COMMUNITY(church)

Just Trying?

2011-06-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Coyote can never seem to catch the Roadrunner....
Why is that?

He has the means, just look at all that he can purchase.
He has the passion or else he would have given up long ago.
He has the skills, just look at the complex things he assembles.
He has the capability, clearly he can put all it together.
He has the desire, because he never quits.

Maybe it's that Acme builds shoddy equipment?
But if that were the case they would have gone out of business along time ago, right?.

I believe that the coyote could catch the Roadrunner if he truly wanted to, but if he did then what would he do? You see "trying to catch" the Roadrunner embodies his identity.

The truth of the Coyote and the Roadrunner is that deep down inside the Coyote doesn't want to catch the Roadrunner. Instead he does just enough to let us believe that he is trying. When in fact he is secretly is sabotaging himself.

Doing just enough to look as though were trying.....How do each of us do that in our own lives?

You see we each may be electricians, bank tellers, mailmen, teachers, but were first and foremost called to be carriers of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Yet some are doing just enough in that area to look as though their trying because they are so busy trying to make the rest of their lives work. When in actuality if you want your life to "work" (whatever that might mean) you then need to fix your eyes on Jesus, who (Hebrews 12:3) is "the author and perfecter of our faith."

You see a life lived through Jesus is never a life that is trying but one that is succeeding.

Vision and Mission

2011-06-02T22:43:00.001-07:00

I sat down this week with someone who told me that they have a new vision for church. This by the way was not something new to me. I hear pastors, and ministry type people talk about "vision" quite often. But something at this moment tweaked me.

Jesus clearly gave us a ministry mission, vision, and a picture of the church. Yet we still look to devise an alternate strategy that puts us into the drivers seat and leaves Jesus as a passenger.

I wonder if under all this talk of "my vision" is the real question.....Can we handle giving Jesus all the credit?

Romans 8:31

2011-06-02T22:21:00.000-07:00

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (NIV)"

Over the last few weeks I have read this verse many times. I have heard it used by others even more times, and always as some type of Christian battle cry. I understand that. I get it.

The problem is that it is not a battle cry or even a proclamation, but instead a question. You see what Paul is saying here is, "If God is for us....", and we know that He is always working for the good of those who love Him, then "who can be against us?"

The answer is sobering. It is "us".

You see Jesus wants to do great things in the lives of each of "us", but it requires humility in light of that great thing.