Be Satisfied...

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in every and any situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want." Philipians 4:11
How many of us have ever felt truly satisfied with what we have? What does Paul know that we don't?

It's so much easier to be grateful for what we have when we've experienced moments of not having anything. Despite all the complication we've added to our lives since the days of Jesus, our lives are in many ways much easier, much more comfortable. Rather than wanting what we need to survive, we think we need all the things we want. It doesn't help that our culture teaches us that we're not good enough, until we have enough (and we never have enough).

So how will we ever be satisfied? So how do we learn to be content with what we have when we always want more?

Share your thoughts below. Join us again next week as we continue to explore being content.

Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, down in my heart...

In college, I would often ponder the difference between happiness and joy. I've always felt that the distinction between the two is critical... and I have often thought that God promises the one, but not the other.

In the wake of hard times, I sometimes hear people (myself included) saying, "You deserve to be happy..." but do we? Somehow living in this culture we end up developing this sense of entitlement, that we deserve everything we want, that we deserve to be happy. Sadly, sometimes we interact with God that way too. We pray for the things we want because we know that's what will make us happy only to be disappointed when God doesn't answer our prayers the way we expect.

Have you ever considered the irony of the word spoiled? We're talking about spoiling in the sense of getting everything you want, but in getting everything that you want you're being spoiled, as in what happens as fruit goes bad. In other words, there's real truth to the phrase "spoiled rotten." If we were given everything we wanted and no desire was unfulfilled, where would God fit into our lives? There wouldn't be room for Him, because we wouldn't feel the need.

I would argue that standing in line for days to get the newest iPhone or spending your entire allowance on a pair of boots that you can't even wear in inclement weather (then what's the point!!) or whatever other ways we might fall into the trap of materialism, is pursuing happiness. And happiness, is fleeting. It lasts only as long as the latest fad. Joy on the other hand, transcends the momentary trials of life. True joy is a deep peace within your soul that can't be tarnished no matter what horrors the world tries to inflict on you. True joy comes from God. It is surrendering to the knowledge that you don't need to worry because He will be with you in all things and He will provide.This is part of the grace that He is constantly pouring into us; part of what brings us to overflowing, and compels us to worship Him. We can be joyful despite the circumstances of our lives because we know and trust that God will sustain us. If we know that He will always be there and our needs will always be taken care of... how can we still "not feel like it" when it comes time to worship Him? Worship grows out of that joy... and if you're not feeling particularly joyful lately, perhaps you need to take a good, hard look at why that is.

"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -Jesus Christ

Oh dear, where are my manners?

To sum up the last post, worship grows out of the realization that God has poured so much love and mercy into us that we are overflowing... We literally cannot contain it. But so often we don't worship with the reckless abandon that we should. Even more often, we don't worship at all.

If worship is glorifying God and singing to Him to thank Him for what he's done... how can we NOT worship? Set aside the HUGE and OBVIOUS gift of salvation that God has offered us in sacrificing His son on the cross, for a moment... what are the somewhat less obvious blessings God has given you?

For me, having my daughter was a huge turning point in my faith. For those of you not familiar with the story of how she came to be, let me give you the cliff notes version to bring you up to speed. I found out half way through the pregnancy that I was indeed pregnant; I went to the doctor thinking I would need to get my appendix removed or something because of all sorts of crazy things going on. I was 22 at the time and after finding out that in less than four short months, I had to grow up enough to be responsible and raise another human being, to say I was terrified would be an extreme understatement. Not to mention I hadn't done any of the things pregnant women should do. I hadn't had regular doctor visits or taken pre-natal vitamins and not to mention broken like every rule about the foods I should eat and the beverages I could consume. I had never prayed or cried so much in my life. And yet... on October 22, 2010 (yes, exactly 3 years ago from today), the beautiful and amazing Phoenix Isabella Jansen was born. At 7lbs, 7.7oz., she was perfect (ironic, given the use of the #7 in the Bible often to symbolize fullness or completeness or perfection.) I have never laughed so much in my life as I have since that day and it brings tears to my eyes as I think about all the joy that that little terrifying surprise has brought into my life. And this is only ONE example on an endless list of wonderful things God has done in my life... But what about you?

Perhaps for you, it's not something so dramatic. Perhaps, you're blessed with a family that loves you, a girlfriend or boyfriend that you have a lot of fun with, a home to keep you warm as the weather grows colder, clothes to wear, food in your stomach, the freedom to practice your religion without fearing for your life or the lives of those you love... Next time you're standing in church and notice your arms are crossed or pulled tightly to your sides, consider these things. Consider the small day to day blessings that we so often take for granted. Then consider what the One who gave you all those blessings did so you could have a relationship with Him... Look at the cross. Do you know how horribly agonizing that must have been? Yet, he willingly took it FOR YOU. So don't think of worship as standing around singing some songs, think of it as saying thank you. This week, as we go into a time of worship on Sunday, think about the words you're singing. Think about their truth and consider this in the context of ALL that God has done for YOU.

Don't you think you ought to say thank you?

(Warning this video is comprised of scenes from the passion movie. It is quite gruesome, though likely quite accurate.)

Oooh, His love is like the ocean, Oooh, forever overflowing

This past Sunday at the Youth Rally I saw God's presence moving through the crowd like wildfire. People with their arms stretched out, hands lifted high, dancing to the music as they wholeheartedly worshiped. But when we worship, most of us cross our arms, and stare blankly ahead, unaffected by what is happening around us. Why? How can we just stand there and not be moved by it all? Do we even know what worship is really about?

A wise man once defined worship using this passage of scripture:
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Psalm 23:4,5)

The act of worship happens when our cup overflows; when God has poured so much into us that it cannot be contained.  Even when we are at our worst and the world seems to press in all around us, God blesses us  with more than we will ever need.  Even when it feels like we have nothing, even when we feel empty, the fullness of God overflows in our lives.

Consider what God has done in the single act of sending His son to die on the cross for us. This alone should be enough to fill us to overflowing and yet, we are unaffected (even though He has done so much more beyond just this.) We stand before Him unmoved, because we're not in the mood, or we don't feel like it, or it's not our thing, or we're bored. But it's not about any of these things. It's not about US; it is about who God is and what He has done for us. Worship is a decision. We must choose to recognize that God is constantly pouring His love into us and in turn, respond by calling out to Him to say thank you. It's not about the music, or some crazy light display, or what instruments are being used, or how good looking the worship leader is. It is about letting God's love wash over us and flow through us, as we thank Him for what He's done. When we worship, we're surrendering ourselves to God out of gratitude. It's in this place, in this state of surrender, that we encounter God, this is where you feel God.

And it is something worth being excited about.

I like my yokes over easy...

The following words appear in Matthew (16:24), Mark (8:34), and Luke (9:23)... "Whoever wants to be my disciple, must deny themselves, and take up their cross daily and follow me." 

  In literature, repetition is often used to indicate significance. Meaning, if something is said more than once, it is worth repeating, i.e. it is important. This is no less true with the Bible. Jesus is reported as saying this in three separate gospels. All three author's of these books deemed it important enough to include in their account of Jesus. Why? Because here, Jesus himself is telling us what it takes to be his disciple. We must think of others above ourselves and "take up [our] cross daily." In my mind, I imagine Jesus lumbering up the hill of Calvary with the horizontal cross beam on his back and he calls us, "Get your's too. And come on, follow me." What I hear is Do as I do. In a country of Religious freedom, not many of us will be challenged to die for our faith, at least not literally. So what could this mean to us today? What I see Christ doing in taking the cross upon his back, is picking up the burden of all of us. It made me think of another verse.
  In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, "Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." A yoke is the beam that goes across the oxen's back for them to pull an old fashioned plow. In this passage, Jesus is calling us to go to work for him, to take up this large, heavy beam and work... yet at the same time tells us he will give us rest for our souls...? Did I miss something? How is working easy?
  Both this yoke and the cross we are called to take up are heavy and burdensome, but not in the way the world burdens us. For both, we will have to make sacrifices. And I suspect this is why Jesus says, "Take up your cross" and only after this, adds follow me. He's asking us to commit to making sacrifices, before we try to walk with him. If we try to follow him and think we'll still be able to enjoy all that the world has to offer, we're dead wrong.
  A lot of what the world promises us is the exact opposite of what God wants for us. Our need for immediate gratification through any one of a number of sources (drugs, alcohol, porn, ex.) has created a culture where we are only satisfied with immediate results and the less we have to work for it, the better. The problem is many of these things do not ultimately satisfy and we're left with an ever-widening desire for more that only continues to worsen over time, until we cram anything we can into the giant chasms we have made in our souls for a few piddly moments of peace. This is the burden the world thrusts on our shoulders. Jesus calls us out from under this weight and says, "Come with me, rest here awhile. Why are you doing this to yourself? What I have for you is easy compared to the meaningless, empty torture you are putting yourself through. Let me fulfill you."
  In doing His work, we have the guarantee that He will not only continually renew us, but He will also go with us, empowering us to do the work He created us to do. We can do all things through Christ who strengthened us, right? But if we go a different way, we take a path that God has not laid out for us, then we're attempting to go it alone and continuing down that road will only draw us further into the muck and mire of the world until we're so empty and so lost that we finally cry out to God and desperately search for Him in the darkness.

Which sounds like the greater burden to you?

How many days a week is daily?

Live it Out by Abandon

So there was a survey of college students that asked them questions about their faith. For the question "What does it mean to be a Christian?" only a few even mentioned Jesus... Jesus Christ.

Christian 

You would think it'd be obvious... but we so often forget. Being a "good" person, isn't enough. Going to church isn't enough! And yet, that's the furthest we usually go... Being in church on a Sunday morning is enough of a commitment, right? We're busy and don't have time for more. 

Jesus said "Whoever wants to be my disciple, must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23/Matthew 16:24). 

Our crosses are decoration. We wear them around our necks, on our t-shirts, hung up on our walls, outside of our churches, tattooed on our arms... Yet, Jesus tells us to carry them. And carry them DAILY. Wait, is one day a week daily? How about two? Two out of seven... that's pretty close to daily right? 

#EPICfail.

Join me again next time as we continue to explore what it means to carry your cross.

be His love.

Being a disciple hinges on obeying two commandments. Yes, only two. You may have heard that there are 10... but there's actually hundreds (613, to be more precise). But Jesus sums them all up with just two. When tested by the Pharisees, Jesus answered that the two greatest commandments, the two that all the rest hinged on, were love God with all  your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength (see the post from Sept 10th)... this week, we'll look at the second piece of this: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Whose your neighbor? Everyone. So what is Jesus telling us? Love everyone. How do we love them? Do for them the things you would do for yourself... meaning your priorities should follow the JOY acronym: 

Jesus Others You

It is THAT simple. We follow Jesus, we do what he did... Who loved others more than he did? John 15:13 tells us that true love is laying down one's life for their friends. For us today, does that mean dying on a cross for our friends? No... it means thinking of them above ourselves. J. O. Y. (Notice what it spells. Guess what happens if you get your priorities in order and live this out? Go figure, right?!)

How we treat others is the single greatest testament to our faith. Like that super old song goes: "They will know we are Christians by our love..." If Jesus's entire message could be boiled down to one word, that word would be Love. So how can you honor what he's done for us? Go out and 

be His love.

Can we just get real? Like for real? I mean really?

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Matthew 22:35-40

Remember last time when I said Jesus could school the religious leaders of his day? This is one of many instances. In this passage, after the Sadducees had failed to make a fool of Jesus by testing his knowledge of the scriptures, the Pharisees took a shot at it. As you can guess, they failed and just made fools of themselves instead. They say to themselves Yeah, let's ask this guy, this crazy fanatic who thinks he's the son of our God, let's ask him what the greatest commandment is. Look at us; we're so clever with our trick questions. All they cared about was following the rules. But following the rules for no other reason than to look good or because you're supposed to, sooner or later, you're just going through the motions. Faith is deeper than that... faith is a complete change of heart. You follow Jesus because you WANT to... not because your parents say you should.

So consider what Jesus said #1 Love God with all of your heart... all of your soul... all of your mind. Love God with EVERYTHING in you, every part of you. Love God with all that you are. If you loved a person this deeply, would anything in the world be able to pull you away from them? You would think about them and text them constantly... you would go over to their house, go out to the movies. You would spend every possible second you could with them. You would be obsessed and you would never have enough. There's not a person alive who has done as much or loves us as much as God... yet, we'd rather spend time with our girlfriend or boyfriend? We'd rather play video games or watch a movie or play on facebook... We'd rather do anything other than pray or study the Bible. And we wonder why our faith isn't stronger or why we don't feel closer to God. Really?

True Christianity isn't about following the rules. Jesus despised the very men that were thought to be the most righteous of his day, because they were too caught up in their man-made religion, too blinded by their own legalism to recognize that the very God they worshiped, prayed to and offered sacrifices to had come down into humanity was standing right in front of them. And then, they killed Him. So let's get beyond what we're 'supposed' to do... don't just go through the motions, don't fake it. Every time you do it's like you're helping them nail Jesus to the cross all over again. And He died once for all so get that weak sauce outta here!

God just wants to love us and bless us in ways we can't even imagine but He can only use the parts of ourselves that we give to Him. So c'mon, what are you waiting for? 

Surrender everything.

Follow the Leader

So Jesus has asked us to follow him. Which involves what exactly?

1. Going to church
2. Reading your Bible
3. Praying
4. Spreading the Gospel

(Uggggggh.) Can we get beyond what you're supposed to say... I mean think about it, it's not like Jesus is walking around right here in York County and we can just hop right in line behind him and start singing "Follow the leader." (See: Disney's Animated Peter Pan---youtube it).

This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

1John 2:5b-6

You want to follow him... do what he did! Live how he lived. Remember those super awesome bracelets that everyone had once upon a time... they said WWJD? What Would Jesus Do. Just because the bracelets are outdated, doesn't mean the message is. This is how we should live our lives. Consider every choice with the principles and lessons of the Bible in mind, with the words and teachings of Jesus guiding our thoughts and decisions. Although... how can we do this if we don't know much about what Jesus taught? How are we ever supposed to live like him? 

Open up those Bibles!

(Jesus knew the scriptures so well, he could school the religious leaders of his day. He makes them look like idiots, it's really great.)

Come, follow me

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-20

Imagine that you are one of these fishermen. A strange man comes up to you and says follow me... would you? These men had to have known there was something special about Jesus. They left their friends, their family, their livelihood, everything they had ever known, and they left it all behind, simply because He asked them to. They didn't even hesitate. "At ONCE they left their nets and followed him." It doesn't say that they thought about it a moment or talked it over with each other... no. They left their nets and followed him. Just like that. They didn't know who He was. They didn't even know all that Jesus was about to do for them. They followed without hesitation and didn't look back. This is reckless abandon. This is forsaking everything else for what is truly the MOST important!

We know what Jesus has done for us. We know how much God loves us because of what He did through His son. And yet... we hesitate. We're half-hearted. We say Alright, Jesus, I'll follow you... but mind if I bring my own net? or Well I'll follow you for a few hours on Sunday, but I have (insert sport/school/work responsibilities) every other day of the week. NOT an excuse. God wants all of you. Not just the pieces you have left over. And if you commit to letting him have all of you, to letting him have full and complete control, you will experience a life far better than you could have ever imagined for yourself.

He calls us into relationship with Him to have life and have it abundantly... What great riches and pleasures could this world possibly offer us that even compare to the blessing God is just DYING to give us?

If you know God and believe what He promises, the answer is simple... NOTHING. So what are you waiting for?

Let's get a little reckless!!

May I never lose the wonder...

Everything by Lifehouse

The hardest part of being a disciple is truly accepting what God has done for you. For YOU.

Unlike many of you, I didn't grow up in church. In fact, I was 13 till I knew anything about what the Bible said. So I didn't grow up hearing how much Jesus loved me. So many of us hear it so often that we get used to it, we take it for granted. But when I heard that some guy had been brutally tortured, and crucified on a cross with nails driven through His body... for ME, giving up His life, sacrificing everything... because he loved me. I couldn't believe it, I couldn't understand. Why?

Why would anyone in their right mind give up their life for me?

Because of love. We are so deeply and truly loved that God gave the greatest sacrifice he could muster, himself. He become human just like us, experienced the same pain and hunger, the same disappointment and bitterness... sadness and heartbreak. All because of LOVE. We go to church on Sunday and then we go through the rest of our week. We walk around as if the most amazing, extraordinary thing wasn't done for us.  But it was. He died... so we could live.

How can I stand here with You and NOT be moved by you?

Do you get it?? Realizing what God has done for us should be the most transformational realization we EVER have. We CANNOT stand here, we cannot look at the cross & NOT be changed by it. If we TRULY recognize what He has done... we HAVE to be different.

This information is life-changing. 

The first step in being a disciple is allowing God to completely transform you. To let the realization of what He has done, permeate your entire being. You are loved more greatly and deeply than you can COMPREHEND. Go ahead and try to wrap your head around that one.

...the WONDER of the cross.

Then you will shine among them

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed -- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence -- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and purse, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from you faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Phillipians 2:12-18

Welcome & kudos to you for checking out the blog.

So here's the thing friends..

There's supposed to be something different about us. As Christians, we're not supposed to be like the rest of the world. We're supposed to stand out and shine brighter, "like stars in the sky." Right now, some of you might not know what that means for your life. Yeah, okay, I'm going to shine like a star... ?!? It's okay, you're not alone!! In fact, that's the whole point of this blog. I want to help you shine brighter. I want to give you every opportunity to grow & become the person God created you to be, the very best of who you are, to fulfill your fullest and most wonderful potential. I can see that in all of you... I can see that God is calling you to so much more. You just have to let Him work in you. I say "just" but really that involves giving up everything... letting Him have full & complete control... of you... of your entire life... of everything you have ever and will ever want... Yeah, you just have to let Him... piece of cake right?!

But if I can help you get even just a step closer or push you to live out your faith in even the smallest way, then all this will have been worth it. So I'll spend hours creating a blog, writing a newsletter, coordinating events, & planning activities, all with the hope that YOU will make it worth it. God can & will do wonderful things in you, this I know... You just have to let Him. I'll help, that is my promise to you. I'll do whatever I possibly can... all I'm asking is that you meet me halfway.