Mountain Tops...

We long for those Mountain Top experiences, right... those times when we feel that we are truly connecting with God.  Maybe it comes after a Church Service, or hearing a particularly inspiring speaker, or after visiting a scenic location...

Occasionally we have these moments where everything in life just seems to align perfectly. They are rare, and when they do occur our position should be one of thankfulness to the Lord for allowing us this experience.

The reality is that our lives are lived in the Valley...  Our lives are lived in the mundane of laundry, homework, occupying your cubicle and running to doctor appointments...

David had a few moments when he was on the Mountain Top.  He had defeated the Philistine Army and their champion Goliath.  Everyone was singing his praises... Men wanted to be him and Women wanted to be with him!  As his nation's top military leader, he only tasted victory!

Then all of a sudden David is forced into the Valley of Despair.  During a 12 year period of his life, God sees fit to remove every single thing that David relied on in life.  He lost his job, his wife, his spiritual support, his best friend and finally he lost his own dignity.

God often removes those things that we rely on in life, so that we end up with no where else to turn but towards Him.  The lesson of David's life can be summed up in this quote, attributed to Billy Graham, 'Mountain Tops are great for views, but fruit grows in the Valley.'

If we are in a Mountain Top time in our life, our response needs to be one of thankfulness and humility to God.  It is also wise to be prepared for what is to come, as the Valley beckons all of us...

Overwhelmed

One of the most consistent comments I hear is the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Often this feeling comes from deteriorating relationships: rebellious children, straying spouses, or aging parents.  Sometimes when sharing a cup of coffee with someone, I hear stories about being overwhelmed with tragic medical maladies.  Job related stress also seems to be a struggle for so many.

My feeling overwhelmed arrives on Monday morning and seems to slowly dissipate throughout the week.  There is something about the amount of work that accumulates in time for daybreak each and every Monday that allows me to feel overwhelmed.

The question I want to know is, 'How do you handle feeling overwhelmed?'

3000 years ago the people of Israel faced a battle with an opponent that had advanced weaponry.  In addition the Philistines boasted their massive warrior-hero, a giant named Goliath.  Israel felt totally overwhelmed, outmatched, and at a loss for a proper response.

Into the battle arrives young David, maybe a 16 year old teenager, who arrives delivering cheese. Not the most noble of missions, I admit!  But David sees something no one else sees, he sees an opportunity for God to act in the most powerful of ways...

We all know that David ends up defeating Goliath.  But the true battle was not between David and Goliath, but between the one person who relied on God when feeling overwhelmed, and everyone else.

Take a minute and read through First Samuel 17 and see for yourself that only God can provide us with the help we need when we are feeling overwhelmed with life...

Sunday Morning Leftovers - September 15th, 2013

Clarification...

I mentioned in one of the services today that King David reminds me of James Bond, Bill Clinton and Billy Graham all rolled together.  Here is why: In some ways David is like James Bond: always victorious in battle and with many beautiful women by his side. He is like Bill Clinton -reaching the political pinnacle of success, but unable to control his personal lusts. David also reminds me of Billy Graham in that he has a unique connection to God.

Today's sermon covered a couple of chapters in First Samuel, setting the stage for David to be King. One of the things we learned today is, 'God may give us what we want, even if it is not what we need.' The challenge for us is not to present God with our list of wants/needs; but instead seek God's desire for our lives and then we follow.

I love the fact that God chose David for a Purpose and a Destiny.  David was as insignificant as humanly possible.  His own father didn't even think that he was worthy enough to come and visit when the Prophet Samuel arrived.  He lacked everything that a leader needs, except one thing: David had a heart for God.  David's Purpose was to experience God's love and his Destiny was to reflect God's love to his people.

As I think of young David being chosen to be the next King, it hits me that there are some similarities between David and Jesus... Can you think of some similarities between David being chosen to be king and Jesus' early years?

Send in your answers or any questions in the Comments section below...

King David Series -Starts this Sunday at Southbrook Church

I can't wait for Sunday, as we will start our fall sermon series, 'King David.'

Let me tell you, I am so excited about teaching through David's life!  I have been attending the Thursday morning Any Given Men's Bible Study group for a little while now, and recently we have been studying the books of First and Second Samuel.  I have learned so much from these men, as exploring the Bible is so much richer when doing so in the company of others.

David's life is just flat out crazy.  He is chosen to be king and then has to wait for 15 years until taking the throne.  He shows up at a battle armed with cheese-sticks for his brothers, and ends up killing a giant warrior.   He has many wives, and one of his father-in-law's is out to kill him.  He is the hero of the nation, and yet is forced to run and hide in the wilderness for years. He is called a 'Man after God's own Heart', yet he murders others, sexually assaults whom he wants, and once pretended to be insane in order to escape an enemy king.

This Sunday we will mark his ascent to the throne by looking at a few key passages.  In First Samuel 10, the prophet Samuel warns the people to stick to God and not in their desire for a King. In Chapter 13 Israel's first king -Saul- is about to face a huge battle, and instead of waiting for the prophet Samuel, Saul tries to manipulate God.  As you can guess, this does not go over well with God. Read through Chapter 16 where God chooses the young David to be the next King.  First Samuel 16 is a chapter that is rich in dysfunctional family dynamics, a scared prophet, and which also reveals God's counter-intuitive leadership methods.

I hope that you follow along with this series and come to love the study of King David as much as I do. Each episode in David's life is packed with lessons that relate directly to us today.  May God bless the study of His Word and may our lives be transformed...

Ethnic bias found in Church's Statement of Faith

I was looking at an out-of-state Church's Statement of Faith and was shocked to learn that my ethnicity doesn't fit within the confines of Christianity.

Of all the possible ethnic groups, I would have certainly chosen others to exclude; like the French, the Irish, or those from the 51st State -Canada.


Read it for yourself and see if you can spot the error.

WHAT DO YOU TEACH?

The Bible is our creed. Therefore, any effort to define the basis of our teaching necessitates emphasis on the whole Word of God as the sole source of our beliefs. Furthermore, it seems unwise to adhere to the labels of much of Christendom, whether it's Fundamentalism, Pentecostal, Calvinism, Armenianism, Charismatic, Dispensational, Reformed, etc. It is unrealistic to think that any individual man-made system of beliefs is completely error free or, conversely, without merit at all. It is therefore our sincere desire to simply teach the Bible true to its original languages and respectful of its historical context, the context of each passage, and the accepted and normal use of language (i.e. being able to discern the difference between a parable and a proverb, a prophecy and an historical account, etc.). We trust that this will enable us to understand the intended meaning and truth that is to be found in God’s inspired Word.

Running Towards Destruction

Today Americans pause to remember the attacks of 9/11.

Of the many who lost their lives fleeing from the chaos, Father Mychal Judge lost his running towards destruction.

Into the North Tower Lobby he ran, caring for those around him. Moments before being fatally struck by falling debris, he was overheard praying, 'Jesus, please end this right now! God, please end this!'

Chaplain Judge lost his life caring for complete strangers. To honor his sacrifice Father Judge was certified the first fatality of 9/11, being given the fatality code 0001.

Father Judge prayed to the God that ran towards destruction of the cross.  

Father Judge prayed to the God who promised to renew the universe.  

Revelation 21.4 
   'He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  
   There will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain, 
   for the old order of things has passed away.'

The Church is the Alternative to War

Christians have long fought over the justness of war. Take a look around the world and you will be sure to find not only scores of armed conflicts, but also many Christian views on these battles.

As President Obama leads the United States into possible
military action with Syria, Christians seem to be divided in their support.

A recent National Association of Evangelical report shows 62% opposing war with Syria and 37% in favor.

While many can argue the tactical, diplomatic and strategic efficacy of bombing Syria; I wonder about the spiritual influence of this possible action.  What is the role of the Church when it comes to war?

Stanley Hauerwas, long time advocate in the Christian Pacifism tradition, recently wrote: 

'That is why Christian realism requires the disavowal of war. Christians do not disavow war because it is often so horrible, but because war, in spite of its horror - or perhaps because it is so horrible - can be so morally compelling. That is why the Church does not have an alternative to war. The Church is the alternative to war. When Christians lose that reality - that is, the reality of the Church as an alternative to the world's reality - we abandon the world to the unreality of war.'

Is the Church the alternative to war?  Can it be?  What prevents the Church from living this alternative?

Embrace the Mess -Sunday Morning Leftovers- September 8th, 2013

Southbrook is in a state of tremendous flux. We are now at three services, adding additional staff, building a new parking lot, and preparing for a future building campaign.  It has been great to meet so many people who are coming to find a church home at Southbrook.

Being on Sabbatical for the past three months, I thought it best to start our year with a talk about Southbrook's Purpose and Identity.

Luke 15 teaches us two truths that speaks to Southbrook's heartbeat.  God Actively Seeks the Lost and our need to Embrace the Mess.

Just as God searches us out, it is our desire to seek out those who don't know Him.  Just as Jesus embraced the mess of those he connected with, so too should we.  Southbrook continues to be motivated by the fact revealed by the most recent census data which shows that there are 1 million unchurched people in a three county area...

How can we seek out those who do not know God?
-Open our eyes to the opportunities God regularly sends us
-Look for common ground
-Live our faith -our actions often speak louder than our words
-Invite someone to Church - statistics show one in four will come along!

I have attended churches that put on a facade of perfection, and never felt like I belonged. Many have shared similar church experiences.  I would much rather we be authentic and transparent, then pretend we have our acts all together...

So are you willing to have the same heartbeat for those who do not know God -as God does?  Are you willing to embrace the mess of those around us, for a chance to tell them about Jesus?

I am and I hope you are too...

-Any questions or comments, leave them below.


Thanks to Erin P. for creating this image after hearing todays sermon.