~Following Him!!!~

I was watching the Cornerstone Church podcast from September 13th, 2009 and Francis Chan quoted a verse that has been haunting me ever since. It was Romans 9:1-4 and I have read it many times before, but never really paid attention to what it said. This is what it says….

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel.

Paul is saying that we need to have so much love for our neighbors that we wouldn’t care if we were eternally separated from Christ, which is exactly what hell is, as long as they were able to connect with God and have a relationship with Him. Sure we can say that we are trying to love God and love others, but are we willing to take that “loving others” to that kind of an extreme? Do we even ask God to give us the kind of sorrow and unceasing anguish that Paul talks about here?

I love my family very much and I would do anything for them. However, I have to be honest that I don’t know if I would go to the point of saying that I would rather be cut off from Christ for their sake if it was necessary. That is pretty hard core. That is one of those things, as Francis said in his message, that I am not sure if I could ever attain. That is the kind of love that Jesus pretty much had for us. That is intense.

Every time I read that passage lately or even think about it I am pretty much brought to tears. It is such an overwhelming thought and quite honestly it is a place that I would like to find myself moving towards. I think that if the church would grasp that kind of a love for others then we would really see revival happen in this country. However, I can’t worry about what other people are doing. I can only worry about my response to this.

Colossians 2: 2-3 – I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

That is my prayer for the teens at The River Church and also for the church as a whole. This past Sunday we started a series titled “Rules, Religion or Relationship” that is based around the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. I just really felt that as a group we really needed to grasp God’s relentless love for us. I don’t want our church or youth group to just be content with the status quo and I want them to grasp a hold of an authentic faith in Christ and to know His love for them in a deep and amazing way.

I had gone to the National Youth Workers Convention a few weeks ago and one of the things that hit me while I was there was that I want these teens to fall in love with God like I have fallen in love with him. I kind of stole the idea for the title of the series from an ad I saw as a teenager for the Bible college I went to and it was one of the main reasons why I went there. I didn’t want to follow a set of rules or just become a part of another religion. I really wanted to have a relationship with God.

God didn’t send His only Son to this planet just so that we could better understand rules or have a face to put to a religion. No, God sent Jesus here so that we could better understand the importance of having a relationship with Him. Jesus became God with us not above us. I think Jesus summed it all up when He was asked by the religious leaders of the day about what the most important commandment was and He didn’t even reply to them with one of the Big 10. Instead He replied with something completely different and said that everything was based on it and here is the exchange that takes place in Mark 12:28-34.

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

So If I want the teens at The River Church to get anything I hope that they figure out to love God and to love others, because then I know that they will close to the kingdom of God. This past Sunday I saw a glimpse that they were getting to that point as we discussed the mysteries of who God is and how our minds just can’t grasp all of who He is, but the overwhelming this is that He loves us. I am really looking forward to seeing more and more of our teens getting God and falling in love with Him.

Are you moving? Did you get a job? What will you do if you sell your house and have no where to go?

These are the questions that Kimmy and I have been asked quite a lot since we listed our house for sale last week. The simple answers to the questions are:

“No, we are not moving other than in faith.”
“No, I haven’t gotten a job yet.”
“If I don’t have a job and our house sells we will probably move in with my parents for a while.”

The reality is that we are selling our house that we moved into about 7 and a half years ago because we can’t afford to live here much longer with me only collecting unemployment. Plus, we are really believing that I will end up getting a job soon and that will quite likely involve a move out of state. I do not have anything lined up at this time and it is simply a matter of faith, because we believe God is going to open up a door for me to become a youth pastor at a church. As I mentioned in a previous post my wife and I are at peace about this job loss and we have the same peace about selling our house.

The other reality is that now is the best time for us to try to sell our house since a short sale is the only way we can do it and given the current economic climate it is making this time perfect for us to do it. A short sale is basically when you sell your home for less than you owe and the bank forgives the difference. If this goes through our credit will only take a hit for one year and we will not have to pay taxes on the difference that is considered “income”. We bought our house for $141,000 in August of 2001 and it has pretty much dropped in value every year. We currently have it listed for $75,000 and you can see the listing here. It is sad to think that we have essentially only paid rent on our house, which was supposed to be a great investment.

However, we realize that we had a great place that we raised our family in a great neighborhood in a great school district that had a great elementary that my kids attended. So we are very grateful for our time here. We are also excited to think about the fact that someone is going to get an amazing deal on a great house in a wonderful neighborhood to raise their family. So if you are looking for a house check ours out here.

I recently saw this video from Francis Chan and I thought it was very appropriate for what we are going though at this time. I don’t want to just live a safe life. I won’t to be daring enough to impress my Judge.

After watching that video I saw this on someone’s status update on their Facebook page and it kind of rocked my world. It is one of those deep thoughts.

“When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.”

Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids? Here’s questions for the people who are a little older…

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
My home mortgage, because I am paying on a home that is 1/3 less than when we bought it. I feel like I am just throwing away my money.

2. Do you miss being a child?
I still act immature enough to not miss it, but I do miss being in high school.

3. Chore you hate the most?
Shoveling snow. I am so sick of winter.

4. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Red Robin. Our last attempt at a date didn’t happen, because my daughter became ill.

5. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be?
Over using credit cards when we were first married.

6. Name of your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Zawislak (sp?), I think? It was about 30 years ago.

7. What do you really want to be doing right now?
Living someplace that has no snow ever.

8. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a Mack truck driver.

9. How many colleges did you attend?
1 – Elim Bible Institute

10. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
It is one of my running shirts and I am going to go for a run after this.

11. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
I don’t like the high prices, so I sold my Jeep Wrangler a few years back and bought a more fuel efficient car. I say let the prices keep going up, especially if it is going to force more people to start getting more fuel efficient cars so we emit less pollutants into the air.

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
I need to get my wife up, so she can go to work.

13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
I hope I can get a job as a youth pastor soon.

14. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
I have a couple: Bo Schembechler (sadly, I can’t because he is dead), Doug Fields, Donald Miller, Erwin McManus, and Rob Bell

15. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
Nope.

16. If you didn’t have to work, would you volunteer?
Heck yeah! I have been doing a lot more stuff at my church since I have been an unemployed bum.

17. Get up early or sleep in?
Sleep in. I prefer the night life.

18. What is your favorite cartoon character?
SpongeBob Squarepants

19. Favorite thing to do at night with a guy/girl?
I am married, so you can guess.

20. When did you first start feeling old (but never too old for this $#!@)?
I don’t. I actually feel like I am in the best shape of my life. I run all the time, work out and I am hoping to compete in a mini-triathlon this year.

21. Favorite lunch meat?
Turkey

22. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
Vitamins, Kashi cereal, or rice milk.

23. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
No way! Marriage is great.

24. Favorite movie you wouldn’t want anyone to find out about?
I really don’t care and I tell people that “Somewhere in Time” is my favorite movie all the time. Yes, it is a chick flick. That is how I roll.

25. What’s your favorite drink?
New Castle Brown Ale and water, but not mixed together.

26. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
96.3 WDVD, but I mainly listen to podcasts from different churches Sunday services. Yes, I know that makes me a nerd. Sadly, my iPod that I have had for almost 5 years has died, so I am taking donations from anyone who want to help me buy a new one.

27. Do you like the person that sits directly across from you at work?
I don’t have a job.

28. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purposes?
Nope.

29. Last book you finished reading?
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan

30. Do you have a teddy bear?
Yes, my Aunt Diana made it for me and then made another one just like it when my daughter was born. Mine is made from green corduroy and my wife entered it into an ugly bear competition when we were first married.

31. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
Over a campfire.

32. Do you go to church?
Yes. Church may not be perfect, but neither are any of us.

33. How old are you?
36