Today I was challenged by Philippians 1:21 and thought I’d pass along the conviction via a quick exposition of this passage…  

 

Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”   

 

“For to me” – Paul is making a personal statement.  This is the kind of thing that can only be decided personally.  So the following words must be viewed through a lens of personal responsibility, in other words, “what will I do?”  I challenge you to consider how your life would complete this phrase, “for to me…”  

 

“to live” – this is the daily living.  Oddly this is not a picture of Paul’s whole life at once, this is about the day in day out, moment by moment living that goes on in life.  It is life viewed through the consecutive moments.  With the phrase “to live…” Paul is setting up a definition or explanation of what it means “to live.”   

 

“is Christ” – Paul does not beat around the bush, his personal decision is to live, moment by moment identified with Christ to the point of defining his entire being.  “To live is Christ…” Paul points to Jesus and specifically Christ (defined as the sent one or anointed one).  I don’t think the use of Christ vs. the proper name Jesus is accidental.  Christ marked Jesus’ mission as Savior.  Paul is aligning and defining his life by the mission and redemptive work of Jesus, the Christ.  What is the surpassing definition of your life?  What so often happens is a compartmentalization of the “Christ” part and as long as He stays in His box everything will be fine.  Remember Paul is not making a statement about his entire life at once, what would it look like if you made Christ your life for the next 15 minutes or the rest of the day?  

 

“and” – Here I go expounding on a conjunction! “And,” well, it does what everyone know it does; it associated two things together either in some kinds of combination or sequence.  Paul is defining his life by two parts, the living and the dying.  

 

“to die” – Paul does not shy away from the inevitable future of all mortals.  He knew he would die one day. To add this phrase would supply a contrast to the definition of living already given.   

 

“is gain” – Again Paul uses “is” to clarify the state of being that will come with his death.  It would be certain gain. Paul shows great confidence that his death would represent “gain.”  No longer did he view death as an end or a hopeless unknown.  Paul was sure death would be gain.  How do you view death? Is your death a fearful concept?  Paul’s certainty of death being gain  must have empowered his life being Christ.  Maybe our struggles to live for Christ in this life is hard because we aren’t really sure if death is gain.  Perhaps, we feel the need to reverse Paul’s words, “for to me, to live is gain and to die is Christ.”    I hope this makes sense. AS

 

 

Proverbs 20:24

"A man's steps are directed by the LORD.       

How then can anyone understand his own way?"

 

"What will you be when you grow up?" "What is your career path?"  "What is your 5-year plan?"  In light of Proverbs 20:24 these questions seem a bit presumptuous.  I think we all want to know where life is headed and I believe that we should be diligent in planning and preparing for what is ahead.  However, this proverb lets us in to some key truths of our life path that we must deal with as we make our way into the future.  

 

1. God holds all the answers.  YES – He knows where your life is headed and is actually directing your steps.  We should understand this “directing” work as both His “allowing work” through the upholding of the universe and literally giving you air to breathe and a mind to think and His “guiding work” through the Holy Spirit’s active leadership in our lives giving us the path and plans as needed in our lives.

 

2. We do not know what is best for us.  This is a tough admission in our world.  We like to think we know ourselves so well and can determine with accuracy what is the best plan for our lives.  Part of living a life of dependence on God’s Spirit is admitting I don’t know.  This is why we must be careful about announcing what we “will do one day” or what we “will never do.”  God has a funny way of making fools out of men.

 

3. Not knowing is NO excuse.  Too many Christians today are paralyzed in making decisions.  This truth in Proverbs does not exempt us from the necessity of good decision-making in life.   In this life God primarily uses the mechanism of your decision-making to bring His will about in your life. Sure, on occasion He can and does dramatically interrupt your plans but most often uses good old-fashioned choices…so make some!

 

4. We must engage God’s directing work.  God is actively guiding and directing us. We must engage Him in this process.  As we learn to live in “active dependence” we will learn to discern His guidance and discover His direction.  Along the way mistakes and mixing our desires with God’s direction will inevitably happen.  Don’t let these set-backs discourage you, simply engage Him again. Ideas for engaging the Holy Spirit’s leading…

 

- Daily resign the command of your life.  Tell the Lord that it is Him you are following and submit to His leadership.

 

- Make plans, but hold them loosely.  Don’t simply “wing it,” make a plan for your day as well as your future.  As you discover God’s direction freely adjust your plans or celebrate the confirmation and keep moving along.

 

- Pray diligently about what you already know!  Too often we in seeking God’s will we come with a “blank sheet of paper.”  Instead we should pray about and commit to those things we already know are His will.  Trust me – you will have little time for much else!  I strongly suggest reading Matthew 28:19-20 (the Great Commission) and Mark 12:28-31 (the Great Commandment) as a starting point.

 

- Dream big.  Bring your dreams to the Lord.  Pray about them. Ask God to direct or re-direct your thinking but don’t be afraid to dream.  Sometimes our dreaming reflects our spiritual gifts that God uses in and through our lives.  

 

I hope this helps you know how to live for God today.  I hope it clarifies the coming together of our decision-making and God’s directing in your life.  I hope it makes sense. AS

This week I received an email from a friend asking what I thought about Bay Area Fellowship’s (a thriving church in Corpus Christi, TX.) Easter promo.  From their website this is the promo for Easter Sunday…

 

"YOU are the next winner of The Ultimate Giveaway! That's right...With nearly $1 MILLION in prizes and giveaways, this Easter, everyone will win something at Bay Area Fellowship! And, wait...that's not all. Each service we're giving away FREE FLATSCREENS, LAPTOPS...and CARS!!! Be here beginning April 1 (and...no, this is no April Fool's joke). This is the real deal! No tricks, strings or fine print! Show up and let Bay Area Fellowship bless YOU this Easter!" http://www.bayareafellowship.com/

 

This church is promising to giveaway a million dollars in prizes and giveaways in conjunction with their new sermon series by the same name.  In an interview the pastor, Bil Cornelius, stated this giveaway is designed to help people see how great the gift of Heaven is.  If you love winning a car or new guitar just imagine how wonderful heaven is!

 

A part of me (a marketing major in college) loves the creativity and applaud the “out-of-the-box” thinking.  However, this is a situation where I have to draw a line.  So I have prepared the 5 reasons why I disagree with Bay Area Fellowship’s “Ultimate Giveaway.”

 

1. The gospel needs NO help.  It would be easy for any Christian who loves people and longs to see in a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ to want to sweeten the deal of Salvation.  The problem is any attempt to “sweeten” it actually results in damage to the very Gospel we promote.  The gospel needs NO help.  We must remember that the Word of God is “living and active;” it actually carries power and does not need a “spoon full of sugar” to attract takers.  We must fight hard to preach a complete Gospel.  Especially as we approach Easter we should consider the brutal death of Jesus on the cross not only as securing a place in heaven but as a picture of the life we are to live here.  As Paul writes in Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  Yes we “gain” when we die, but THIS life is Christ…the suffering servant…the one who lays does His life for others.  Is this the Gospel we preach?

 

2. The tail of creativity wagging the dog of mission.  I am a creative guy, I love the out-of-box thinking which is partly why I am intrigued by this campaign.  However, “out-of-box” thinking is not the mandate of the Church.  Jesus, in Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  Creativity must not overshadow the mission we are on.  A good question is, “does this idea make the gospel message more clear or more confusing?” I must say giving away $40,000 cars could send mixed signals.

 

3. Misleading Salvation.  True, salvation is FREE and given to us by God through Jesus Christ.  However, this salvation we are given is clearly one that includes a life that denies self and even suffers for the cause of Christ. I find it very misleading to link salvation with the material things of this world.  Jesus on more than one occasion spoke of giving away possessions in order to follow Him.  This does not mean material things are sinful but they can easily become the idols of our lives and true believers (at least in America) MUST face the materialism question at some point.  Are we willing to let go of the material things we have simply because we dare not risk idolatry in our hearts?

 

4. A HUGE missed opportunity. I want to be careful here because I know we can all point fingers on virtually any church’s use of resources.  The easy and frankly hypocritical criticism is “those dollars should be spent differently!”  Every church and for that matter every person cannot stand with this kind of subjective response.  However, I would propose that “The Ultimate Giveaway” missed a possible HUGE opportunity…the poor.  I can only imagine the radical impact that this church could have made if a million dollars were invested in the surrounding communities in need.  Again, our church spends money that could be criticized as well, nevertheless we should all consider opportunities to invest in our immediate needy communities.

 

5. The message of the Church is Christ. In 1 Corinthians 2:2 Paul writes, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”  Although I feel I have made this point clear by now, I must dedicate special attention to it. The church must not emphasize any benefit of salvation, any experience, any feeling or emotion to the exclusion of or in competition with the good news of Christ and Him crucified.  Everything hangs on Jesus.  I pray we all and especially Bay Area Fellowship considers this passage as we head into Easter this weekend.  Call me old-fashioned or traditional or irrelevant (all terms that make me cringe)…when we lift him up HE will draw all men unto himself.

 

To close…I am not against Bay Area Fellowship – I simply feel this move is over the line.  I hope many people trust Jesus as Lord and Savior this weekend in Corpus Christi.  I hope I’m wrong about “The Ultimate Giveaway” stunt.  I hope I will watch my own life and message closely.  I hope this makes sense.  AS

Last Sunday I challenged the parents, grandparents and future parents of Highpoint Church to write their personal testimonies as a special gift to their children.  I think this may be one of the coolest things you can give your kids.  This was inspired by my own Grandfather’s testimony that he drafted about three years before his death.  His testimony was listed on the back of his funeral program and now stands as his lasting legacy for our family and beyond.  I hope you will take a moment to read my grandfather’s testimony below and be inspired to write your own for those you love. 

I hope it makes sense!  

 

My Personal Testimony: Cliff Savage February 3, 2006  

 

My Life Before Christ:

God touched my heart when I was about 14 years old at a revival in a country church near my home. I wasn’t sure just what was happening, so I didn’t accept Him at the time, but I realized that God was real and I was sorry that I didn’t give my life to Him then. As the years went by, I could feel His presence and knew that I needed to do something. I kept putting Him off.   I went off to the army and when I got in a real battle, I prayed to Him seriously and could feel His presence very near. I know now without my faith in God, I would never have returned home. When I came home, I forgot about my faith and decided to live it up having a good time (or I thought I was having a good time). THAT WAS A BAD DECISION. God kept tugging at my heart and I kept trying to do it my way, but that didn’t work very well. I finally had to surrender my life to Him; I am so thankful that I did.  

How I Received Christ:
I finally decided that I needed to slow down and change the way I was living. I found the love of my life, Doris Renfrow, and we were married December 31, 1948. After about two years we began to have children—and before it stopped we had six children. Our first child died soon after birth, and that was a wake-up call for the both of us.   In 1954 we began to attend Oakville Baptist Church. Doris was saved before I was. Then we attended a children’s program with a visiting evangelist. When he asked the children to accept Jesus, I was one of the first to go down; for Jesus filled my heart so full of His Spirit that day I couldn’t resist Him if I had tried. I had no control whatsoever over myself. I have thanked Jesus thousands of times for that day at Oakville Church.  

 

My New Life in Christ:
Our family was growing, our responsibility was growing, our business was growing, our problems were growing and best of all, our faith in God was growing. My wife made sure that our children went to church and were taught right from wrong. My brother and I had started a business, and we had to work out of town a lot. That meant I had to be away from my family more than I wanted (I had to make a living for them). God gave us such a wonderful family (one of the best, I think). I believe that all of our children and grandchildren who are old enough have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. I am thankful for my faith in Jesus and for the family that He has given me. I also thank Him for my health, my church family and so much more it would be impossible to name it all here. Thank you, God.

 

 

My Granddaddy...

4 generations of Savage men	Granddaddy and 2 of his great-grand children

 

 

Jeremiah 23:5-6

5 "The days are coming," declares the LORD,       
"when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch,       
a King who will reign wisely       
and do what is just and right in the land.    

6 In his days Judah will be saved       
and Israel will live in safety.       
This is the name by which he will be called:       
The LORD Our Righteousness.

I’m really starting to dig the Old Testament prophets! In Jeremiah 23:5-6 the prophet Jeremiah talks about a King that would come and bring salvation and safety to God’s people. When we turn to the New Testament we find out that God did in fact fulfill that promise by sending His only Son, Jesus. Today, we stand on the accomplished side of God’s promise!   

Jeremiah refers to this King as “The Lord Our Righteousness.” I love this name. I think it is good for us to consider some of the lesser-known and lesser-used names for Jesus to help us remember the nature of who He is and what He has done. Jesus is “The Lord,” meaning He is our leader and master and we live to serve Him. He is also “Our Righteousness” meaning He serves as our righteousness before God. This is a huge concept. This radically turns nearly every world religion on its head – being “good enough” on our own is not required to be right with God.  We have a Savior who IS our Righteousness!   

This truth needs to live in the front of our minds. In our daily relationship with God we must be reminded that there is NO righteousness on our own. If we claim that we are followers of Jesus then we have given up our attempts at self-righteousness and depend fully on “The Lord Our Righteousness.”  The convicting part of this truth is that every attempt at self-righteousness is an arrogant denial of Jesus as Lord.  Self-righteousness says, “I don’t need you, Jesus – I’ll please God on my own.”  We need a fresh reminder of how poor we are apart from Christ and rich we are when we rest in Him. I pray today that we will live in complete dependence on Jesus, “The Lord Our Righteousness.”  

I hope this makes sense. AS

“We have a communication problem” I hear this nearly every time I sit with a couple for marriage coaching, in fact it happened today!  I have to keep myself from laughing most of the time because this issue is so universal yet most people state the problem as if they are the first to experience it.   

 

"Is this really the problem?"  I know, this is a dirty counseling trick…answering with a question, however I do believe it gets to the point much faster.  So, often our “communication problems” are actually symptoms of deeper issues.  Healthy communication almost always falls victim to our fears and our hurts.  We don’t like to admit it but when we feel slighted in some way, even unintentionally we use bad communication as a means of payback.  Sometimes this is evident in aggressive behavior and at other times much more subdued.   

I like to coach all married couples that when it comes to marriage we must focus on building a “God-honoring, healthy marriage.”  In fact, I don’t think it is possible to be healthy without being God-honoring.  There are countless sources of “good relationship principles” promising greater relational health.  However without a desire to Honor God we will inevitably revert to selfish behavior and selfishness IS the enemy of your marriage.  The only power great enough to content with our sinful, selfish nature is God himself.  When we submit to Him and His truth then we can truly move toward a healthy marriage.  

 

Back to communication... If you are seeking a God-honoring marriage you will quicker move toward the good communication skills and resolution steps that produce health.  By seeking to honor God you must learn to “die to self” which paves the way to relating well to your spouse.   I hope this is helpful for you.  This topic is only a slice of an entire marriage-coaching seminar I teach so if you want more let me know!  As always I hope this makes sense!  AS

Proverbs 24:19-20 

Do not fret because of evil men      
or be envious of the wicked,  

for the evil man has no future hope,       

and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

 

I think if we are honest we all “envy the wicked” some.  Believing and following God is so much opposed to the value system of the culture we live in. It is easy to find people who have no concern for God yet live comfortable and seemingly blesses, peaceful lives.  In this proverb we are warned not to fret because of evil men.  If you aren’t used to reading the Old Testament you might miss the point here.  The word “evil” is not simply a term used for those involved in awful acts of sinful violence.  “Evil” can refer to anyone who does not carry a life-changing belief in God.  The writer uses terms that intentionally polarize all people into either a “for” or “against” category.  I think this is very helpful for you and me.  We need to see our lives as “for” or “against” God.   

 

The direct point here is the contrast of Hope.  Instead of looking around and becoming envious of those apart from God we choose to find our hope in Him.  Those without God have no hope.  Their hope is purely related to what can be achieved here in this life.  This is far from true for the believer.  Our hope is not in this life; our hope is founded in the saving grace of Jesus who has secured for us an eternal hope not limited to what can be achieved here.  That is our reason for not fretting.  We can take life as it comes knowing that this life is not the end all be all. This is not to say we wont have stress or trouble.  That would be foolish to purport.  However, because we have an eternal hope we can face the temporary struggles of life with confidence that things will get better, if not in this life for sure the life to come.  

 

Finally, this passage should cause our hearts to break for those who have no hope.  This should light a fire of compassion and evangelism in us to share the hope we have in Christ.  Those without God will have their “lamp snuffed out.”  This is a picture of their eternal life. People are not randomly sent people to Hell. Those who have decided to place their hope in what this world offers are simply given what they have chosen.  The devastating part of all this is that many will not know until it is too late.  My prayer today is that Christians everywhere are filled with compassion for the “evil” that have no eternal hope.  Let us share the hope we have in Jesus.  Let us not be stingy with hope.  

 

I hope this makes sense. AS

 

“Snowprise” or “Snowbody saw this coming” or my personal favorite… “Snow-child left behind!”  That’s the story here in Memphis as of early this morning.  We woke up to a whiteout.  The kids are of school and it’s winter hysteria here!  

This kind of scenario (at least in Memphis) is very rare and triggers a “must-play-in-snow” reaction.  We bundled up our crew and braved the cold “manna” from Heaven.  You name it we did it… Snow fort…check!  Show ball fight…check!  “Snow angels are for girls”…check!  Tromping all over our yard…check!  Make a snowman and immediately destroy it like the cold enemy he is…check!  Well, as you can see we have boys, but we have fun.   

As I was scooping up the slushy snow off the driveway in to a small trash can, which served as the mold for the “bricks” of our snow fort, I had this thought… “How often will this happen in my kids lives?”  The truth is we don’t get much snow and the snow we do get is rarely good enough to play in.  My guess is at best this happens once a year (and in Memphis that’s being generous).  By the time you take out the years the kids are just too small to do much in the snow and the teenage years when they are too cool to play in the snow with mom or dad; you’re only left with 10-12 times.  This is mind blowing.  I only have 10-12 days like today with my boys. I hope and pray parents across our city took advantage of this truly God-given opportunity to connect with their kids.  These are the days we simply cannot afford to miss.  These are the kind of days that purchase relationship for every other day.   

I know not every parent can just take off from work – I am blessed with that flexibility.  I do hope parents will consider the benefits of simple blessings like snow days to make the most of time with their kids.  

If I could accomplish anything with this simple blog entry it would be to inspire parents (even just a little) to engage their kids a little more; to be a little more proactive as a parent; to be “head’s up” and make the most of every day God gives you with your kids.  I could write much more…but my kids are out of school and there is much to do!   I hope this makes senses.  AS

 

I constantly hear Christian leaders today challenge the Church to take up the call of social justice…and I totally agree. However, I do not hear the outcry for justice for the unborn.  I live in Shelby County, home of Memphis, TN and 9000 annual abortions.  That comes out to more than 1 abortion every hour.  This is appalling.  Not only are 9000 children refused a chance at life but there are as many post-abortive women now struggle with guilt, depression and physical consequences of their choice.  I am convinced that the Church MUST speak up.  Are we too afraid of the political implications?  Are we excited about the social justice platform because it makes us feel good about ourselves and gains us the applause of culture?  Standing up for the rights of the unborn is politically and culturally unpopular.  I expect this blog to be condemned by people defending a pro-choice stance and make me out to be a religious zealot who has been duped by right-winged, religious fanaticism.  Please know I don’t argue for pro-life from a political standpoint – I argue pro-life from a Biblical standpoint. 

The words of Jesus in Luke 9:23 “Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  I believe that those who claim to follow Jesus must recognize that we must deny ourselves to uphold God’s purposes and plans.  Our lives are for His service.  Do we have a choice?  YES – however our commitment to Christ is bringing our choices under His leadership.  The Bible is clear that murder is a sin (Exodus 20:13) or a clear “missing of the mark” of God’s intent.  In addition Psalm 139:13-14 presents God’s authorship of life assuming the intentional work of God in the creating of every person.  This clearly exposes the innate value placed within every human life from the moment of conception.  When we stand for the value of life at every stage from conception to old age we stand on the side of God.  We are also not allowed to turn our “pro-life” stance into a platform to judge others of differing views.  We must uphold God’s truth without compromise and still offer patience and kindness to those who differ.  I would never advocate a judgmental or hateful response to those who take a pro-choice view.  I must disagree but never allow my stance on one truth (pro-life) to cause the breaking of another truth (love my neighbor or in some cases love my enemies). 

In all this I fear that Bible-believing Christians have abdicated the burden of the unborn to the political process instead of personal conviction.  God forgive our apathy.  Forgive our arrogance.  Forgive our murder.  May we never forget the ultimate act of preserving human life through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This is the reason we stand for life today.  Nothing can explain God’s care for human life like the cross of Jesus.

 

I hope this makes sense.  AS

I got to thinking about my New Year's resolutions and had the thought that Satan probably also makes a list.  This is specifically for my world at Highpoint Church - but a great reminder to us all!

 

Satan's top 10 New Year's resolutions for Highpoint Church in 2010...

1. Stop people from reading the Bible, journaling, praying or any other spiritual disciplines. Jack with people’s Priority Time.

 

2. Keep people from finding friends – cause another season of migrating around to different churches in search of a home; keep people spiritually homeless. 

 

3. Keep people from worship - make them feel too embarrassed to sing or raise hands.  Create lots of distractions to keep the church at 2x per month attendance remember no consistency means no real effect of God's truth.

 

4. Mess with staff unity - hey it worked like a champ before!  Just start with gossip and watch the snowball grow!

 

5. Busyness, the one-size fits all temptation for Christians.  Get them doing too much.  Humans are suckers for finding their value from doing things.

 

6. Don't allow any new people to serve...the old standbys will do too much and get jaded and the newcomers will become totally apathetic.  

 

7. Stir up relapse for those in recovery, then add guilt, then condemnation, until they feel totally unworthy of God’s love and then tell them the only way to make it all better is another hit.

 

8. Uproot every marriage possible - with one marriage you can destroy the man and the woman, their kids (if the divorce is ugly enough you could get the kids’ future marriages too), extended family and many of their friends - even church members if their friends take sides!

 

9. Convince the growing Christians that they have arrived - if they keep getting equipped they will become soldiers for Christ - make sure they seek comfortable, "civilian" lives.

 

10. Stop all vision.  Make people focus on here and now or better yet…yesterday.  Under no circumstances allow the Church to look ahead toward the high calling in Jesus Christ!

Monday afternoon I started having severe pain in my abdomen.  After blaming Milano’s pizza for my troubles I find out I’m showing all the signs of appendicitis.  To make a long story short – I went to the ER and got a CAT scan confirming the appendicitis and was taken back for immediate surgery.  Needless to say, this was totally unexpected and the timing was terribly inconvenient.  So, why do these things happen?  I wish I had that answer – I’d write a book and be a zillionaire!   I cant explain definitively why God allows/causes these things but I will share some things I’ve learned so far…  
God uses people. 
Dr. Justin Monroe is in my small group and he was my first call, I just wanted to run my symptoms by him and get a professional opinion on what I should do.  He was more than gracious.  He gladly took my repeated calls and advised me to go to the ER.  Then to my surprise he comes walking in the ER wearing his white coat and breaking all the rules to ensure I was treated well and quickly. What a God send!  I was completely at ease with him there and watched him spend the entire night at the hospital to perform my surgery and then stay to work a full day following.  In addition, the rest of my small group, immediately organized food and care for my family, and me; we are truly blessed.  Thank you Lord for using people in my life…I am not self-sufficient…I need Your Church.

Our lives are not our own. 
When something like this happens I am reminded again the unavoidable truth that no matter what you believe…your life is not your own.  There are some things we just can’t control.  I believe God is in charge of all of life.  In situations like these I think it is crucial that we be reminded of God’s power and control and in faith rest in knowing all God’s ways are good, even if they don’t seem so good for us.  We serve a holy God – all His ways are holy.  God thank you for your presence and activity in my life – especially those things that don’t make sense, your are stretching my faith, something I consistently need.

Down time. 
I hear my mom’s voice ringing in my ear.  My whole life my mom has been the one always trying to make sure I’m not over doing it…maybe she’s right.  If nothing else this inconvenience is forcing me to sit, think, pray and rest. We all need down time but we live in a culture that does not support such a lifestyle. We are all pulled by the demands of life. In ministry I am particularly pulled by “urgent” needs that seem valid reasons for running hard and avoiding down time.  Thank you Lord for causing me to rest.  I am reminded that I am not anyone’s savior; maybe I need to rest and let THE Savior minister to me.  

There are always more lessons to learn.  I pray we all embrace God’s activity in the good, bad and painful.  I pray this all makes sense.  AS

Christmas is ultimately about Mercy.  Mercy is NOT getting what we clearly deserve.  Christmas is the story of God doing what He did not have to do.  He sent us a Savior, His only Son to be born of a virgin in Bethlehem.  This child was the actual, physical proof of God’s mercy.  Everything we celebrate during the Christmas season: Love, Peace, Joy, family, food, goofy Christmas sweaters, etc. are all built on the foundation of God’s mercy. Without God’s great move to show sinners (you and me) mercy, we would have no love to sing about, no peace in this world, no joy to speak of…nothing.  Have you received God’s mercy?  I believe also that God’s great move of mercy toward us came with an agenda to instill mercy in us.  Are you merciful?  Does your heart fill with compassion towards others in need as God was compassionate toward you? When we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive a call to become a person of Mercy.  It’s part of the Christianity package.  The Mercy toward us, becomes mercy in us and then becomes mercy through us.  Mercy, when it is finished, will always come through you.  

 

Where will you show mercy this Christmas?  Is there someone who needs mercy from you?  I pray this Christmas will be marked by mercy.   I hope this makes sense.  AS

Don’t miss this.  Christmas in a Red Bag (CRB) has become one of the best ways I keep Christmas in perspective.  It is so easy to turn a season that is definitively about giving into a season all about getting.  Christmas sometimes comes with a dark side of attitudes of entitlement and expectations about what we “should” get.  We even at time have the audacity to turn our nose up at certain gifts and celebrate others.  We have become drunk with getting stuff.  I would encourage…no, I would challenge you to not allow Christmas to become all about you.  CRB is one way to do this.   

 

Every Christmas at Highpoint Church, single parents are nominated for you to adopt.  You take their names, their wish list and hit the stores. Once you’ve shopped (channel your inner Santa), you personally deliver the gifts big Red Bags to your adopted family and help these amazing single moms and dads win!  Instead of being consumed by what you want or what you hope to get you can focus on making Christmas for someone else a memory they cherish for life. I SO believe it is the place of Christians to support and come alongside single parents as one way to apply the teaching of James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”  

 

Not every single mom is a widow and not every child in a single parent home feels like an orphan but the call to compassion and for those in distress is clear.  My prayer is that these big Red Bags become a symbol all across our city of a “pure, faultless and acceptable religion.” I pray the fame of the Generous Heavenly Father is displayed with every gift we give.  I pray that we become consumed with being a blessing to others. What if a few Red Bags could bring the real Christmas back.  

 

If you would like to get involved visit www.highpointmemphis.com/redbag.  
I hope this makes sense. AS

I think many of us make the Thanksgiving Mistake.  It is this mistake that affects whether or not we are truly thankful.  I believe strongly that one of the essentials to a healthy relationship is gratitude.  Think about it, do you have a good relationship with anyone that you aren’t regularly thankful for?  Think about the closest relationships in your life…do they know you are thankful for them?  Do you know they are thankful for you?  

 

The thanksgiving mistake is being only as thankful as you feel.  I know this is counter-intuitive, but hang with me. Most people assume thankfulness is how you feel when someone does something nice or good toward you.  Although that is not entirely false it is certainly not complete.  Sometimes the good deeds of another produce feelings of thankfulness, other times we miss it, forget or it gets lost in everything else. When we limit our thankfulness to the level at which we feel thankful we will always rob our most valued relationships.  Our feelings will inevitably favor our selfish side.  This is especially true in our relationship with God.  He has done so many great things yet, if we are only thankful when we feel like it we may miss some wonderful moments to praise God and instead hand Him another list of “to dos” so your life can improve.  This life is riddled with so many negatives that without conscience effort we will gravitate toward complaining even though there is ample reason to be thankful.   

How are things in your family?  How about your marriage?  So, you had a little spat with your spouse the other day, can you still be thankful for them?  Can you be thankful TO them?  If you hesitate to be thankful you are proving that you are only thankful when things are going your way – isn’t that selfish?    Thankfulness is a choice.  It is one we MUST make whether we feel like it or not.  No matter how difficult life is or has been choose to be thankful. Are you making the Thanksgiving Mistake?   

I hope this makes sense. AS

Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.”  

 

Men, pay attention.  This truth is powerful. Psalm 119:9 talks about a man keeping his “way” pure.  This “way” is a reference to life.  The “way” you make decisions.  The “way” you relate with people.  The “way” you conduct business.  The “way” you speak.  The “way” you integrate God’s truth into your life.  We must guard our “way.”  God is deeply concerned about your “way.”  

 

When we abandon God’s daily direction in our lives we compromise our “way.”  His word is designed and graciously given for our good in this life.  When we reject it for our own wisdom we mark our “way” with impurity.  Ultimately this approach will cause the most important things in our lives to fall apart.   

 

I specifically want to address the primary issue that affects the “way” of men…your sexual purity.  It is essential to take this issue seriously.  I know most of you love your wives and don’t commit adultery.  But let’s be honest – some do commit adultery.  The reality is we are all bombarded with messages powered by sex and erotica to capture our attention.   Pornography is available 24/7 from the nearest smart phone.   And only God knows what goes on in your mind.  I have seen far too many marriages go up in smoke because a seed of impurity grew out of control and caused major havoc.   

 

I have listed a few simple steps to “make your way pure”

1. Limit TV/movies/free-range Internet use – the sexual content is off the charts – be smart – turn it off!  I’m not condemning all TV but get serious about limiting what you know will cause temptation. 

 

2. PORN – if you struggle looking at porn online or elsewhere enlist a trusted Christian brother to bring healthy accountability into your life – and yes, just once or twice a week is a struggle.  I’m all for software for your computer to control this – but nothing is as powerful as a Christian brother in your life and if needed in your face!  If you look at porn more on any regular basis – you NEED to get into a good recovery program. (http://www.highpointmemphis.com/recovery)

 

3. Acknowledge that every lustful thought or action is an overt act of distrust toward God. 

 

4. Eliminate “innocent” flirting with women (unless of course it is your wife).  We men love attention from women and if not careful we will flirt to get a little female attention and given the right situation could easily go the wrong way.

 

5. Take in God’s word daily.  I encourage you to read one chapter from proverbs each day for a month and feel free to start over the following month.  Always read with a commitment to do whatever God’s word says.  

 

Keep your “way” pure men.  Work hard in all areas of purity and trust God that this is the only way to living life to the fullest.  As always, I hope this makes sense.  AS  

 

 

A few lessons I’ve learned on hiring church staff members…

1.    Your vision MUST be the main attraction and the greatest part of the compensation package.
2.    Hire raving fans only! (See Ken Blanchard’s book by the same title.)
3.    Hire slowly, no slower, no really – SLOW DOWN!
4.    No emotional hires – there is usually a correlation between the emotional high that drove the hire and the disappointment and emotional low of their performance.
5.    Hire “outliers” with 10,000 hours in the needed area of expertise.  Obviously, I will admit that there is at times a need to do “on the job training” however most people arrive on the scene with 10,000 hours of something – what is it and does it add or take away from your objectives? (see Malcom Gladwell’s book Outliers.)
6.    Pay well.  No one (that I’ve met) is truly prepared to work for you simply on the spirit of sacrifice.  That is usually the case in start-ups, at least for a season, but it can’t last forever.  Apply the “golden rule” and do unto others as you would have done unto you.
7.    Hire energy givers.  You ministry lives and dies by the energy of the staff.  You will not make progress when your staff is draining the energy of the church – they are on the staff to move things forward.  Energy takers need ministry just not a ministry job.

It so happens that October is a big “awareness” month.  Great causes like Breast Cancer, Domestic Violence and lets not forget Clergy appreciation! Among the many great causes October is near and dear to my heart…Down syndrome.    My son has more chromosomes than your son!  Cooper now almost 3 years old has Down syndrome, which occurs in one in every 733 live births worldwide. It affects people of all ages, races and economic levels and is the most frequently occurring chromosomal disorder. Down syndromes occurs when there are three, rather than the usual two, copies of chromosome 21 in every cell of the body. Instead of 46 chromosomes, a person with Down syndrome has 47.  Hence my pride in my little genetic overachiever!  There are more than 350,000 people in the United States alone with Downs. Sadly, an estimated 90 percent of unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted.  I can’t imagine my life apart from Cooper and my heart breaks for a world that eliminates the gift of any child because of a misplaced priority on self.  

 

I take the chance whenever I get it to tell people about Cooper. Like any parent who gets this sort of news Amanda and I were disappointed and even devastated when Cooper was born.  We like every parent prayed and wanted a perfectly healthy and “normal” child…and we got Cooper.  We instantly became a special needs family.  Fearful thoughts about how difficult life would be gripped us.  We were forced to have to live by what we believe.  I think too often we give lip service to God and casually claim our faith.  We NEED the experiences in life that demand a real faith.  We NEED the experiences that force us out of our comfortable faith and into a daily, desperate dependence on God himself.   

 

In the midst of my own self-focused naval gaze God’s voice broke through via a helpless little special needs child.  God convicted me that He sees me like I see Cooper.  I have special needs! I have nothing to offer Him.  I cost Him a fortune.  I require His patience. Through my son God changed my life deeper than any other experience in my life.  Each day when I look into the face of my son Cooper I am reminded at the extravagant love of God to call me His son.   

It’s easy to miss how much God truly loves us.  If we aren’t careful we can easily begin to think that due to our success and skill and intellect that we somehow offer God some reason to love us.  Make no mistake – you have special needs. The fact that God loves you speaks ONLY to the extravagant love of God and NEVER to what you offer Him.  I encourage you to confess your special needs to God and thank Him for loving you.  

I praise God for Cooper.  God has knit our hearts together in a remarkable way and now I don’t see a child with special needs I see my son.  Just as God looking upon us, through the sacrifice of Jesus, doesn’t see our “special needs” He sees His sons & daughters and loves us deeply and only wants for us to live in response to His love.  Cooper is not considered “normal” – Praise God!  If he’s not normal – then God forbid I be normal. I would be a better man to be more like Cooper. He lives a life of love and beauty and shows the world the love of the Heavenly Father.  

 

I pray this not only makes sense; I pray it helps you see clearly the love of our heavenly Father.  When you see someone who appears to have Down syndrome – don’t turn away or be afraid to speak to him or her or their family – they show us what “normal” should be.  

 

I also encourage you to watch a special video we did called “Cooper’s Story” I believe it will touch you in a special way. It’s available here…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNU0Y3S-4hg

Today I read a stat that 76% of pastors are either overweight or obese!  I couldn’t believe it…well I could but it was still shocking to hear.  The hypocrisy of the situation is obvious but the reality is sad.   Some may want to start yelling back at every overweight preacher that has yelled at you about drinking, smoking or a hundred other physical abuses.  The truth is those who struggle with their weight feel just as guilty.  They know it isn’t right and that things need to change.  Much like any discipline the issue is not “if” but “how?”    

 

In February of this year I got serious about this issue in my life.  Now, I was never obese but I was overweight and was not healthy.  I had been inspired by episodes of The Biggest Loser and secretly wondered if I would ever do anything.  I’ve always been fairly active and even athletic.  However, I found myself busier than ever, three kids, my natural love for food, the stress of a growing ministry and 30+ pounds of unnecessary fat.  As I faced this reality I was convicted that this was not a stage of life issue, it was not “just how I am,” it was not because I’m just too busy…this was a spiritual problem and I was not taking seriously that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6).  This was exactly what I needed to hear.  I agreed with God and made the decision to change.   Since February of this year I have exercised religiously and changed my eating habits.  Certainly diet and exercise can easily become an obsession and vanity can become your motive –you have to remember why.  I have to remind myself regularly that my body is God’s property and I must manage it well.   

 

Good physical fitness is like prayer – we all know we need to but most rarely do and when we do it’s short lived.  I want to encourage you not to give up.  I have found that so many of the spiritual disciplines in my life are enhanced and even made possible because I prioritize healthy eating and exercise.  If you are in ministry you must ask yourself what kid of example are you leaving your church if this area is not under control.  I could make lots of recommendations on how to start but you can get that anywhere.  I want to challenge you to answer the question,  “Why?”  Why do you eat the way you do?  Why do you neglect exercise?  What if you could begin to say to God, “You are the Lord of my body?”   I hope this makes sense. AS

1. Burden.  I usually feel a certain passion for every message I teach however this morning I felt a heavy burden.  I sensed that God truly wanted to speak to our church.  I was especially convicted to pray that we listen.  I can’t read minds but it seemed like the prayer is answered.  The subject of sin is heavy anyway but I believe we must not ever allow the burden of it to leave our preaching/teaching otherwise we lose the power of the gospel.

2. Worship.  The worship was good and not just musically.  Josh Maze led us to worship – not just sing songs.  I believe worship is a choice and even we don’t feel like it we still ought to worship.  This morning was like catching a wave – we all seemed to get caught up in it.

3. Synergy.  There is something about people working together that makes you believe the impossible can be possible. Casey & Courtney Young the couple who leads our singles ministry saw a young lady trust Christ and choose baptism from within the singles class – in the middle of his message!  This is not the result of a hero overcoming weaknesses in the church; this is an empowered teammate being used by God just as 10-15 people trusted Chris in the worship service happening down the hall.  This is God is working through people – not just through a single person!

4. Family.  The young lady who was baptized felt compelled not to delay her obedience so our team raced to set up a baptism on the back lawn and the church body gathered around in support.  It was a beautiful picture of family.  We all need a family and Highpoint truly is a family!

5. Truth.  Just before bed my 5yr old quoted Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” I was proud that he knew his Bible verse but much more than that is he understood that God made him and that’s what makes him valuable.  This is the truth that sin attempts to steal.  With the faith of a child I was reminded and thankful again that I too am fearfully and wonderfully made and of value to God that He would send Jesus to ensure I have hope.  It is the truth we need.  

I pray that these reflections encourage you and raise your expectation for next Sunday. AS

The Nobel Peace Prize is the hottest topic on Facebook and Twitter today and if you don’t know why, I’m not telling you!  However, it did get me thinking.  This coveted award is granted to people who promote peace and make an unprecedented and undeniable impact in our world.  This month as I teach about sin and the fall of man I am reminded that sin not only damaged our standing with God; it destroyed it.  Sin is not simply a problem that needs solving; it is death that must be overcome.  In a radical move of pure love and complete justice Jesus took our place and bridged the gap.  His death paid the penalty our sin and broke the power of death.  He achieved what no man could ever do – he restored peace between God and man.  There is no “prize” this world can devise that matches the work of Jesus.  He is THE Prince of Peace, He alone could create eternal peace.  Yes, today is a good day to celebrate peace…I hope you have found it.   

 

I hope this makes sense. AS

Falling Short.

“Sin is both the overstepping of a line and the failure to reach it- both transgression and shortcoming.  Sin is a missing of the mark, a spoiling of the good, a staining of the garments, a hitch in one’s gait, a wandering from the path, a fragmenting of the whole.  Sin is what culpably disturbs shalom.  Sinful human life is a caricature of proper human life.”  - Neal Plantinga

 

I love this quote and encourage everyone to wrestle with the truth in it.  I think it is easy to look at sin as simply doing bad things; a sort of spiritual criminal act.  Sin is far more than that.  It seems that sin is a deception that something else will make us feel complete and provide that inner sense of peace we all long for.  This is sin.  Sin is not just transgression, it is also shortcoming.  It is falling short of the life God intended us to live.  It is falling short of the joy we were meant to experience in Him.  It is settling for far less than we were made to enjoy.  Sin is the great thief of life. The result is always loss.  The result is always counterfeit.  Sin makes promises it cannot deliver.  Sin leaves us wanting.

 

Even today I was made aware of another situation where friends of mine are being deceived by sin.  I sincerely have no desire to judge them and find no joy in their struggle.  Their problem is not a means for me to make myself feel good.  I hate that they will suffer from their choices.  I hate that sin will set them back and rob them of the goodness God intended.  Sin is serious. 

 

I hope this makes sense. AS

Join me this Sunday for Part 2 of the Fallen Series at 9 & 1045 am at Highpoint Church.

Recently,  I read this article from my favorite author, John Ortberg.  It is called the Sin Tamer which pairs perfectly with my current series, Fallen.  Click here to read the SIN TAMER. I hope it makes sense.  AS