is still throbbing and you know it’s your fault, so they get to use that hurt as a way to punish you. It’s like being on parole... you know, you did something wrong, served some time but then got let out by the mercy of the court, so long as you behave. When a person gets put on parole, the understanding is that you have to keep walking straight or else you will wind up right back where you were for that old crime just as much as the new crime. In other words, they’re watching you. You’re sort-of forgiven, as long as you don’t violate parole. Dang, forgiveness like that sucks. And to be honest, it’s probably worse than whatever you did to that person in the first place. Here’s the thing: Jesus doesn’t forgive like that. Jesus doesn’t sort-of forgive you. When He forgives, it’s forever! He doesn’t put you on parole, just waiting on you to step out of line. When the prodigal son came home, there was no parole, just a party! That’s the only kind of forgiveness that can truly set a heart free.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

110. He Cares About How You Feel

John 2:7-9


Are there people in your life who never take your feelings into account? Maybe you have a boss or a coach or even a friend or parent who does whatever they’re going to do however they want to do it, without ever stopping to consider how it might affect you. Don’t you wish that they would ask you how you feel, or at least took just a second to think about how you might be impacted? Here’s the thing: Jesus isn’t like them. Jesus is selfless and filled with the kind of love that always considers how other people will be affected. For example, one time Jesus was at a wedding where the wine had run out. He performed His first miracle and saved the day by turning some water into the finest wine anyone had ever tasted, but the story doesn’t end there. You see, when you read the account, you find out that Jesus worked this miracle in the back room with only a few people watching. Now, that’s really interesting because Jesus did plenty of public miracles. It’s not that He had a problem displaying His power in front of crowds. On two separate occasions, He multiplied food for thousands of people with their eyes on Him! He once raised a young man from the dead in the middle of the dude’s funeral procession in the center of the town! He could have rolled up His sleeves at this wedding and blown everyone’s mind, but He didn’t. He turned water into wine in private because the wedding day belongs to the bride and groom. This was their special day. Jesus loves you like that and when He works, He always thinks about your heart.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

109. He Won't Reject You

Luke 19:9-10


Have you ever been rejected? Do you know how it feels to get un-picked? Rejection stings so much. Being rejected hurts in a way that other things don’t because when someone rejects you, it means that in some way, you’re not allowed to be you. Rejection is a hurt that feels permanent, because it’s all wrapped up in your personality, and dang - you are you who are, right? Way back in Jesus’ day, there was a man everyone hated named Zacchaeus. Everyone hated Zacchaeus because he was a tax collector, which meant that he was working for the Romans - (the oppressive foreign government that had taken over his society) Zacchaeus was basically exploiting his own people to get rich. In other words, this guy was the lowest kind of traitor there was. Who wouldn’t hate a guy like that, right? Well, we find out that he was short, which may not seem like that big of a deal to you (unless you’re short). You see, Zacchaeus had probably had a life filled with rejection. He was never picked for pick-up basketball games, never got to date the kinds of girls that the tall, athletic guys got to date. What if Zacchaeus had so much hurt from being rejected his whole life that he went into business with the Romans simply because they would take him? People are the way they are for a reason, after all. Here’s the deal, though: Jesus walked into Zacchaeus’ town, sought him out and became friends with him, despite his past. Jesus didn’t reject him, but loved him. He’s looking for you too - coming to your town to find you, accept you and change you and He will never, ever reject you.

Monday, October 10, 2011

108. He Hangs Out With Sinners

Luke 15:2


People have never understood Jesus. Even the religious people (who should have understood Him) didn’t. Actually, religious people sometimes seem to understand Jesus even less than other folks. Dang, even people who believe in Jesus and raise their kids to believe in Jesus don’t always have a clue of who He really is and how His heart works. Here’s a quick example of what I’m talking about: Sometimes people will do every single thing in their power to shelter their children from the world because they want them to grow up to be ‘good Christian’ kids. They protect them from the media, they protect them from the schools, they protect them from the society so that the “liberal agenda of godless people” doesn’t infect them, and the idea is to keep the kid pure and untainted so that they’ll be ‘good Christian’ kids. Bless their hearts, these folks mean well, but there is a fundamental misunderstanding of something extremely important going on here, and it is this: There are no ‘good Christian’ people. You can’t protect a person from sin. Every single person (bar none) has a sinful heart pumping oxygenated blood to their sinful minds. We are all filthy, broken, helpless sinners. Avoiding sin is a pointless endeavor. We don’t need to be sheltered. We just need Jesus. You can’t protect a person from sin, because trust me, they will find a way to sin. Just tell them about the One who received, accepted, hung out with and loved sinners. Oh, Hallelujah! This is the best news ever! Jesus didn’t ostracize sinners! Jesus didn’t protect Himself or His ministry from sinners! He loved sinners. He liked them. He hung out with them! Jesus is a friend of sinners.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

107. He Has People You Don't Know Yet

Mark 11:3


Do you ever feel like you’re the only Christian you know? You ever feel like no one in your school or at your work or in your circle of friends loves Jesus and wants a life with Him, so when it comes to the most important thing in your life, you’re all alone? Here’s the thing: walking with Jesus can be a bewilderingly isolating life sometimes because it’s not just a system of beliefs, but a whole life change. In other words, it’s a way to live and it’s also a whole new you in the making. As a result, the changes you make in your own walk with the Lord can be so vast and drastic that it can sometimes feel as if you’re the only one making them. It’s easy to look around at all the self-centered worldliness and worthless frivolity in the people around you and feel like, “Dang! I’m the only person who cares about God in this whole place!” Well, even though it may feel that way sometimes, it’s not true. Jesus has people who love Him right there in your town. They are walking around your school and clocking into your work place. One time Jesus told his disciples to go into Jerusalem and fetch a donkey from some people they didn’t know. The disciples thought they knew everybody, but it turns out that Jesus already had people in that city, on His team, ready to go. Jesus has people around you who wake up in the morning, get on their knees and beg Him to get them through that day. These folks are just waiting to meet you and be your best friend. Ask Him to bring them into your life.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

106. He Brings Springtime To Hard, Cold Hearts

Isaiah 61:11


When you’re in the middle of a hard time, it feels like you’ll never be cheerful again. It feels like you’ll always be heavy-hearted and downcast. Sometimes when you’re feeling cold and empty, you simply can’t find your way out of it. You don’t feel like praying and you don’t feel like singing and you don’t want to read the Scriptures because, well, you’ve read it all before! It’s not going to give you something new, because they haven’t changed that book at all since you started reading it! It’s like driving your car around in the cold, winter months... the sky is gray, the ground is hard and the wind is harsh. Everything looks the same and it feels like nothing will ever change, until one day, it does. One day, out of nowhere, you’re driving those same streets, only you see little sprigs of green coming out of the ground that’s been barren for months. A couple of days after that, and you see them... blooms! Daffodils and tulips, right there where there was just cold, hard ground before! Flowers appear out of nowhere, and yet, they appear right where they were this time last year and right where they were planted years ago. Isaiah 61 says, “As the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seed to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” You see, Jesus can bring something fresh and new to even the most wintry heart. He is alive, and His word is not like any other normal book. The words are alive. Go to those old, familiar passages again and ask Him to bring springtime to your heart.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

105. He's Throwing A Party

Matthew 22:2


I think a lot of people would be completely shocked if they met Jesus. Even if they wouldn’t admit it, deep down, I bet most folks probably think Jesus would be the lamest person ever to hang out with. You see, lots of people get their mental image of Jesus from movies that shouldn’t have been made and Sunday School lessons that shouldn’t have been taught or else religious people who need to stop pretending to be religious. Some people still see Jesus as a figure in a stained-glass window or as a statue carved out of marble. For most folks, the idea of God on earth is so inconceivable that they just think He would be as boring and easily offended as the most stilted and dry church person they knew as a kid, but that’s not who Jesus was! Jesus was electric! He was magnetic! Everywhere He went, huge crowds followed Him! Little kids flocked to Him and people who went to listen to Him speak were literally so captivated by Him that they would forget to eat food! He was the life of the party. In fact, the reason He came was to throw a party! Jesus came into this world talking about an everlasting party! It will be the greatest party ever! It will be a party filled with gladness, true life, friends, food, music and dancing where you can be you - as in, the ‘you’ that you’ve always wanted to be but have never had the courage to be! The crazy thing is that not everybody wants to go. Some folks will make excuses and miss it. What about you? The invitation is there. It has your name on it. Will you be there?

Saturday, September 24, 2011

104. He Made You On Purpose

John 1:3


I don’t know too many people who are perfectly happy with the way they look. I mean, I guess that guy on ‘The Jersey Shore’ seems to be pretty pumped about the way he looks, but I don’t really know him, so who knows. Most of us would change something about our physical appearance. Most folks, if they could, would change their height, their nose, the sort of hair they have, their body type, their teeth and on and on. And sure, I guess we could all eat a little better and exercise more and wear more flattering clothes and get a haircut that costs more than a dollar menu meal, but for the most part, we can’t really change the way Jesus made us. And this is really interesting, because part of our faith in God is that He knows what He’s doing and that He’s smarter than we are. We may not like the way He made us to look, but our faith says that He’s right. Hmm. It’s a strange thing to think about Creation and realize that Jesus was and is an abstract artist. What I mean is, when Jesus first created trees, He wasn’t copying a design, but innovating something that had never existed. The shapes of manatees and mountains and mitochondria were 3D abstract sculptures. In the book of Job, the Lord talks about horses and donkeys and ostriches and doesn’t give any excuse for their eccentricities. They just are that way because He made them that way. Why? Well, He’s the artist. I think He just likes them that way. Jesus made you on purpose. He made you the individual you are on purpose. Why? Because, He just likes you this way.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

103. He's Been There Before Us

John 10:27


The turning point for anyone in their understanding of who Jesus is always comes when Jesus finally says to them, “Follow me.” For a while, maybe you heard about Jesus in Bible stories or from a friend or a pastor, but at some point, you felt a shift when the Bible stories became more than stories and you felt a tug at your heart. You knew that Jesus really is alive and that He was actually calling you to walk through your life with Him. Thing is, this can get scary. I mean, let’s be honest - Jesus takes people through some junk sometimes. Jesus asks people to endure some heavy stuff, so when He says, “Follow me,” it’s not always a simple, cut and dry kind of decision. For anyone who really knows what’s up, they realize that following Jesus is going to be difficult and unpredictable and may even be dangerous. Here’s one thing to remember though: Whatever Jesus asks you to go through, He has walked through it Himself. In fact, He can only ask you to follow Him if He’s actually going ahead of you. No matter what He takes you through, you’re not alone, and you’re not some kind of freak who’s going through something new that no one can identify with. Jesus has been where you are. In fact, wherever you are right now, He was in there first, just leading you through it. I can’t tell you why you’ve had face what you’ve had to face, but I can promise you that you haven’t had to face it alone. Jesus is the kind of Shepherd who walks in front of His sheep. He knows what we go through, because He went there first.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

102. He Encourages The Real You

Matthew 16:18


Have you ever had someone tell you who you have to be - according to them? You know what I mean, right? This might be a parent, a coach, a teacher or even a boyfriend or girlfriend, but whoever it is, they have some expectation for you to be a certain kind of person and you have to fit in that mold or else you’re failing them. Dang, I hate that feeling and I’ve always rebelled against that kind of attitude. I don’t want someone telling me “You are going to be such and such because I say so...” Someone telling me who I have to be because they have authority over me doesn’t motivate me. It only makes me feel like I am going to fail their test. Maybe you’ve had to live up to this kind of expectation your whole life and the really crappy thing is that the people who put those expectations on you don’t take the time to find out whether or not you even want their plan for your life. That’s where Jesus is different. Jesus doesn’t bark orders at me telling me who I have to be. No, He knows my heart and tells me who I actually am and that He loves me. He doesn’t impose impossible demands on who I should be, but instead gives me a vision for who I could be if I keep walking with Him. He doesn’t force me into a mold, but instead already knows the individual masterpiece He’s making me into, so He tells me who I will be in Him, which is exactly the person I’ve always wanted to be -- joyful, righteous, forgiven, strong, wise and filled to the brim with His outrageous love.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

101. He Uses Your Name

Luke 19:5


Do people ever identify you solely by your actions? You know, like, “She’s the soccer girl,” or “He’s that guitar guy.” Sometimes people lose sight of who you really are by simply focussing on this one piece of your character or life. They grab hold of something you’re good at or something you’re into or maybe even something bad you did once and then they just stereotype you by that one thing. How many times have you heard people refer to a kid as a ‘pothead’ or a ‘slut’? And you know as well as I do that you can’t define a whole person with one word... I mean, sure, a kid may smoke marijuana, but there’s so much more to them than that one thing. Sure, a girl may have been with a few guys, but that’s not all there is to know about her. The only way you can sum a whole person up with one word is by using their name. You see, using a person’s name shows that you are getting to know them as an individual instead of just putting them inside a box of something they did one time. One thing I love about Jesus is the fact that he called people by their names when other folks didn’t. After meeting this one man, the Pharisees summed him up by calling him “uneducated.” Jesus called that same man, “Simon Peter.” There was a woman who was known all over town for being possessed by demons, but Jesus called her, “Mary.” Everyone in Jericho hated this one guy because he was “the tax collector.” Jesus looked up into the tree he was hiding in and said, “Zacchaeus, come down. I wanna hang out with you.”

Saturday, September 10, 2011

100. He Cries A Lot (A 9/11 Reflection)

John 11:35-36


Today is the tenth anniversary of 9/11. I don’t think any of us will ever forget where we were on that morning. I know I won’t. Ten years ago I was a newlywed in college. It just so happens that on that morning, I was at a graveside funeral playing and singing ‘Amazing Grace.’ It was a peaceful and beautiful morning in Middle Tennessee with a gentle fall breeze blowing through the quaint little graveyard. When the service was over, I started my car and heard confusion and chaos on the radio. The first tower had just been hit. As it turns out, there is no such thing as, “it just so happened.” Jesus knew what would happen. He knew what would happen on the morning we’ll never forget. He knew what would happen when His friend Lazarus was sick and dying in his bed. He knew what would happen when He rode a donkey into Jerusalem a week before Passover with everyone cheering and singing His praises. He knew the cheers would turn to screams of, “Crucify Him!” Jesus knew what they would do and He cried. Jesus knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead in Bethany, but still He sobbed. Psalm 56 says that God keeps a record of our tears. He feels our pain and cries with us. We don’t know why bad things happen, but we know our Lord hurts with us. Ten years ago as towers fell, the tears of Jesus fell along with them. The Amazing Grace that saved us comes from the heart of Jesus that’s filled with not only grace, but Amazing Compassion. When you hurt, He hurts. When towers fall, when tears fall, Jesus is crying too.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

99. His Word Is Power

Mark 1:41


Do you know what hopeless feels like? Have you been pulled under by despair? Are your problems too messy? Is your drama so completely overwhelming that you are beyond the point of no return? Have you ever wilted underneath the desperate tide of knowing that you are un-helpable and un-aidable? Do you know what it feels like to be ‘more trouble than you’re worth?’ Have you ever felt as though you are such a complete disaster that even God Himself wouldn’t want to touch your life with a 10 foot pole? Here’s the thing: you will be too much for some people. There are folks in your life who will give up on you because your mess is just too messy for them. There are people who simply don’t have what it takes to untangle your knots, but Jesus isn’t one of them. Jesus is Almighty God. John chapter 1 says everything that exists is here because Jesus made it in the beginning. He simply spoke, and the universe burst into being! That same powerful word is still in His utility belt to help you today. The word of power that brought forth galaxies filled with stars and systems of planets is still being spoken. The word of power that made the teeming hundreds of thousands of species from nothing is still being uttered. Jesus said, “Let there be light!” and light exploded from nothing! Jesus said to a leper, “Be clean!” and instantly, he was healed. Jesus can come right down into the convoluted mess of your overwhelming and dramatic problems and speak a powerful word of order, peace and love and simply fix the whole thing. So, what are you waiting on? Ask Him to help!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

98. He's Not Afraid Of Your Issues

Mark 4:35


Some people are afraid of your problems. They won’t talk with you. They won’t be real with you. They avoid what really matters and keep conversations on the surface because they just don’t know how to deal with you, right? People act this way because they’re afraid. They’re afraid because they just don’t know what to say. They don’t know how to help you. Some folks like this actually do care about you, but they’re so afraid of getting it wrong or of making you more emotional, that they just won’t ever go there at all. Now, you don’t expect everyone to have all the answers... you’re just looking for a friend. You just want them to show a little love; but dang, they can’t always see that, and their fear makes them do nothing at all. They are simply afraid because they’ve never been where you are, and your problems, struggles, cycles of sin and personal issues scare the crap out of them. Well guess what... Jesus isn’t scared one bit. Jesus isn’t afraid of your issues. He’s not scared to face them head on. He’s not afraid to meet you where you are, tell you what’s in your heart and what needs to change. One time Jesus went toe-to-toe with a man so troubled and disturbed that he was isolated, alone, living in graves and cutting himself with sharp stones. Jesus spoke love and peace into his life and the thing is, Jesus didn’t just happen upon this man by chance. No, He went there on purpose. That episode appears in Mark 5, but we find out at the end of Mark 4 that Jesus crossed the lake because He was on a mission.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

97. He's Got Crazy Stuff In the Works

Matthew 17:27


Are you scared? Are you worried about what’s going to happen next? Are you wondering where that next dollar is going to come from? Are you concerned about what’s going to happen when this job dries up and you have to find more work? Are you completely at a loss to find any people in your town who really love Jesus the way you do, who could be your friends? Some of you have deep problems and when you look at them with human eyes, they seem to have absolutely no solution. The good news is that if you know Jesus, you never have to look at any problem through human eyes ever again. Jesus is God. Do you realize what that means for you? It means you have unlimited power and resources on your team, now! One time, Jesus’ friend Peter needed to pay some taxes he didn’t have the money for. Jesus told him to go down to the lake and go fishing. He said that the first fish Peter caught would have a coin in its mouth that would cover Peter’s tax and Jesus’ tax. Now, I want you to think about that for just a second... At some point in the past, a person lost some money in that lake and then some time later a fish decided to snack on that coin. It turns out that Jesus organized and orchestrated the whole thing and then made sure Peter caught that fish out of all the fish in that lake that day. His power is unlimited. His love for you is off the charts. He knows what you need before you ask. He may be cooking up something insanely amazing for your story too.

96. He Cares What You Think Of Him

Matthew 16:15

For a lot of the people I work with, the number one thing holding them back from a deeper walk with the Lord is that they care way too much about what people think about them. They always want to please and impress everyone and they are always worried about how people took what they said, or what people will think about them. Now, you may have felt this way before... in fact, you probably have. I know that I struggle with it at times - just wanting to be liked and accepted. Thing is, if I didn’t care what other people thought of me, I could just be free. I could just be myself! I’m so tired of insecurity! If I really believed what Jesus says about who I am in Him, I wouldn’t worry one bit what anyone else thought about me but Him, and His good opinion would be enough for me. The funny thing is that caring about others’ opinion of me is bad for me, but it’s not a problem for Jesus in His life. You see, Jesus really cares what people think about Him, but His concern over your opinion of Him has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with insecurity. Jesus isn’t insecure. He knows exactly who He is. Jesus cares about what you think of Him because the way you see Jesus affects the rest of your life. If you think Jesus was just an important but distant historical figure, He won’t change your life, but if you see Jesus as God in the flesh who loves you and gave His life for you, that will change everything. So the question for you today is, who do you say Jesus is?

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

95. He Was A Real Man

Matthew 11:29


What does it mean to be a ‘real man’? I guess it depends on who you ask, right? Traditionally, I think most folks would say a ‘real man’ is someone who is strong, confident, capable, successful and has integrity and all that crap. I bet most people (if you could really dig it out of them) would say that a ‘real man’ is someone who can bash some skulls if he needs to and can work on cars. Well, let’s be honest, that metric puts a whole lot of the male population on the bench with no hope of upward mobility. I bet some women would say that a ‘real man’ is someone who isn’t afraid to show his emotions and be vulnerable in a relationship. On the other hand, no dudes would ever say that, unless of course that dude were trying to get with the girl who said it. One thing that we can all agree on is that Jesus was a ‘real man’ by anyone’s standards. I mean, He invented photosynthesis and hand-crafted the Rocky Mountains! He calmed a raging sea and raised three people from the dead! Jesus went without food for 40 days and then battled Satan head on! He was powerful, brilliant, captivating and He completely changed the world. The funny thing is, the one time when Jesus actually described Himself, He didn’t use words that are normally associated with manliness. Jesus didn’t draw attention to His strength or His success. He said, “I am gentle and humble in heart.” That word translated ‘gentle’ literally means “sweet” in Greek. Wow. Jesus was the manliest man ever and according to Him, humility and sweetness are a big part of the equation.

Friday, August 19, 2011

94. He Caught Peter

Matthew 14:31


Okay, we have a time-sensitive issue on our hands. We are racing against the clock here, and it is absolutely imperative that you handle the next three minutes well. I want you to sit up straight, focus on these words on the screen and listen very carefully as I tell you that everything is going to be okay. Nothing changes. You aren’t going to be cast out. Everything is cool. (Are you still wondering what exactly it is I’m talking about?) Okay, fair enough. Let Me explain: It’s like this... you fell again. You sinned again. Yes, it was even that one sin that you swore you were through with. Now, if you’re surprised by this information, you’re the only one. I knew you’d mess up again and God not only knew it in theory, but He knew exactly when and how you would do that thing again. And this is where you need to pay attention. God isn’t mad. He’s not going to chuck you out. Do you remember that time when Jesus was walking on water and Peter asked if He could come to? Jesus said, “Go for it!” And Peter walked on the water until he stopped looking at Jesus, and then he sank. Now, when Peter started sinking, He called out for help and Jesus said, “That’s it Peter! I’m through with you! Climb back up here on these waves like a man!” - Wait... that’s not what Jesus said at all! Jesus immediately caught Peter and pulled him up. You’ve been living a whole new kind of life in Christ, and sometimes you fall, but Jesus isn’t through with you! Just call for help and He will reach out His hand and pull you up again.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

93. He Knew What Was More Important

Matthew 12


Aren’t you just completely sick and tired of listening to those Christians who are always upset about something? You know who I mean, right? There are those ‘Christians’ who are always mad, always fighting somebody and always against stuff. I mean, really... it seems like some folks who claim to love Jesus and go around saying they speak for the rest of us act like there is nothing more holy than simply hating certain things. They stand up against stuff and hate stuff like it’s their dang job! These folks love nothing more than having a list of rules that they can check off so that they can categorize everyone as ‘in or out,’ ‘good or bad,’ ‘them or not them.’ Thing is, these rules always seem to be only the things these folks are good at, like not smoking, not having tattoos and not being gay. They love to keep the rules they were already naturally doing when a life with Jesus is all about supernatural change. Well guess what? Those angry-faced, argumentative, so-called Christians don’t speak for me. When Jesus Himself showed up, the super-religious folks couldn’t stand Him. They got in His face about the rules, but He said that One more important than the rules had arrived. He said people were more important than rules. He said One greater than the old system was in their midst. Yes, some things are sinful. Thanks a lot, Captain Obvious! Some things are wrong, and we all know that already; but what if loving people in the midst of their wrong is more important than just being against them for being wrong? What if hating someone for their sin is worse than the actual sin?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

92. He Knows When You Don't Feel Like It

Matthew 11:28


Sometimes you just get tired of this whole Jesus thing, right? I mean, it gets tough to be all spiritually pumped day in and day out! What makes it worse is that there are folks in your life who never seem to struggle, right? And they’re always up... always so dang stoked to be walking with Jesus. They have that smile on their face like they just got saved, don’t they? You know what I mean, right? And look, you’re not mad at them for it... I mean, it’s great that their walk with the Lord is always the most awesome thing in their life; but truth be told, it can be a little exhausting sometimes when you’re going through a rough patch and you’re surrounded by people who constantly have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in their heart! And it’s not like you’re ditching Jesus to believe some other thing, it’s just that you’re worn out, right? Here’s the deal: Sometimes when Christians feel this way, they immediately feel guilty for it. They start to think that being spiritually worn out is the same thing as abandoning Jesus, as if their relationship with Jesus was all about how much they were putting into it. Let me tell you something: Your relationship with Jesus was never about what you could put into it. Your relationship with Jesus is a gift He gave you for free. You had no part in it besides just taking it. Jesus doesn’t need you to hold onto Him. He’s holding you. He knows when you’re worn out, and He feels for you. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

91. He Knows Your Real Problem

Matthew 9:2


Sometimes the people in your life are flat-out wrong about you, aren’t they? Every time you’re around them, they want to talk about that one thing. Of course they do... it’s the most obvious-looking, so-called problem in your life and everyone you know wants to fix it right now. For instance, maybe you’re single and everyone you know is always trying to fix you up with the right Christian guy (or gal for you fellas) and the the truth is, you wish everyone would just drop it. Now, the folks in your life really do love you and I’m sure they have your best in mind, but dang, sometimes they have you figured the wrong way around, right? Here’s the awesome thing: Jesus doesn’t. Jesus knows the problems that are on the surface of your life, and He also knows the stuff you have never showed anyone. He sees the immediate issues as well as the stuff you’ve buried deep down and what’s more, He knows what needs to be worked on the most. One time some guys brought a paralyzed man to Jesus, and to everyone’s confusion, Jesus looked at the guy and said, “Take heart son, your sins are forgiven.” Now, you know everyone there was thinking the same thing: “Uh Jesus, it’s his legs...” But Jesus knew what the real problem was. Jesus knew that this guy had some guilt way deep down over something he had done that he knew was wrong. Jesus knew the guilt was a more immediate problem than the legs and spoke forgiveness, then healing. Jesus knows you too. He sees the real problem that’s eating you up inside and wants to deal with that first.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

90. He's Making You His Home

Matthew 8:20


Do you remember the last time your feelings got hurt or your heart was broken? Maybe someone said something stupid that touched on that one thing you’re really sensitive about or maybe good stuff always happens to that one friend of yours; and even though you hate it, the thing you’re really feeling is jealousy. I hate having that heart-broken, insecure feeling. I know because I’ve felt it so many times. When you’re down like that, you feel like everything would be okay if only that person would just stop saying that thing to you, or if only some of the cool stuff that happens to your friends would actually happen to you. It’s really easy to feel like your problem is circumstantial - in other words, if these situations change or if those people would change, you’d be just fine. Here’s the deal: You’d still be a wreck. The problem is not those other people. The problem is inside. The problem is that you believe lies about yourself that make you insecure. What if you really believed the truth of who Jesus says you are? What if you really believed that Jesus is madly in love with you and came on a rescue mission just for you? One time Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” Animals work hard to make their own homes. Jesus was God. He could have made an amazing house for Himself! What if the reason Jesus was homeless here was that the only home He cared about building for Himself was right down inside your precious heart? What would happen if you dared to believe that?

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

89. He's The Romance You're Waiting On

John 6:37


Everyone is looking for that dream romance, right? We all want a love story that is so intense and epic that it winds up being the stuff of legend, right? We want that amazing someone to want us so badly that they would move heaven and earth just to have us and then accept us no matter what and never, ever reject us, right? I know you want to be loved like that, and the reason I know is because we all do! You want to be the object of someone’s undying, immovable affection and passion, and you want to know that they’re so crazy about you that nothing in this world could ever change the way they feel. Of course you do! In fact, if you’re not sitting there wanting that very thing right now, the only reason is that you’ve given up thinking it could ever happen. That kind of thing only happens in old English novels or in cheesy movies, right? Or, if it does happen, it doesn’t happen to someone like you, right? Wrong. Check this: Your dream romance is waiting on you! Jesus is absolutely bonkers about you and He can’t get over it. In fact, He actually did move heaven and earth to have you. He faced sin and death head on, clashing with the powers of evil and the grave, and then defeated them all just for you. What’s more, He not only wants you, but He accepts you. He knows everything about you and promises that He will never, ever (no matter what) not in a billion years, cast you out or drive you away or reject you. Your dream romance is waiting on you. What are you waiting on?

Saturday, July 30, 2011

88. He Reversed The Curse

Acts 10:38


Do you know how good it feels to help somebody? Have you felt that almost insatiable, giddy, light-headed joy of pouring out your life for someone else? You know, you do something for someone that gives you nothing and you feel like you finally know your purpose in life? If you’ve had this feeling, then you know that there is nothing in this world that fills you up as much as giving your life away to build God’s kingdom; but here’s a question: Do you know why serving others feels so good and is so fulfilling? In Acts 10, Peter said Jesus “went about doing good.” Now, that doesn’t seem like a big deal, but believe me, it is. You see, that phrase ‘went about’ is translated other ways in the New Testament. One place is in Romans 5 where Paul says that sin entered the world through one man and so death spread to all men. That word ‘spread’ is the same word. You see, the curse of sin spread like a disease to all people bringing death, and then Jesus went on a mission spreading His life and goodness. He didn’t just go around haphazardly doing good. This wasn’t random acts of kindness. No, He was intentionally spreading life with military precision wherever darkness and death were. The reason it feels so good to serve others is that whenever you get out there and serve someone in Jesus’ name, you are literally part of Jesus’ mission to reverse the curse of sin and death in the world. As the Christmas song says, “No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.”

Monday, July 25, 2011

87. He Has Your Back

1 John 2:1


You ever feel like the people in your life think they’ve got you figured out and all they see is the worst in you? You ever feel like the folks who know you will never get over who you used to be - like they’ll always see you as that person who did ______ that one time? I don’t want to be remembered for my sins. I don’t want people to always see the worst in me. The only problem is that I keep on sinning all the time! You know how this feels, right? I keep on being the person I don’t want people to think I am! It’s like I want people to believe the best about me even when I don’t always do the best things. Don’t you want that? Don’t you want people to see something in you that is good and kind and sweet, even when you don’t necessarily always live up to it? Here’s the amazing news: Jesus is like that. What I mean to say is, Jesus not only sees the best in you, but He actually sticks up for you. He vouches for you. He is vocal about how much you rock. There is a beautiful verse in the book of 1 John and the basic idea of it goes like this: “The goal of this thing is that you change and actually sin less, but even when you do sin, there’s someone in your corner who believes in you and has your back, and that’s Jesus.” It says that Jesus is your ‘advocate.’ The literal meaning of the word is “to call alongside” and it means that Jesus comes up beside you and speaks up on your behalf. Jesus has your back.


Saturday, July 23, 2011

86. He Shoots Me Straight

Matthew 4:17


Sin is a liar. The urge within you to sin lies to you every single day. Let’s face it: You have a magnetic pull toward the wrong thing. Sometimes you flat-out want to do what’s wrong. You want to do that easy thing that leads to a quick payout but in the end only gives you hurt, isolation and distance between you and the Lord. In short, you want to sin. You do. You actually like it, right? It sucks to admit that; but at the same time, it feels good to admit it too, right? Sin tells you that what you’re about to do is natural. It tells you that this thing you’re about to do won’t hurt anyone. It says everyone does it. It’s not that big of a deal. It will make you feel better about yourself. You deserve it. You’ll feel happy as soon as you do it. But you know better than that. You know these are all lies. You know because you’ve already been down this road before and you know how lonely and sad it makes you feel to do this thing again. You want to know something awesome about Jesus? He respects you enough to be honest with you about yourself. His first sermon went like this: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” That word we’ve translated, ‘repent’ literally means, “change your mind.” Jesus’ first message to a hurting world was, change your mind about what you think this world can give you. Change your mind about what you think sin can do for you. Change your mind about what a life with God is like. Sin is a liar, but Jesus wasn’t afraid to shoot us straight.

Monday, July 18, 2011

85. He Redeems Messes

Matthew 1


No matter how much I tell you about it, you still sometimes feel unusable by God, right? You feel like you’ve been too bad or gone to far or messed up too many times for God to write a story that includes you as a player, right? Believe me when I say, I’ve been there. I know how you feel. But trust me when I tell you that no matter who you are and no matter what you’ve done and no matter how far you’ve gone, the Lord has accomplished amazing things with folks way worse than you! I was just reading about Jesus’ family tree today and some of the folks that got to be a part of bringing the Messiah into the world were a total mess. Abraham was a liar who cheated on his wife out of unbelief. Jacob was a manipulating con artist who would do anything and use anyone to get his way. Judah had sex with his daughter in law and then lied about it. Rahab was a prostitute. David was an adulterer who ordered the murder of one of his oldest friends and allies. Solomon constructed pagan temples and worshipped idols for his 700 wives. The Scripture says Manasseh was the worst person who ever lived, and even Mary, the mother of our Lord accused Jesus of losing His mind and tried to arrest Him by force. Some of these folks were unbelievably bad. They were ungodly, compromised hypocrites with lives that would be inadmissible evidence in a Sunday School classroom, and yet, Jesus came from their line into this world. He redeemed their story and He’s redeeming yours. There’s no telling what He wants to do with you!

Friday, July 15, 2011

84. He Said Believers Are Blessed

John 20:29


You’ve had skeptics in your face, right? You’ve had people mess with you or make fun of you for believing in a God you can’t see, right? There are people who challenge you with obtuse, unanswerable questions that are completely irrelevant to anyone’s life, but then they call you a fool for not having an answer, right? Never mind the fact that the New Testament is the most historically accurate ancient document in all of human history with no other competitor holding even a fraction of a candle. Never mind the fact that the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most historically documented fact in all of antiquity. Never mind the fact that the eye witnesses of this miracle sealed their testimony with their own blood after literally changing the course of the world forever. The skeptics in your face don’t want to hear about how the kingdom of God is responsible for the advent of hospitals, charities and institutions for social justice. Here’s the thing: none of that matters. Let the haters keep on hatin’. Here’s what matters: You believe Jesus is Almighty God who put on flesh to live and die for you because He loves you. You believe Jesus rose again to everlasting, indestructible life on the third day. You know that this Jesus is not only changing the world, but He’s changing you. You aren’t who you were. No skeptic can take that from you. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who haven’t seen and yet believe.” That word ‘blessed’ just means, happy, and that’s you. Jesus loves you and you can feel Him, shepherding you through this life. He fills your heart and makes you happy. No hater can rob you of this joy.

Monday, July 11, 2011

83. He Was A Treasure Hunter

Matthew 13:44


You ever had anyone make you feel worthless? I bet you know exactly what I’m talking about. Do you have a person in your life that makes you feel like a complete disappointment? They had plans for you - goals for you, and you didn’t meet them. That is a feeling that makes you want to stop having hopes for your own life because you’ve been made to feel that you are hopeless. I used to play football with this kid who threw up before every single game because he was under so much pressure. His dad had spent his entire childhood prepping him to be a college football star, and deep down he knew he could never live up to those expectations. Sometimes people don’t even have to say it out loud. You can just tell by the look in their eyes that they think you are less than you should have been. Guess what? They were wrong about you. You are not worthless. In fact, there is no scale that could measure your value. Jesus says that you (yes, you!) were a treasure hidden in a field and that when He found you, He was so dead-set on having you that He gladly gave up everything just to make you His own! Thing is, He didn’t give money to get you. He spilled His own precious blood. That’s how valuable you are. You are so infinitely important, that your price tag was nothing less than the very blood of God. Jesus found you, bought you, dusted you off and rejoiced because you became His. According to Jesus, there has never been anything in this world quite so wonderful, special and valuable as you.

Friday, July 8, 2011

82. He Was The Son Of David

Matthew 21:9


Do you ever feel forgotten - like if you walked out of your own life, that no one would notice for a couple of weeks? What if God has forgotten you? I mean, He’s got so much to do, right? Surely my little life has escaped His notice... Sometimes we get so caught up just living our little existence day to day that we can feel disconnected from other people. Not only that, but we also feel disconnected from the Lord and what He’s up to. Before you know it, you’re down in the dumps and you think no one cares. Times like these can sometimes become more frustrating by the fact that you may not be getting that much out of the Scriptures. Maybe you don’t feel all that connected to God and maybe it feels like He’s not holding up His end of the bargain either... as in, He’s not really speaking to you or showing you much in your time in the Word - when you have it. I know that sometimes it feels like God has forgotten you, but I promise you He hans’t. Jesus was called the Son of David. That refers back to the guy God picked to be Israel’s king a thousand years before Jesus was born. God promised David that he would have a descendant sit on his throne forever and ever. Now, over those 1,000 years, it didn’t always look like God was involved or even there at all, but He was always in control, always passing the torch down to another of David’s descendants and then Jesus came along - the Son of David. No matter how dark it gets, God is there. He hans’t forgotten you. He’s keeping His promise.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

81. He Didn't Open His Mouth

1 Peter 2:23


Okay, you know that thing where somebody says or does something that really pisses you off or breaks your heart and then fifteen minutes later, when you’re driving away, you think up the perfect comeback? Oh man! Don’t you just want to drive back there, jump up in their face and say it?! Doesn’t it feel like there would be nothing on this earth more satisfying than just giving everybody what’s coming to them? You know, when someone hurts you, the natural feeling hammering against every nerve in your mind and body is that getting them back and making them feel that same pain would be the height of joy for you. The only problem is that our natural way of thinking is a lie. It doesn’t make you feel any better to do that. The only thing retaliation achieves is the multiplication of misery. We tell ourselves it’s justice, but really, it’s just us getting revenge. When Jesus was being betrayed, arrested without cause, falsely accused, mocked, slandered, beaten, tortured and murdered, He never said a word. He just took it. Peter says “He kept on entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.” I know that when someone breaks your heart with the things they say, you want nothing more than to break theirs back, but don’t do it. It’s not going to give you what you think it will. (Now, I’m not talking to someone in an abusive situation - if you are in trouble, get out and get help.) I’m talking about the everyday kind of drama we all face with gritted teeth. Look to Jesus, feel sorry for that sad person and forgive them. Let Jesus mend your heart and leave that person to God.