Habits of a Mom Who Finishes Well

This sermon uses the Old Testament mom, Rebekah, to illustrate a couple of habits that present day moms need so that they can be successful in raising children who will be adult Jesus-followers.

One note of correction: I wrongfully mentioned in this sermon that the Bible never records a prayer by Rebekah. A couple of folks caught my mistake and referenced Genesis 25:22. (I'm sure there were many others who also caught it but just didn't bring it to my attention.) It doesn't change the point I was making about prayer but I'm so proud to pastor a people who are engaged and know their Bibles!

"And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth." (Acts 17:11 - NLT)

To view the sermon on Youtube, click here.

Pics in Land Between The Lakes

I took the following pictures while hiking in Land Between the Lakes with my wife and three sons.

 

I took this picture on our last trip, too. Can't explain it ... just like it!

I love this part of the trail!

Our boys love hiking ... generally speaking. LOL

Yep. I took this one, too, on an earlier trip.

 

Kim and Matt's 18th Anniversary Video

Today, Kim and I have been married 18 years. Here is a video of some pictures of Kim and me as we grew up and then grew together. The song playing in the background is "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman. I sang that song to Kim at our wedding.

Salvation and Slavery

When we turn our back on sin and self-rule and turn to Jesus for forgiveness, there is a LOT that happens in that moment.

One of the biggies is this: The ownership of our life gets transferred. We don't belong to ourselves anymore. We belong to Jesus. In fact, the biblical terminology is that we become "slaves of Jesus." We were bought off the slave block of sin and purchased with the blood of Jesus as His own prized possession.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

"...You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body..."

In fact, about half of the New Testament letters begin with the author declaring his allegiance to his Master. Just one instance is in ...

Romans 1:1 (NLT)

"This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus..."

To be a slave of Jesus means that our life no longer belongs to us. Every waking moment must be spent thinking about what our Master desires of us. We need to live our life not for ourselves but for the benefit of our Master (Matthew 6:33).

It is this mindset that allows us to put our life into proper perspective. If we think that "salvation" is simply a ticket to Heaven that allows us to continue living for ourselves, we will spend the rest of our life focusing on us and not Jesus.

But, if we understand that being truly saved means that we become the prized possession of Jesus and that this life is a testing ground to show our Master that we can be trusted with greater possessions and responsibilities in our eternal home (Matthew 16:10-12), then we will live our life for Jesus. 

That sort of mindset is exactly why we see the Apostle Paul able to courageously live his life for Jesus regardless of the consequences - even if following Jesus meant death.

Acts 20:24 9 (NLT)

"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."

So, are you living for yourself or Jesus? If you claim to be a follower of Jesus and if you claim that you've been bought by Jesus ... then ask God to help you act like it today.

Also, notice that being about Jesus' business meant that Paul was going to "tell others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God." Look for an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus today. Tell them of how He died to pay their sin debt and how they can be brought into relationship with Almighty God.

You can be sure that if you do, God will be watching ... and smiling.

Why repentance is a good thing

The "offense" of the Gospel is that it strikes at the root of human pride. None of us like to be confronted with our failures and sins. Yet, the Gospel demands that we fall at the foot of the cross and ask for forgiveness because we feel the weight of our guilt in the sight of a holy God.

Repentance, while it goes against our very nature, is the only way to eternal life. It is the only way to avoid divine judgment.

Imagine climbing to the top of a mountain for your first time. Your partner is an expert climber who is assisting you on your trip. When you finally reach the top you stand tall, throw your arms up in the air and celebrate. Yet, to your shock, your friend yells, "To your knees! To your knees!" You comply but wonder why. He then tells you that the wind at the top of the mountain can be so strong that it can knock you off your feet and send you sliding down the mountain to your death. If you would seek your self-interest, you must drop to your knees.

That's what it takes to be saved from our sinfulness. One day, we will stand before Jesus and give an account of our life. The only way we will hear Him say, "Welcome to Heaven" is if we have sought our self-interest and dropped to our knees in repentance in this life. Have you done this? If not, why not do it today?

Acts 17:30-31 (NLT)

“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

Hiking in Land Between the Lakes

I took my family on a 4 mile hike in LBL today. We really enjoyed some great conversation and I captured a few moments on camera.

This picture doesn't quite capture the beauty of the scene.

I liked the effect that the sun made behind this tree.

We loved walking about 4 miles among the tall pine trees.

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel
and my family is headed that way.

Kenlake State Resort Park

Here are some pictures I took while hanging out with my wife at Kenlake State Resort Park on May 1st. It is so refreshing to the spirit to just get quiet and enjoy God's creation.