Archive for February, 2009

This past Sunday I had the great joy and honor of baptising my youngest daughter.  However there was something else that was just as powerful to me and that was the fact that there were other fathers in the water with us baptising their kids.  Let me explain why;  see the Bible never states that a pastor has to do the baptising, it actually gives this responsibility to all the disciples of Christ.  So when I see fathers that are not in the ministry wanting to baptise their children and taking an active role in the spiritual journey of their child I see their faith being carried out.  The Bible specifically tells us that we are to teach our children so that they will be faithful to God and have confidence in Him.

Psalm 78:5-8 (New American Standard Bible)

    ⁵ For He established a testimony in Jacob
         And appointed a law in Israel,
         Which He commanded our fathers
         That they should teach them to their children,
         That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born,
         That they may arise and tell them to their children,
    ⁷ That they should put their confidence in God
         And not forget the works of God,
         But keep His commandments,
    ⁸ And not be like their fathers,
         A stubborn and rebellious generation,
         A generation that did not prepare its heart
         And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

So to Fathers who are not taking the spiritual lead in their family rememember God intended for us as men to be in that role.  Nothing is more rewarding than to be where God intended for you to be ;o)!

As Krystal and I are continuing through this current trial of being unemployed it occurred to me how often we as humans (especially Americans) take the little things for granted.   Those of us in the 2x-4x something generation we have not ever really had to go without food for days or without shelter or any hardship that our earlier generations or ancestors have seen.  So, because we are so fortunate we have a nature of oversight.  Meaning that we tend to look past the little things that we deem as unimportant or silly and only focus on the wants or “big ticket” items that we feel we need.  Let me provide an example, how many of you dread Monday morning and having to go to work?  Well I was one of those, I looked so forward to Sunday and being in the Lord’s house but yet I dreaded Sunday night because of having to go to work the next morning.  Well obviously that has definitely been dealt with as I will love to be able to go to work on Monday.  

This same attitude however can be seen in our Christian walk and how we approach God’s Word.  Lets take for instance the simpliest verse that we all learned when we were 5 years old and lets examine it (John 3:16).  Now this verse is used as the most basic means of sharing the Gospel with people.  We use it on signs at football games and anywhere else that we are trying to just get peoples attention and touch them as quickly and easily as possible.  However this verse is not only for the purpose of sharing our faith but it is an example for us a Christians on how to live our lives and a window into what God thinks is valuable.  Let me explain further:

16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

OK, so now that we have the verse lets really examine it and get back to basics:

Nothing expresses the concept of God’ love more comprehensively than John 3:16.  When the Scripture speaks of God’s love, we must embrace the fact that it is not limited to a selected few or one favored group. If that was the case, it’s a real possibility we would not be included. But it is an inclusive love that has the breadth to go beyond our failings and the depth to lift us from our falls.  When John declares this gift is for the whole world, it’s inspiring because it means that even folk like us still benefit from its reach. Folk that may not be where they need to be yet but are pressing forward are renewed by His presence. And His love transforms the possibilities in our lives into purpose and we are simply better because of it.   Think of the ways in which we share our love for our family, friends, even in our giving to strangers. We may choose service, affection, gifts, or simply language to transfer our feelings to that individual. But God’s love is expressed in the giving of his most priceless gift, His only son Jesus Christ.  When I reflect on the reality that He gave His only, I realize that normally we wouldn’t give people our only of anything. Human nature would caution us to keep back something for ourselves. Even the most benevolent spirit that freely shares would hesitate on giving away their only coat, their only car, or their only dollar.

I recall as a child, if there was only one of something left in the refrigerator, you asked for it. The only slice of pie or only cup of milk had special significance because it might be needed for something important or promised to someone else. If you dared take the only of anything without permission, it was certain that you would bring the wrath of Mama down on you.  And so I’ve always been encouraged that John reveals that God “so loved” us that his love is solidified with action and not just in words. It moved beyond rhetoric to the reality of giving that which He valued most, Jesus Christ. And we are all beneficiaries of that wonderful gift.

And so the immense power of God’ love is that He says, “I’m not just going to give you what I have, I’m going to give you all I have.”

God chooses to love us even when we aren’t that lovable and gently looks beyond our faults. And therein rests the power of love. That it gives us not only the chance to become better, but to become a part of something greater than ourselves through His love.

So as we look at this example we should see a model for how we are to live our lives as Christians, “followers” of Christ.  The game of follow-the-leader is just that you do everything that the leader does…everything!  We should love as God loved and we should be giving of our most valuable gift…salvation through the blood of Christ.  In doing this we should solidify our devotion to Christ with not just saying that we are Christians but with action in pursing Him day after day as hard as we can.  We as Christians must know our tools and know who we are in Christ.

God Bless ~ Tyler

For the second year in a row I was privileged enough to be able to lead our church’s halftime devotion.  We all get together and have a great time eating, having a little fellowship, and watching the game.  Well, last year in my half-time devotion we discussed the different positions on the field and how they relate to the church.   This year we went from a different angle and the other side of the sideline into the stands: The Fans.

Lets talk about that real quick and then we can understand how the fan correlates to the church member.

- Fans arrive early

They seldom wander in to the arena in the 2nd quarter or stadium in the 4th inning

- Fans don’t care when they get home

They love overtime and sudden death

- Fans are very vocal

They don’t just sit & spectate – They participate !!  They stand-up and cheer and high-five each other

- Fans can endure everything

For instance:  Green Bay – 30 below zero and people with no shirts!

- Fans want the best seat in the house

The closer they are the better – No one wants the backrow nose bleed section

- Fans never miss a game

T.V., Radio, Internet Streaming, Mobile Alerts – We will go along way to keep up with the score of our teams

- Fans know their teams & stats

How many yards did your quarterback throw last season vs. Name all the Apostles – Which could you answer?

Now lets look at Mark 12:30

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Are you giving God all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your mind and strength.  Are you a fan of Christ?  Are you giving all of yourself that you can give?  There is a lot to be done in this world for Christ.  Until we become dedicated and  become a fan it will be hard for us to make an impact for Christ in our communities!