My Daughter Hanging from the Bars

Riding my bike to school

I rode my bike to school today. No, I’m not getting another advanced degree. I rode to Amelia Earhart with my daughter, Danielle. I never thought I would have enjoyed something simple and so mundane as riding to school with my daughter. It makes me think, once again, that “life” is hidden in the mundane and the ordinary, not anything spectacular like making millions of dollars or achieving fame. It is in ordinary life where I am able to draw myself to people, and to God. I am very thankful that God has given me the chance to experience life and to see this paradigm: Living life is not about finding the right experience but rather it is about loving the people God has placed in my life in ordinary and mundane situations.

So stop reading this blog, and start loving others, starting with the person in the room that is with you right now.

Quote of the Week

I think that the Church is the only thing that is going to make the terrible world we are coming to endurable; the only thing that makes the Church endurable is that it is somehow the body of Christ and that on this we are fed. It seems to be a fact that you have to suffer as much from the Church as for it but if you believe in the divinity of Christ, you have to cherish the world at the same time that you struggle to endure it.

Flannery O’Connor,  Letter to “A.”, July 20, 1955 September 25th, 2009

Thankful for Rise

Thankful for the turn at Rise. There are a lot of pictures and articles on the InterHigh website.

Picture of Javid Best: I just had to…

Look, it's a bird; It's a plane. It's Javid Best

Must See Video: Living Before the Judge

Francis Chan’s message is very challenging.  I thought I’d repost it again.  It’s good reminder for how we’re to live

Matthew 3 Commentary and Devotional: Repentance

Matthew 3:1-3 “As a road must be cleared of obstacles before an approaching king, John is calling for the people to clear the obstacles out of their lives that might hinder their reception of the Lord.” [1] Why is repentance necessary in order to receive the kingdom of heaven?  In what ways do I need to “prepare the way for the LORD, make straight paths for him?” From a theological perspective, repentance is needed in order to receive the kingdom because entrance into the kingdom is based on the forgiveness of sin.  God is a relational god, and it’s impossible to be in the presence of God (and thefore his kingdom) unless one’s sin has been atoned for.  Atonement for sin comes through forgiveness.  From a relational perspective, the repentance requirement also makes sense.  An unrepentant man is, in some sense, the master of his own life.  In other words, he is some kind of king in his eyes.  It’s impossible for any man to be a part of two kingdoms, especially if one of those kingdoms is the kingdom of heaven.  In the kingdom of heaven, there is only one king.  As C.S. Lewis put it, “heaven is a place where everyone says, ‘thy will be done.’”  And so for any man to receive the kingdom, he or she must step down from his throne. Matthew 3:4-6 “…John’s diet causes him to stand out as one who has rejected the luxuries of life. His diet and clothing combine with his message to cast a powerful demand for repentance in the light of the nearness of the kingdom. He embodies in his lifestyle the message of repentance he preaches.” [2] What was it about John’s lifestyle that made the people “from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan” go out to see him?  What does this say regarding one’s lifestyle and the strength of Christian witness? John was a different type of religious leader.  All of the religious leaders were within the city walls, near or at the temple, preaching in the synagogues.  From Jesus’ rebukes later one, we know that there was a lot of religious hypocrisy: priests and teachers of the law tried to draw attention to themselves, they subjugated the people and the made the worship of God difficult.  John was different.  He lived outside of the city walls, in the desert.  He had a simple diet  and he had simple clothing.  By looking at his lifestyle, the people did not question his motives.  They probably felt safe around John.   These qualities made John attractive as a religious leader.  No wonder the people came to John instead of the high priests and the teachers of the law.  His lifestyle made him attractive.  It revealed piety instead of greed, and that’s important for a religious leader. What this says is that a Christian witness’s lifestyle matters.  It must demonstrate piety, not greed.  It must be different than the lifestyle of the world.  It must beg the question, “why is he or she living like that?”  And the answer to that question must be: “because of God.”  In other words, a Christian lifestyle must be one where attention is drawn to God and not to the individual.  A Christian can achieve this by living counter culturally.  He or she can do this by living to meet his basic needs and by investing his or her time to live for others.  It’s living simply so that others can simply live. Matthew 3:7-10 “People must come to God as repentant individuals without prior religious claims to advantage with God. This is, therefore, not a call solely for those living in blatant sin, as if repentance is only for “backsliders” or the “marginal.” It is a call of repentance for all in Israel, including the religious leaders. Unfortunately, religious activity and pedigree can often blind a person to the deficiency of his or her own life before God.”[3] What was the false assumption that the Pharisees and Sadducees held about their standing before God?  In what ways can I be like these Pharisees and Sadducees? The Pharisees and the Sadducees falsely believed that they were in God’s favor because of their lineage and, perhaps, because of the position that they held and because of their ability to meet the requirements of their laws.  In a similar way, I can think and believe that I am in God’s favor because of my title and because of my service and because of my “righteous living” when compared to other Christians.  It’s the feelings in my heart that says, “I’m not as bad as him,” or “I’ve done enough,” that draws me one step closer to being a Pharisee. What can I learn about the characteristics of true repentance?  What can I point to as the fruit of repentance in my life? The characteristics of true repentance is fruit.  When one is repentant and lives a repentant life, there is fruit.  There is change in character, and there are fruits of the spirit.  In addition, a repentant life is a life that looks different from its previous life in terms of values, goals, and activities.

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[1] Wilkins, Michael J., The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004) 132.

[2] Wilkins, Michael J., The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004) 134.

New Student Welcome Night

Don’t forget to stop by NSWN tonight!

Waiting till Marriage

Here’s a good story of a guy who didn’t date anyone until he got married.  David was a student I ministered to when he was in college at UC Berkeley.  He is now happily married to his wife Joyce, who also never dated anyone until she married David.  Currently they both serve at our church in Austin.

An Argument for Same Gender Relationships

Here’s a short article from Boundless.org on the importance of same gender relationships.  I think most young people take their same gender friendships for granted and focus too much on getting to know the opposite sex.  The reality of all individuals, after they get married, is that opposite gender confidants are impossible: Would you want your spouse, or future spouse, to have serious friendships with the opposite gender?  So doesn’t it make sense, then, to invest in same gender relationships throughout your life?