We don’t trust God because:

1. We don’t believe he’s powerful

2. We don’t believe he’s loving

Jesus shows us that he is BOTH.

TRUST HIM!

Got this in the mail today! God’s been good to me through Jared Wilson’s books and teaching. Grace Bible friends, pick up a copy of this book and let me know what you think!

I shared with our 6am men’s group this past Tuesday morning, and I feel like I should go ahead and tell the rest of y’all…I saw the movie The Greatest Showman a couple of weeks ago. Yes, it’s a musical. No, my wife didn’t make me go. Yes, I enjoyed it, and I may or may not have teared up a couple times.

Ya, so if you need my man-card, go ahead and take it. I deserve it.

Here’s maybe the worst part…I’ve been LISTENING TO THE SOUNDTRACK. Idk if I need a support group, an intervention, or just some girl time with other moms!

Some of you already knew all of this and you didn’t even laugh at me (at least to my face) when I said it was one of my favorite all-time movies. Thanks for that. And thanks in advance for the prayers.

Y’all will be glad to know that since then I have watched several hours of sports, yelled at my tv, and that all of my viewing tears have been shed via “sports cry,” which I understand is still completely acceptable.

I feel a lot better about this. Hope y’all do too.

For every one person who wants to remind you of your past and point out all your failures, there’s like 99 of us who believe in grace, forgiveness, and God’s ability to change and redeem ppl. You’re not alone! Keep on, keeping on! #LookUp

Tua Tagovailoa — Most of us cant pronounce his name and had never even heard of him until last night, but he was the hero in the NCAAA National Championship overtime victory for Alabama over Georgia. Tua, a 19 year old Hawaii native QB, doesnt seem concerned that we pronounce his name correctly, or even that we know his name. His greater concern is that we know the name above all names, Jesus Christ. Tua is quick to thank his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, credit his teammates, and points to God as the REAL hero. Congrats to both Alabama and Georgia on a hard fought game. And congrats to Tua for making the most of his opportunity, both on the field, and in his postgame interview. May we all be challenged and encouraged by his unique blend humility and boldness. 

Here’s the link to Tua’s postgame interview: https://youtu.be/65PkjZAJ4ok

‘Twelve Ways Your Smart Phone Is Changing You’ by Tony Reinke is available on audiobook download for FREE for the month of January. (Link below) I’ve listened to the first couple of ch’s and really enjoying it. Btw—yes, I’m listening to it on my smartphone AND typing this post on my smartphone. Leave my hypocrisy outta this! 😅 The book isn’t a call to discontinue the use of smartphones, but rather some thoughts on being careful not to misuse them. 😉

https://christianaudio.com/free

Sure there’s more to ppl’s lives than social media highlights. There’s also more to their stories than the rumor mill lowlights. We are at our best when we’re a friend to folks thru the happy and the crappy. Glad for them when their up, and there for them and praying when their down. 

The Lord tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice. Not be jealous or cynical about others good fortune. He also says to weep with those who weep. Not kick them when their down or talk bad about them. 

I’m not sharing this bc I’m perfect. Far from it. I’m sharing bc I needed this reminder. Thought my friends might need it too. 

#LoveYall #LookUp

Happy New Year friends! I thought you might be encouraged by this as you begin a new year. I’m kind of a worrier by nature. But worry robs life of its many joys. We gotta fight against worry and fight for joy. If you know me, you know I love ice cream, especially Rocky Road. What you might not know is that Rocky Road ice cream has a special significance to me because it represents something I learned years ago (~2003) about worrying and enjoying life from a book by Pastor Tommy Nelson, a study of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.
Here’s an excerpt from Tommy’s book:

“Solomon (in Ecclesiastes ch 3) wants to tell us that even when we don’t understand everything God is doing, we cannot let what we cannot know destroy what we can enjoy. You can’t be God and control circumstances. There’s nothing you can do about that. So don’t let it negate your present enjoyment of life. Every week I counsel Christians who are upset because they are not God. I see the torment they experience because they can’t deal with their helplessness and confusion. But the truth is that they’ve never been able to understand everything that was occurring, good or bad. So what should we do? Solomon tells us not to get cynical and unhappy; instead, we should do good in our lifetime. In this short life you have to trust God and do good. And in verse 13, Solomon says life does not have to be meaningless. 

Moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. (Eccl 3:13)

John Piper wrote a great book called Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. That title may make you nervous, but I love it. I love it because there is a blessedness in seeking pleasure the way God intended. We are to enjoy pleasure. Everyone is going to die. As you read this book, the clock is ticking. The twenty-four-hour virus is waiting on you. There are germs on your teeth that will cause cavities. One day you’ll have to have a root canal. All of those things are bad and they are coming. So today, while everything’s OK, go get a double dip of Rocky Road ice cream (or whatever flavor you favor) in a waffle cone. Take some friends with you, lick your ice cream slowly, and just enjoy being together. Call an old friend you haven’t spoken to in six months and get caught up. Rent a movie you’ve wanted to see and curl up on the sofa with some hot popcorn. Jesus put it like this: “Do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself” (Matt. 6: 34). Enjoy today—trust God and have fun. We all know that you’ll eventually have that virus, and that root canal is so certain that it may as well already be scheduled, and one night you’ll receive a phone call telling you your father has passed on. So today you need to go get your two dips of Rocky Road.” 

(A Life Well Lived: A Study of the Book of Ecclesiastes, ch 3 By: Tommy Nelson)

I hope and pray that 2018 is a year that we worry less, trust God more, and when we get the chance, enjoy the heck out of some good times, good friends and Rocky Road ice cream.

“It’s my belief pride is the chief cause in the decline of the number of husbands and wives.” -Brooks and Dunn, Husbands and Wives

Man ain’t that the truth? Married or not, relationships are tough, and unchecked pride makes them nearly impossible. And if we’re thinking we’re one of the very few ppl who doesn’t struggle with pride, it might be bc we are too prideful to see it 😳. Fact is there’s two deeply flawed ppl in every relationship.

This verse has challenged and encouraged me a lot lately. Maybe it’ll do the same for you:
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5