Soakin' Up Life . . . at a 100 MPH!

'For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ' Isaiah 9:6   https://my.bible.com/bible/111/ISA.9.6 'For to us a child is born…'.  What a sweet picture…a child…a newborn baby.  I love newborns.  I love holding them.  I love the way they smell…at least until the poop gets some stink to it.  I love how they are miniture versions of adults.  They simply amaze me.  But these words from the book of Isaiah are not meant to paint a sweet, gentle picture for us today.   These words are words of power. This child wasn't just any ol' baby.  He was to be the Son of God. He was to become our redeemer…the spotless lamb of God who was to take away the sins of the world.  He would lay His life down and become sin so that we become the righteousness of God...

"Here am I. Send me." I'm not sure where a statement like that leads.  Well…I do.  I 've said it before.  But it has to be five of the scariest words ever spoken to the God of Creation.  But where does a statement like that lead? Does it lead to people and places far from home? Sure! Does it lead to inner city anywhere working with the less fortunate in potentially dangerous neighborhoods? Absolutely! Does it lead to serving with two year olds, 4th-6th graders, or leading a Bible study group? Yes! Does it lead to pain, persecution, and imprisonment? Maybe! Does it lead to death? Possibly! Does it matter?   Did it matter to Isaiah when he uttered these very words to the Lord?  Don't think it did.  I believe Isaiah surrendered his life…all of it…because it's the thing to do when a person encounters the powerful presence of God… YHWH !  How could Isaiah NOT surrender his life after experiencing healing lik...

Last night our 242 Small Group met.  It's an eclectic group of couples that gather together every Wednesday night during the summer.  I look forward to meeting with them each week. We begin every lesson with an ice-breaker question that get's everyone involved.  Usually, they're fun and insightful.  This week's question was a little different.  Last night's ice-breaker question was, In one word how would you describe your relationship with God today?   Here are a few of the responses: Hungry  Lacking Distant Thankful Trusting Blessed Thirsty Prioritizing These are courageous answers.  These are honest answers.  These are the answers of a group of people who have spent the summer getting to know one another and sharing life together.   I was so blessed to hear our group's answers.  They not only represent our relationship with the LORD, but they showed us that not everyone is at the same place with God as everyone e...

Waiting…one of the hardest things for me to do.  In fact, I despise waiting! Yet, Christ-followers are called to wait upon the Lord.  Wait for His plans. Wait for His timing. Wait. Wait. Wait. It probably bothers me so much, because I'm  a control freak and so task oriented.  There!  I said it!!  My mantra is taken from Larry the Cable Guy, " Get 'er done! "  Make a plan, work the plan.  That's me. Waiting requires me to trust…trust God. It forces me to trust in the Lord's promises, plans, timing, etc., not in my abilities or timing, or plans.  I get tired of waiting.  It wears me out and frustrates me! Can I get a witness!!!!  Ok, maybe it's just me. Waiting in the Lord, on the other hand, strengthens me.  It puts me under His authority and power.  It places my future into His hands.  It transforms worry into joy and chaos into peace ( Phil 4:4-7 ). This morning I am reminded that Jesus modeled waiting. ...

This morning I was in my office with Chris Tomlin's You're a Good, Good Father  playing in the background and my Bible open to Romans 1:18-20.  And I sat there…just sat there.  It was okay.  I was not hurried or feeling the need to rush into anything.  I was just soaking it in.  There was a great peace in that moment.  Honestly, I wished these moments came more often. As I reflect on my time with the Father, I wonder if that's not what our time with Him is supposed to be like?  Peaceful, even in the midst of life, especially our hurried life. What was playing and what I was reading really wasn't the focus.  That's just what I happen to be listening to and reading at the moment.  Then again, maybe they do have an impact.  I don't know. Your thoughts? Mike

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus says, " You are the light of the world. "  In John 1:5, John writes," The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. " I was thinking about being light and darkness this morning.  I wondered how many of us Christ-followers are more apt to be light among the light rather than light among the darkness ?   I mean, it's soooo much easier to be a Christ-follower among other Christ-followers.  Isn't it?  When you think about it, you don't even have to be the brightest light in the room, there's no need.  If someone's light is brighter it will drown out your dim light.  Even a bunch of dim lights will appear to give off so much light there's no need for our light to shine any brighter. Gotta admit, it's a much bigger risk to be light among the darkness of this world where the ruler of evil reigns.  Think about it, how many lost friends do you have at work…in your neighborhood…in the communi...

This Thursday (Jan 21) at 5:45 am our men's Bible study will kickoff a new study entitled Romans:  The Power to Change .  If you're a guy in the Wynne community you are invited to join us for breakfast and Bible study.  Yep, breakfast is your reward for getting up that early. I'm reading ahead and was walking through chapter 1 when verse 8 kinda struck me: "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world."  Ok, you gotta understand that Paul is in Corinth about to head to Jerusalem and he has been hearing about the faith of the brothers and sisters living in polytheistic Rome.  They were living dependent upon God! Is that some of faith or what? Man, that ain't my faith.  It's not being reported across the known world.  If I was honest, it's barely being reported outside of my home. You see, I live in a pretty safe environment.  It doesn't cost me anything to say that I am...

Ever wake up and feel like your ready for the day?  Your organized, got your "To Do" list ready, and begin marching through the day like Derrick Henry running through Auburn's defense.  I'm like that on occasion…on occasion.  Today is not one of those days.  I am so discombobulated. Woke up late and felt like I've been trying to catch up ever since.  The good thing is that I have routines.  Yes, routines.  I have them because of my A.D.D.  If I don't then I'm all over the place and nothing gets done. When I wake up I have a routine.  Even if I'm running late I do my best to stick to the routine.  When I get to the office I have a routine…it's printed and taped above my computer so I will see it when I get there. It is purposely very specific.  Since posting it I have become so familiar with the steps that I can get through it without looking at it.  But it's still there, just in case. This morning I'm working the routine...

Let's begin with a couple of questions: What are some words you would use to define family? How would you define the state of the family in today's culture? Are those two lists comparable or contrasting?  Why do you think that is? I think our expectations or perspectives of the family is way different than the reality of the state of the family in our culture.  I know that's not true in every family and in every community, but look around folks, it ain't getting better. Let me ask you a couple of more questions: How are you helping to build and strengthen a God-honoring family in your home? How would you asses your family's desire to build a God-honoring family? How did you do with those two questions?  Were they a little more difficult to answer?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  I know many families who have a strong desire to honor God and make Him the center of their home, but they just don't know how or even where to begin. Guess what?! ...

Sunday evening I was watching a documentary on Steven Jobs called Steven Jobs:  The Man in the Machine . One of the ideas the film makers put forth was the Jobs personalized the computer.  They posit that he took computing from a dumb terminal connected to a large machine in another room to a one-user to one-computer experience.  They suggest that Jobs transitioned the computer to be more than just an extension of the user, to the point that the computer becomes the user. I remember making the jump from working on a machine in another room to working on a Mac Plus (remember the old Mac-in-the-Box?  Yes, I'm that old). It was a lot more personal than what I had ever experienced before. So, I got to thinking… "What if we could make discipleship more than just an extension of the Christian?  What if we could somehow mold, for lack of a better term, discipleship into the life of the Christian?" What if discipleship stop being something we do or attend? ...

I LOVE Christmas music!  Have I mentioned that before?  One of my favorite songs of the season is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.   I really can't put my finger on it, but there's something about the music and the lyrics that draws me into it.  Here's Barlow Girl's version of it. Have you ever thought about the name Emmanuel (in the Hebrew it's Immanuel )?  It means " God with us ."   I was thinking about that this morning and here's what came to mind: It's God, in complete and utter divinity, purity, holiness, and love…the one who is worshipped by angelic beings and pursued by godly men, who  gave up all that and more to take on human flesh and bone to enter into our  world.  Look around!  You know how bad our world is? Why would He do that?   Why would God want to be wth us ?  For one simple reason…us…you.   I am humbled by that thought.  It wasn't like God didn't know what He was getting Himsel...

Christmas is here!  Well, almost.  You ready?  If you're a guy, you still have today and tomorrow to wrap up that gift buying thing.  How many of you are thankful for online shopping and overnight delivery?  Yeah, go for it, buddy!!! Christmas is one of my favorite celebrations.  I love that God sent His Son…our Redeemer…as a child, that's so much like God.  Isn't it?  I love that we celebrate His coming.  What an incredible way to introduce His Son to the world.  I mean, Holy Moly!!  Not exactly the way I would have done it.  But then, I'm not God, eh? I love the atmosphere…maybe it's more the spirit of Christmas, not really sure what that means, but I love it.   I appreciate the decorations AFTER they are up.  Know this…I DO NOT like decorating. But Cindy does a great job decorating our house for Christmas.   I REALLY enjoy the music, both Christian and secular.  The music really does it for me....

Mr Chambers has done it once again.  His thoughts on a very particular portion of Matthew 11:28 started me thinking…and now you're thinking, " What the Holy Moly?! " I know…right? Jesus says, " Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. "  What an incredible invitation!  Jesus, in all His glory & power simply implores us to " Come to me… "  And this is where I begin thinking and processing this beautiful and powerful invitation. So what keeps me from coming to Jesus?  What does it take to come to Jesus? It's not like I can use Jesus as a matter of convenience.  Coming to Jesus is anything but a matter of convenience.  No, it's not about my convenience.  In the end, coming to Jesus is a matter of subduing my pride.  It's about a matter of the heart & mind.  It's literally coming to the end of myself and the beginning of Jesus. It's when we come to Him with a humble and submitted heart...

Yesterday, I wrote about prayer and our desires and how we often pray prayers that don't reflect God's desires.   Check it out here. That really challenged me, as well.  Prayer has really been on my heart lately.  Maybe, it's because that is where the battle is fought…the real battle…the battle for our souls, for our hearts, for our minds, for our families, for our marriages…in prayer. It's taken me a lifetime to get to this point. Crazy!  I know…right?  That's probably because I'm task oriented and I'm a guy.  Not a great combination for seeking someone else's thoughts or help. It's not that I didn't believe in prayer.  It's not that I haven't spent intentional time in prayer in the past.  I have.  It was during a time of intense prayer for my wife, Karen, that God told me she would be diagnosed with colon cancer.  It was two year later, during a time of prayer that God told me she would never recover and eventually die of cancer ...

Reading Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest can mess you up…and it can lead to other thoughts. This morning's thought did just that.  It messed me up and led me to think about some other things - of course, that could be my A.D.D.  When I got to his statement " The purpose of God is not to answer our prayers, but by our prayers we discern the mind of God… " the thought crossed my mind, but doesn't God give us the desires of our hearts ( Ps. 37:4 )?  This is where my brain went kinda sideways this morning…I know, go figure. When I talk to groups about prayer this usually comes up…you know, the idea that God will give us the desires of our hearts.  And someone inevitably jumps in with both feet and says something like, " Yeah, but over time God's desires become our desires. " Well alrighty, then!  Now it's gonna get a little tricky, so stay with me.  If that's true, then why don't we see more prayers answered?  I mean, wouldn...

. . . If God is for us,  who can be against us? - Romans 8:31 Sometimes, probably a lot more than I would like to admit, I feel like I'm the only one on this journey as a Christian.  Yet, Christ says He will be with me to the end of this age (Matthew 28:20) and God says He is for us. . .for me.  Man, it's so easy to forget this very important fact. . .isn't it?  Ok, maybe it's just me. Yet we have victory in Christ (1 John 5:4-5) and that victory doesn't happen on my own, but in & through my relationship with Christ whom God did not spare and gave up for me (Romans 8:32) ! As I think about it - why would God sacrifice His own (and only) Son for a losing cause?  We won't even consider putting our money or time behind something that might fail.  Yet, here's God offering up His Son. . .and it was't for a losing cause.  I'm not a lost cause.  You're not a lost cause.  The church is not a lost cause.  In fact, there are ...

I've been a part of Facebook since 2007.  I remember when "poking" someone was cool or collecting or sending badges was funny.  But one thing I have trouble with sometimes is the stinkin'  Like  button. Here's why. . .some people don't know when or how to use it.  If you think about it for a second you will probably remember a time when you didn't know whether you should comment on a friends post or not so you just hit the Like button. . .or you saw where someone else did and you thought, " What? " You know what I'm talking about - like the time a friend lost a loved one and your or someone they know "Liked" it.  What?!  What are you liking? That does not make any sense to me.  Or take any tragic event in a person's life and I will guarantee you someone will "Like" it.   I think people Like stuff so frequently that sometimes they don't even think about what they are Liking and don't stop to consider what it mea...

Jesus has been crucified and buried.  It's the Sabbath.  The day of rest. For westerners it's Saturday, the day between Jesus' death and His resurrection.  For us it's a time of both sadness and expectation. But for those that were there that day what was it for them? Reading through the crucifixion and resurrection I began to think about the different people whose lives are intertwined in those events.  I wonder what were they thinking?  What were they doing?  How did Jesus' death affect them? Peter - after denying Jesus 3 times, just as Jesus predicted, what was going through his mind.  I can only  imagine the swarm of emotions he must have been  wrestling with.  Where was he now? James & John - along with Peter, these two made up the inner circle, Jesus had been telling them for a while this was going to happen.  Did they finally get it?    What did they do next?  Where did they go?  What was ...

Jesus is Alive!  It's the reason Christ-followers celebrate Easter.  It's the reason we get all dressed up, go all out at church,  and, for at least one Sunday out of the year, people show up to worship with smiles on their faces.  It's like we're actually excited and glad to be there! But what about the rest of the year. . .the other Sundays?  Why are we not as excited to worship a risen Savior, study God's Word together, and encourage one another?  Are these opportunities less important?  Is Jesus less alive, or not alive at all?  What about our everyday lives - assignments at work, disciplining children, car lines, meals, intimate moments with your spouse. . . - are they less important, is Jesus less alive then?  Another way to look at it might be to ask, shouldn't we just as excited as we are on Easter Sunday?  Shouldn't we go all out in these moments as well?  Shouldn't Christ be at the center of these moments? Sometimes I ...

For Christians this week is special.  It's the week leading up to the betrayal, trial, and death of Jesus.  This morning in preparation for Easter, the celebration of His resurrection, I began reading of Jesus' last days as recorded in the gospels.  I had forgotten how much Jesus taught, confronted, ministered, and served in those last days, all the while He knew what lie in wait for Him. Every second of every minute drew Him closer to the end of His time here.  And the end wouldn't be pretty.  Instead, it would be painful. . .oh so painful. . .in more ways than one. How did He do it?  How could He do it? I can't imagine living my life knowing these were the last days. . .the emotions, the thoughts, the words,  the sights, the smells.  And yet, Jesus does it.  He remains focused on the mission God gave Him years before. Nothing, not even the thought of betrayal, beatings, or death prevented Him from accomplishing  the very thing God ...