Go Ahead and Build Ten Cities!

A broken-hearted friend sat in my office crying. Her words were not unfamiliar. She asked, "Why does this always happen to me?" It was the word always that got my attention because I notice patterns. I take note of behaviors I see repeated or I hear repeated. I believe much of our lives are lived in specific behavioral patterns. For example, think about your morning routine or the route you drive daily. We can sometimes change our patterns if they're pointed out to us. So, I asked her a question.

 

"Do you automatically trust everyone or do they have to earn it over time?" The tears stopped. She sat dumbfounded. She recognized a pattern. She repeatedly trusted people until they gave her a reason not to trust them. Unfortunately, that behavior pattern got her the same results over and over again because she trusted the same type of person. Once she recognized the broken heart pattern in her life, she could choose to change it. So, we worked on defining some new trust-building behavioral patterns and found creative ways to implement them into her life.

 

Wikipedia defines trust as "reliance on another person or entity." Trust is relational. It's developed over time.

 

Once again, I recognized a behavioral pattern as I listened to stories about our church's amazing efforts to fund mission work called Faith Promise. For most people, it started out small. They prayed, asked God what he wanted them to give, committed to a specific amount and when God provided they returned the blessing. I noticed a pattern emerge in the lives of seasoned Faith Promise participants. Their giving increased year after year. They credited their financial increase to a stronger relationship with God. Trust developed over time. When people were faithful with a small amount God trusted them with more. The lasting impact was a deeper more fulfilling relationship with God as they were trusted to return his blessing.

 

Imagine what may happen if we could be trusted with more. Envision Christ followers who are liberated from the bonds of financial constraint and are trusted with human hearts and eternal lives. Now, we're talking about building God's Kingdom! Let's build it together as his resources flow through believers who will love God, love others and change the world!

 

“‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ Luke 19:17 NIV

 

Death, Taxes & My Dog

Death. Some people say it's the ultimate fear.

 

Most of us have an opinion or at least a belief about death. Sometimes people are cavalier about it. A man I know once said, "I'm not afraid of death. It's getting there that scares me." Others take a logical route in an attempt to remove death's sting. Benjamin Franklin is credited with clarifying that death and taxes are the only certainty in life. While both of these statements may be true, they're really not helpful.

 

What would you do if you knew you only had one month to live? One Month to Live is a sermon series I used a few years ago that challenged us to think about the way we live. We were inspired to take a serious and truthful look at our values. If we are not clear about what we value, we spend our lives chasing after things that keep us busy but stand in the way of truly fulfilling the purpose God has for us. The dash became a significant symbol for us during the series. You can learn more about the dash here.

 

I believe that Jesus Christ is the only sure thing in life. His resurrection and life are God's ultimate answer to every question I may have about ultimate ends. In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul states that all creation waits to be liberated from its bondage and decay. I hold onto this message because I have hope that not only will people that I love be with me in heaven but my little dog Mulligan will joyfully leap into my arms and lick my face again.

 

Salvation is defined as being saved or protected from harm and being saved or delivered from a dire situation. In religion, salvation is stated as saving one's soul from sin and its consequences. Death is a result of sin and occurs to all creation. The truth is we all need to be rescued and Jesus is the only one who can do it. We cannot save ourselves. We can't handle death on our own. Jesus is fully alive. He stands as a contradiction to the statement, "God won't give you more than you can handle." I can't handle it. But Jesus can. He already did. Absolutely. Powerfully. Eternally.

 

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

 

Scary Dreams, Reality & Hope

Dreams and visions sometimes have the ability to shake us up. Scary dreams or nightmares can come from seeds planted in the murky soil of uncertainty. However, reality can be pretty scary if we get lost at the end of a career path, realize our age when physical limitations keep us from reaching an important goal, or struggle with the ambiguity of our future. We may wish for a crystal ball to help guide us as we feel an escalating internal pressure to make the right decision. But for many, the situation or circumstance is completely beyond their control. As a result, making the right decision can cause anxiety and we can feel like there is a monster lurking in the darkness just waiting to pounce!

Recurring dreams may contain some message but we often have a difficult time interpreting the meaning. Dreams and visions are sometimes our internal way of dealing with situations that we cannot control. There will be times when circumstances like timing, geographic location or economic indicators dictate how our situation unfolds. Other times, personal hopes and dreams are dwarfed by the giant of reality. In truth, some dreams may not have any meaning at all and that queasy feeling can be credited to the chimichanga eaten the night before.

Dr. John Townsend is one of my favorite smart people who understands the important role Christian psychology plays for the church. Dream interpretation is discussed here.

Autonomy plays a huge role in our lives. The tricky part is how we handle this freedom. Most of us want the freedom to choose but we fear making a wrong decision. Making the wrong decision feeds our fear of being a failure. The fear of being controlled will be our focus this week as we read about Daniel's dreams and his interpretation of things to come. Daniel's dreams are deeply symbolic and are designed to bring us hope. God gave us the freedom of choice and longs for us to include him in our decision making process. We all struggle with the future and making the best decision possible. Here's the bottom line: perfect love casts out all fear. God's love for us is the reality. Let's focus on that.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. I John4:18 NRSV

I Needed to Get Out More!

I started ministry as a single person.  Sunday used to be the worst day of the week for me. I would start to dread it on Thursday. So, by Saturday night I was a basket case. Sunday was a family day in my mind. Sunday meant pot roast and mashed potatoes. It was reserved for getting together with people I loved. Sunday morning at church was awesome but it was followed by Sunday afternoon with the glaring reminder that I was alone.

 

On occasion, I was invited to share Sunday brunch with friends and their families. I was encouraged to spend time with other single people or join a singles small group. Although people were trying to be supportive, I felt like a fifth wheel or an extra that just didn't belong. An honored mentor challenged me to think differently about my situation. She taught me that I could look forward to Sunday afternoon by scheduling that precious time as my time to serve the community.

 

It was pretty amazing how much better I felt when I could serve others. There is no shortage of opportunities to serve our elderly population. So, I signed up to do worship services at local nursing homes on Sunday afternoon. I recruited friends to help rake leaves in the fall, shovel snow in the winter and plant flowers in the spring for elderly neighbors. I organized groups to clean up yards, mow weeds and cut the grass of abandoned lots around our community. Sunday afternoon became something that I looked forward to because I could connect with others and I felt like serving was the cure for my loneliness.

 

Fear of abandonment, separation anxiety or being alone is a fear we all share at different life stages. Our significance, worthiness and meaning can be tethered to this fear. Daniel's significance and worthiness are defined by a God who cared deeply about his situation. But there was far more at stake than dealing with Daniel's isolation. Others were watching as God's reputation as a caring compassionate God was on the line. The testimony of outsiders like King Darius gives great credibility to how concerned Daniel's God truly is about this situation. If we understand that God cares deeply about what happens in the lives of other people, we can believe God is also concerned about us and the lions we face.

 

"For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." Daniel 6:26-27 NIV

Really Scary Movie

I noticed a skeleton hanging from a light post, elaborate spider webs covering bushes, and a witch splat on the side of a house. It must be time for Halloween.  It's the season when we poke fun of fear. Some people decorate the exterior of their house with scary stuff. Other people dress up in costumes and attend parties. Children celebrate Halloween by parading door to door and receiving sweet treats in their trick-or-treat bags. It's all supposed to be a lot of fun. You might be interested in some Halloween history or how Halloween is connected to Christianity. I found this blog to be helpful.

 

However, beneath the celebrative veneer lurks a distinct reality. Fear isn't funny. Fear is very scary and it often keeps us from doing some amazing things. Very smart people study fear. They educate and help us understand our fears. But, all the education in the world doesn't help us unless we work through the tangled web of emotional, mental, physical and psychological barriers ourselves.

 

Fear can be very helpful. It heightens our natural fight or flight response to certain people, events or situations. Many of us have experienced an internal unexpected feeling that triggers an intense awareness of our surroundings. Maybe you stop, listen, look side to side. We are much like our favorite pet which seems to be able to sense the change in a situation or recognize that a sweet treat is within its grasp.

 

Really Scary Movie is the title for our October message series. It's not based on the film genre that generates billions of dollars for the entertainment industry. It is based on the really scary movie that plays in the theater of your mind. This series treats fear with respect. We'll study fear from God's point of view and search scripture for how God tells us over and over again to treat fear. The most awesome outcome for this series is for you to identify whether or not fear stands in the way of accomplishing what God has called you to do for his Kingdom. We can help you take steps to achieve what God asks you to do. Ultimately, we can share our fears and inspire each other to overcome the ones that limit us. Imagine what could happen if we can all learn to respect fear, push through it and work to fulfill the God-honoring possibilities of building his Kingdom here. We could change the world.

 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV