grateful

I've noticed that in many ways grace perceived does not reflect, or agree with, grace revealed in my life. The evidence: to me, Jesus 'changes' depending on circumstances. In reality, it is me who changes, not Christ. I allow fear to overcome me and shape my decisions and reactions; I allow insecurity to drive my incessant need for importance and acclaim; I entertain lust for the many unnecessary things my heart desires; I choose unforgiveness and it chokes the love right out of me. I am nothing more than a product of my situation. And through it all I drag Jesus, accusing him of untimely inactivity and unresponsiveness. I reduce grace to something that now belongs to me and something that I need to figure out so that I can live right.

Grace is a new second chance. I am undeserving of God's grace and inexplicable acceptance of who I am...not what I might be, but who I was and what I am presently. So for me to begin to grasp God's grace given through Jesus' sacrifice, then I simply need to let myself be accepted by God...period. I'll be honest, letting myself be accepted just as I am is difficult because I know who I really am. The baffling thing is He knows who I really am also AND He loves me intensely. That's just tough to deal with. It really seems way too good to be true.

And yet...
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8 ESV)

You can do NOTHING to improve your position with God. It was he who chose us...in the position we were already in. He did not project forward or anticipate who you might be before he chose you. He loved you when you were filthy and as you are filthy.

He searched for me and found me and accepted me as I was and as I continue to be. Quite honestly, I was too stupid and self-consumed to find him. He knew it. I now know it and forever I am humbly grateful.

'Catholican'

Read this.
I think you'll find it interesting.
I did.

hmm...I'm curious to know what you think.


grace. peace.
Guy

preemptive praise

John 4:47-54

There are moments in our lives that are absolutely pivotal to our future. It is in these moments that I believe we have the opportunity to either become or back down. We all want to become; we dream about it when we are young. Somewhere along the way, in the midst of settling reality and responsibility, we lose the ability to dream. We need reasons and explanations for things outside of our normal to make sense. Our normal can become so small and narrow that when we see others doing anything different we are amazed.

There is a core value that I live by: In order to see things you've never seen, you must be willing to do things you've never done.

In Jesus' encounter with this royal official in John 4, there is something of enormous value that is to be recognized: preemptive praise. His son's healing took place before he saw it but as soon as he believed it. How do we know the royal official believed? His response. His actions revealed his heart. He didn't question Jesus or try to force him to go to his son.

When we face moments where questions can spoil what God has spoken, we should practice preemptive praise. Thank him for what He will do because of what He has spoken...and then respond accordingly.

Read the story.

'The man took Jesus at his word and departed.'



one love...one life.
Guy

up is down, right? ...or left?

Some days are just tough. There's no getting around it...they're just not easy. During those times words seem hollow and the days are long. It's easy to forget what it's all about, pull back and wait for the day to end. If I can be a bit transparent here...it's been that way for me recently. Honestly, the past few weeks have been the most difficult stretch I've experienced in quite a while. Everything seems more difficult. My knee jerk reaction is to wonder in frustration what is going on...? I chase these thoughts around to no end. And in these moments my conclusions don't usually add up. I second guess myself, and I get confused.

I pray only to hear nothing.
I wait only to feel alone.
And then...the day just ends.
Nothing magical. No breakthrough.

But then...another day begins. And in that day are hours that have not yet been lived that have been given to me, entrusted to me. God has a plan that is bigger than my difficulties in every way. It is up to me to choose his plan, that day/everyday, not my difficulties as the determiner of my destiny.

What is good is not always easy and what is easy is not always good.


Psalm 18:33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.

Catalyst '09

Catalyst is easily one of the premier gatherings of young leaders in the country. This year, they are taking it to a whole 'nother level. You can interact with what's going on at Catalyst at Backstage.

So we're hanging out at Catalyst this year for a couple of days...and it's an amazing experience. I figured I'd share a few thoughts about each speaker. Hope you enjoy...
________________________________
Andy Stanley/Session 1
-'What man is a man who does not leave the world better.'
-Every leader leaves a mark...good or bad.
-You'll never recognize your greatest opportunity until it's passed...take it or miss it.
-You won't realize the significance of what you do until it's done.
-Joshua 23:8-15
-'God takes full responsibility for the life wholly devoted to him.' (Charles Stanley)

Malcolm Gladwell/Session 2
-We overestimate the value of additional bits of information.
-Miscalibration = excess information - overconfident
-'Incompetence aggravates me. Overconfidence scares me.'
-As an organization grows, leadership must change/develop.

Shane Hipps/Session 3
-Christianity is fundamentally a communication event.
-How you say something means more (or equal to) than what you say.

Tony Dungy live interview. HUGE highlight for me. Coach Dungy is so well spoken and engaging. Here's the one quote that stuck with me and leaves no question why he's one of the best coaches/men/leaders the NFL will ever have.
"My job as a coach is to help my players be the best they can be on the field and the best men off the field."

Rob Bell/Session 4
Is Bigger Better?
-Inverse fidelity; With the example of the widow in Luke 21, Jesus challenged perception. Somehow, her less was more.
-We often compare ourselves to others and the life we see them living.
-10 Commandments; first 9 commandments are measurable and quantifiable, BUT the last commandment is a reward for doing the first 9.
-If you do the first 9, you won't want anyone else's life...the reward is not wanting someone else's life. You'll find satisfaction/fulfillment in your life.
-Sabbath is necessary for you. It reframes and adjusts our perspective.

Matt Chandler/Session 5
I have to admit, I didn't write down many notes for Matt Chandler's session. The reason, I was really caught up in what he was saying...sounds stupid, right? Well, it does now, but I actually felt like I got more from observing and listening. Here's a bit:
-Hebrews 11:29; May we remember what we're caught up in.
-God's plan (history)...this is our opportunity to be who we should be - not striving and creating strategies to be someone else.

Francis Chan/Session 6
-Trust the word of God and the Holy Spirit to be 'good' enough.
-Often, we try to think of things only in terms of new...unique and obscure, but the Cross is enough. Jesus is enough.

Chan really broke away from the normal and shared from his heart...and then all 13000 attendees shared communion together. It was definitely a sacred moment.

I'm looking forward to Day 2.

under pressure.

Have you ever had one of those days when you can't stop thinking about what you should be doing, but you're not doing it because you're too busy doing and thinking about stuff you don't really care about doing or thinking about?

Today was one of those days.

In certain areas of my life, specifically my passions, I feel as though I'm at sort of stand still. Right now, I stay busy doing a job that I'm blessed to have, but it's not the goal. I didn't move here to work an 8-5 job (yea, 8-5), but the 8-5 job is what helped me move my family here. I get that. And I'm very grateful to have a decent job when so many don't have a job to go to.

That doesn't mean that the plans, ideas and thoughts just stop floating around my head and quietly wait for me to be ready. Today, it felt like my head was too full of different thoughts. It aggravates me and frustrates me. I prayed about it...honestly, out of sheer frustration. God helped me come to the startling and groundbreaking conclusion: It's not what I do; it's who I am.

If God is the one who planted these dreams, passions and desires in my heart, then He certainly has everything in order. There is a time to His plans, and I can't let the 'other' things in my life distract me.

He leads; I follow.



one love...one life.
Guy

COMING SOON

(Before pic)
I've been waiting to post these photos for a while now. What is this...? Well, this is God's provision, that's what it is! The Golden Triangle Mall, more specifically, the regional management team that manages the Golden Triangle Mall, decided to 'give' a 4500 square foot retail space to Journey Church. OK, they didn't literally give it to us, but the 'price' would make even an old bitter-faced man smile ear-to-ear!
The deal with the mall was that we needed to renovate the space ourselves. I can't speak for the rest of our team, but I completely understand that I am quite limited when it comes to building walls and construction. We collectively decided to find someone to do the work quickly and prayed for God to provide. That someone came along and donated all of the labor to the church. All we had to do is buy the material.
The space will be multi-purpose for us. This will be where we have our administrative offices, leadership development training, small groups and mid-week kids experience. We are praying that God will continue to provide in all ways so that we can maximize what we have to reach our community.



(Current pics)


Our space should be done within the month! For those who keep up, I'll keep you posted on the progress. We are crazy excited...

distance between.

I'm a recovering pessimist.

As with most people in recovery, there is always the threat of a relapse. The thing about pessimism is that it sucks. Really, it does. It sucks the life right out of you. It's more than the glass is half-empty. It's the fact that the glass probably won't ever be filled again. Finding hope, having faith and trusting in things greater than you do not just happen for a pessimist, nor do they come easy. It's the reason why I sometimes have great difficulty with people that are prone to always having a bubbly personality. I am baffled by their ability to smile...always. I gotta admit, it really used to get at me from time-to-time. Not so much now. Although, I still have my moments.

I love optimists. I am intrigued at their seemingly natural ability to see the upside in every situation. If the glass is not full (yet), then great. There's room to put more. I have to be honest here. I still struggle in this area. I consider myself to be a 'practicing optimist'. Although it doesn't come as natural or instinctual, I am learning that the distance between pessimism and optimism is more than frame of mind and the power of positive thought. It is in large, the difference between faith and unbelief.

'Unbelief is a sin by which men greatly dishonor and displease God, and deprive themselves of the favors he designed for them.' (Matthew Henry)

In 2 Kings 7, we find an unbelievable message delivered by the prophet, Elisha. He boldly stated that the famine was over; that suddenly people would have an abundance of food after a time of severe famine. One of the king's advisors ridiculed the words spoken by the prophet. I would say that this would be a common response from many. I would also say that many, just as the advisor, would be dead wrong. Elisha, the prophet, then told the advisor that he would see the miracle, but never personally experience it.

All too often, we deprive ourselves of what God has designed for us due to our lack of belief. God is the god of the impossible and miraculous. When we choose unbelief over faith, we severely limit ourselves and allow ourselves to be robbed of God's provision.

Choose to trust and put your hope in Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of your faith. Don't give up on believing God for something just because you can't see it. Ask Him to give you eyes to see and ears to hear.

one love...one life...

Guy