This am at Grace Bible I shared a couple of quotes from notable voices suggesting that something may be missing in our modern expression of our Christian faith — that we have overemphasized conversion and left people without much expectation for the PASSION we see in the life of believers in the Bible, and in Christian history.

“I am fearful that, in general, modern evangelicalism has become uncomfortable with this sense of all-consuming passion for God….I think we often misunderstand our faith and put all the weight on our conversion, with very little expectation for what comes afterward…pressing the dominion of the gospel into the deepest reaches of our hearts and lives will involve lots of dying-to-self moments. ” -Matt Chandler

“The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the ego. Christ may be “recieved” without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. The man is “saved” but he is not hungry nor thirsty after God. In fact he is specifically taught to be satisfied and encouraged to be content with little.” -AW Tozer

Their search for passion comes from seeing things like what David said the Psalms:

Ps 42:1-2 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalm 18:1-3 I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.3  I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 63:3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 4  So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.

And, also the passion we have seen in the life of Christians historically. Like these words from Jonathan Edwards:

“God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is our proper; and is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Better than fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of any, or all earthly friends. These are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean.”

And this from Samuel Chadwick:

“Spirit filled souls are ablaze for God. They love with a love that glows. They serve with a faith that kindles. They serve with a devotion that consumes. They hate sin with fierceness that burns. They rejoice with a joy that radiates. Love is perfected in the fire of God.”

And from martyred missionary Jim Elliot:

“God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life, that I may burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like You, Lord Jesus.”

The good news is that God is just as worthy of our passion as he’s ever been! The Cross is awe inspiring. Grace is amazing. Salvation is glorious. The wisdom and knowledge of God is as DEEP as ever. AND…we are a people who are erupting with passion! People are passionate about all kinds of things — politics, sports, work, physical fitness, healthy eating, parenting, education, entertainment, hobbies, just to name a few. These are all good things, but none are soul satisfying! None come close to the passion that God is worthy of! And all need to be prioritized and rightfully place behind Him.

 

I believe in an approach to ministry that is biblical, relational, and fun. I love that our student ministry and student ministry leaders never apologize for having fun with the kids. Check out this video that one of our leaders and my good friend, Jason Carney made.

GBF Student Ministry 2015 from Jason Carney on Vimeo.

 

Recently I warned my mom, when she came to watch one of my son’s basketball games, that sometimes a fan can get out of hand at these games…and sometimes, I’m that fan. It’s funny. But it’s not. Getting emotionally involved to the point that I act like a fool is dumb, unpleasant for the people around me, and misrepresents God. Below are 6 reminders that I need before watching kids play sports.

1. The game is between two groups of kids, not me and the referees. — Maybe it’s because my competitive spirit wants to play, or my inner Uncle Rico wants to come out? So, I’m tempted to compete against the refs by yelling at them? What if they DID miss a call? Does yelling make them ref better? Would I do my job better if people yelled at me while I worked?   
2.  They have a coach, and it’s not me. — I’m not a sports coach of any kind. I haven’t spent time with the kids in practice. I don’t know the big picture. Coaches put their time, talent, and heart into their teams. They’re doing the best they can, definitely better than I would do.
3.  Coaches are people too, created in the image of God. — Your occupation should not make you a target for verbal abuse. There’s no justification for me yelling at people made in God’s image. And it probably says a lot more about my lack of character and self-control than it does their lack of coaching ability. People, all people, get their value from God, not their ability to perform.
4. Referee’s are people too, created in the image of God. Again, your occupation should not make you a target for verbal abuse. See #3 above.
5. They’re just kids. Sports should be a fun, character building experience for kids. Me yelling negative things at them doesn’t help, that. It hurts it. That goes for my kids, other kids on our team, and kids on the other team. 
6. It’s just a game. Wether my team wins or loses. If the game is played with excellence, or not. Nothing is more important than the PEOPLE who play it, coach it, and officiate it — their safety and wellbeing, their hearts, souls, and feelings.

It’s easy to write these things now, but not so easy to remember them in the heat of the game. But it’s not as if I have to sit in silence and watch. I can, and should, ENCOURAGE the kids, APPLAUD good play and excellence, and CHEER for the team.

I wrote these reminders first and foremost, for me. They’re things I’ve felt convicted of. If they’re helpful to you, good! But please don’t think that I’ve nominated myself the “spectator conduct police” at sporting events. That wouldn’t be helpful either. I’m not gonna get in your business, look down on you, or think less of you. Clearly, I have plenty of work to do in my own life. The struggle is real.

See ya at the game!

 

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) chases the ball after knocking it loose…(AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

I love the game of basketball! My favorite play is not the dunk or the three point shot. I love those, but my favorite play is the loose ball. That’s when the basketball is up for grabs to the player(s) who wants it the most. It’s intense! When the ball goes uncontrolled, even for a second, players go after it with a reckless abandon! They dive to the hardwood floor as if their life depended on securing the ball for their team. These players KNOW they are going to lose some skin on the play. They KNOW it’s going to hurt. They also KNOW it’s worth it. Games are decided by who’s willing to sell out, and get on the floor for the basketball.

I believe Jesus was teaching to live with a reckless abandon as we pursue Him and his kingdom. He said:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field…Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”  Mtt 13:44

The man in Jesus’ parable not only sold all that he had to get the treasure, he did it IN HIS JOY.  When we see what God is worth, we’ll GADLY give up everything else to obtain Him! The apostle Paul said:

“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…” Philippians 3:8

In one sense, I believe God wants me to live my life for Christ like it’s a loose ball play in basketball. All in. Not afraid to lose some skin, because He’s worth it! If basketball players are willing to sacrifice for the game they love, how much more should we be willing to gladly sacrifice for our Savior, Redeemer, and King!

 

Grace Bible — You’ve probably noticed an increased frequency of The Lord’s Supper in our weekly worship services. A worship service should bring glory to God, teach and remind us of The Gospel, and stir our affections for God.  The Lord’s Supper is a glorious grace to those ends! At our Elder retreat last Spring, increasing The Lord’s Supper at Grace Bible became matter of prayer and discussion. We then shared it with the Deacons for input, and moved forward with the adjustment. Now, more often than not, as long as it makes sense, we’ll observe The Lord’s Supper during worship. We won’t be legalistic about it. There will be times when we won’t observe  (we didn’t the Sunday before last). We’re not mad at any other church or denomination for not doing things this way. And I can’t promise we’ll ALWAYS do it this way. One thing we want to be sensitive to going forward, is not letting this glorious ordinance become an empty ritual due to our frequency of participation. Please know that we’ll make adjustments as needed.

I encourage to you to please read the post at the link below. It answers many of the questions that come up regarding how often the ordinance should be observed. Well worth a read: http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/three-arguments-for-weekly-communion

Also, here’s an introduction to The Importance of The Lord’s Supper.

  
Tomorrow morning, Lord willing, these tables and chairs will be shared by a group men seeking to be who God has called them to be. Men, you’re welcome to join us, 6am at Grace Bible. 

Tomorrow at Grace Bible we’ll look at John 8:1-11. This passage is controversial and often misused, but it points us to a rich, timeless truth about our Savior and serves as an example for each of us.

Hope to see you all at 10:45am!

Click the link below to catch up on what’s going with our church family, Grace Bible Fellowship!

GRACE NOTES JAN 2016

…for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1Tim4:7

As I look ahead to 2016, I need to get in better shape. I played some pickup basketball on Christmas day and it about killed me. I use to jog a lot and I’ve fallen out of the habit. I need to quit eating a 4th meal at 9:30pm–it’s like there’s an actual Blue “Bell” that rings every night and beckons me to eat! Also, sometimes my sleep patterns are absurd. I continue to tell myself that sleep is overrated, but it’s not. People need sleep! I plan to make better health choices in 2016. Health choices are important and should not be neglected. But bodily training, physical health is not what I need most*. The thing I need to take care of most this year and every year, is not my body, but my soul. As Paul told Timothy godliness is essential today and will carry over into eternity.

As you and look toward a new year, we should ask, how can I experience SPIRITUAL GROWTH in 2016? Spiritual disciplines are VERY important and should not be neglected. 

Here are some helpful resources that can foster your growth in godliness in 2016:

What Are Spiritual Disciplines — a great introduction to spiritual disciplines and their value.

A great Bible reading plan. Print this off, check the boxes, and track your progress. Follow this link.

Resolved: To Read the Bible. Great post on the WHY and HOW of a journey in the Word. (reading plans included)

10 Questions To Ask New Years Resolutions – a guide to keeping our desires for change focused on God.

 

I LOVE Tuesday mornings. Bet you don’t hear a lot of people say that do you? Haha..Each Tuesday morning at 6am I meet with a group of men for Bible study. Just a pot of coffee, a group of men, and God’s Word for one hour. Doesn’t sound like much, but I can’t tell you what a difference it makes in my life.

I’d like to invite men of all ages, at all different levels of biblical knowledge to join us on Tuesday mornings at 6am at Grace Bible, south hallway classroom. This would be a great way to start the new year!

Next Tuesday, January 5th, we’re starting a new study using Tony Evan’s book Kingdom Man as a guide. If you can get the book, great. We’ll cover ch 1 next Tuesday. If not, come anyway. The book is arranged by topic and you’ll benefit greatly from the teaching and discussion. The best thing you can bring is a Bible. My preference, a real, physical Bible, not your phone–we live busy lives, It’s hard to resist the temptation check a few emails and get started on your day when you have a phone in your hand. Give this hour to the Lord and the men in the group. If you don’t have a Bible, let me know! I’d be more than happy to get you one myself.

Here’s a summary of Tony Evan’s book. You can buy it at Amazon, or pick it up at Lifeway or Mardell Christian stores.

When a man follows the principles of biblical manhood, those around him benefit from his leadership and care. Kingdom Man challenges and equips men to fully understand their position under God as well as their position over what God has given them. The biblical definition of a man is one who has learned to operate under the authority of Jesus Christ while carrying out responsible and legitimate leadership within the sphere of influence that God has placed him. Kingdom Man provides concepts men can follow that will help them to actively pursue ways to maximize and develop the character qualities of biblical manhood in their lives.

Sounds good, hu? Hope to see y’all there!