The joys of following Jesus

Christian, following Jesus is not simply what we do. It is who we are. That distinction is HUGE.

If it is simply what we do, we will become a moralist. We'll try to live a good life and gloss over our slip-ups. Unfortunately, if we look around, we'll notice that a lot of people who claim no allegiance to Jesus at all are living just as 'good' a life as we are. The lost will not be drawn to Jesus by observing our lives because they see no major difference when they compare themselves to us.

If, however, we realize that following Jesus defines who we are, we will hear Him calling out to us to "deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24). We will realize that statement calls us to refuse to live our lives for ourselves (deny ourselves), submit to His right to rule us (take up our cross) and live our lives for Jesus (follow Him). We won't simply be a 'good' person. We will become holy (i.e. set apart for God).

The exciting part is that someone who really gets this distinction will come into a deeper fellowship with Jesus; maybe they never even realized that such an incredible relationship was possible. They will discover that the longings that reside deep inside their soul were simply waiting to be filled with a God who has become so real to them. And they will be motivated to live for Jesus and obey Him not out of a sense of duty but because they wholeheartedly want to!

Psalm 34:8 (New Living Translation)

"Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!"

What could possibly be fun about running a half marathon?

Only a runner can understand the excitement I have as I anticipate running my 3rd half marathon in 1 day, 10 hours, 5 minutes and 10 seconds. (but who's counting. lol)

Here are just a few of the reasons why so many of us are waiting for the 13.1 mile race to begin:

• The thrill of mingling with other achievers. When we gather at the start line, we know that 13.1 miles lies ahead of us. When the race starts, we will either finish the race in a respectable time or get a DNF ("Did Not Finish!"). Who wants that?! So, the folks who approach the line are ready for the race. When most other folks were just thinking they should be exercising, the guys and gals at the start line were actually exercising.

• It's hard! Yep. You read that right. It's fun because it's hard. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, right? Yet, the thrill comes when you push through the pain and discomfort. The feeling of achievement is all the sweeter when you know it wasn't easy.

• The thrill of the race. While running can be fun in and of itself (ever heard of the 'runner's high'?), it's fun to push yourself to see what you're made of. When the gun fires or the horn blows to signify the start of the race, the clock begins. The whole time you are on the race course, the clock is running. Something happens when you are surrounded by other runners and have the awareness of the clock. You find out that under those conditions you can achieve more than in your normal training cycle. It's fun to run but it's also fun to do a race just to see how quickly you can finish it.

• The folks along the race route that cheer. During a race, folks will stand along

  

  At the finish of my first half marathon
  (Lake Minneola, Florida)

  the side of the road just to cheer you on. They probably don't know you. They just find enjoyment in participating in the race (probably in a vicarious way). But their cheers help immensely because running a half marathon is not just physical ... it's mental. The periodic encouragement is extremely helpful! And there's nothing like approach the finish line. You've given it just about everything you've got but the applause and cheers pull you across the finish line. You did it! You finished!!!

• The race bib (and medal). I have a wall in my church office that has the race bib for every race I've run. There are even some award medals in the mix. I don't do that to impress the folks who walk into my office. I do it to remind myself that I've participated in some races and have done extremely well in a few of them. I find that wall to be a very motivating and inspiring influence when I get a little discouraged.

There are many other reasons why running a race is so exciting. I can't wait to run it and then reflect on the race after its over. I'll probably write a post about the whole experience.

If you want to read my post-race reflections on my previous two half marathons, you can click on the following links:

Reflections on my Lake Minneola Half Marathon (April 20, 2013)

Reflections on my Go Commando Half Marathon (October 20, 2013)

How to assess the value of a person

We take one look at someone and almost immediately size them up, don't we?

Someone who is tall tends to get more respect.

A male with a deeper voice tends to get more respect.

A female who is attractive tends to get more respect (a.k.a. attention).

On and on we could go. We are such a superficial bunch. We often measure people (even assess their worth) by things that they often have no control over.

When Israel was looking for their first king, they got Saul. Do you remember what initially impressed them so much with him? Quite simply, he was from a wealthy family and he was tall and handsome.

1 Samuel 9:1-2 (New Living Translation)

"There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin. His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel - head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land."

Some may retort, "Yes, but God was the One who chose Saul to be the king." To that, I would respond, "Yes, God gave them exactly what they wanted. They were a superficial bunch so they got exactly what they asked for."

What was the result of getting a man based upon his wealth and appearance? Saul was an abysmal failure! Throughout the book of 1 Samuel, we realize that among other things he often failed to fully obey the Lord. He was a weak leader. He was a coward (e.g. he sent a young shepherd boy to fight a giant that he was afraid to face). He tried to kill his own son with a spear). Etc., etc., etc.

So, God's patience finally wore out. God rejected Saul as king. So, He sent Samuel to anoint the next king. The prophet went to the house of a man named Jesse to choose the next ruler of Israel from among his sons.

Unfortunately, Samuel began looking on outward appearances again. (Superficial!) That's when God made it clear where the true value of someone resides. God told Samuel how He assessed the value of individuals.

1 Samuel 16:6-7 (New Living Translation)

"When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, 'Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!' But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"

So, how do you measure the worth of the people you encounter each day?

Here's another question: "What do YOU rely upon to give YOU a sense of worth?"

Friend, let me tell you that your value in God's eyes has nothing to do with how much or how little you have in the bank. It has nothing to do with whether you are tall or short, handsome or homely, educated or uneducated, gifted or not.

Your true value rests in what's going on in your heart. Have you given it to Him? Have you received the gift of God's forgiveness offered on the cross? And are you showing that you are a follower of Jesus by trusting and obeying Him (or as Jesus put it, "denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him")?

If so, when God looks at you, He smiles! You are a person of value, indeed. You're a child of the King!

Enjoying God's Creation at Roan Mountain

On April 5, 2014, I went with my family, my Mom, my brother and his family to Roan Mountain. Here are some of the pictures I took on our outing.

Survey results for "Matt's Musings Reader Survey" (April 4-5, 2014)

1. What is your gender?

• Female - 71.43%
• Male - 28.57%

2. What is your age?

• 18-24 - 0%
• 25-34 - 14.29%
• 35-44 - 26.53%
• 45-54 - 14.29%
• 55-64 - 20.41%
• 65-74 - 14.29%
• 75 or older - 10.20%

3. Which of the following best describes your current relationship status?

• Married - 74%
• Widowed - 4%
• Divorced - 10%
• Separated - 4%
• In a domestic partnership or civil union - 0%
• Single, but cohabitating with a significant other - 0%
• Single, never married - 8%

4. Do you have any children under 18?

• Yes - 32.65%
• No - 67.35%

5. Which of the following best describes your current occupation?

• Business and Financial Operations Occupations - 2.04%
• Computer and Mathematical Occupations - 2.04%
• Community and Social Service Occupations - 2.04%
• Legal Occupations - 2.04%
• Education, Training, and Library Occupations - 14.29%
• Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations - 2.04%
• Healthcare Support Occupations - 2.04%
• Personal Care and Service Occupations - 6.12%
• Sales and Related Occupations - 2.04%
• Office and Administrative Support Occupations - 10.20%
• Construction and Extraction Occupations - 2.04%
• Production Occupations - 4.08%
• Transportation and Materials Moving Occupations - 6.12%
• Other - 42.86% (Full-time student, self-employed, retired, homeschooler, etc.)

6. In what state or U.S. territory do you live?

• Florida - 10%
• Kentucky - 84%
• Mississippi - 2%
• Texas - 4%

7. Are you a follower of Jesus?

• Yes - 100%
• No - 0%

8. If you are a follower of Jesus, how would you describe that relationship?

• My present relationship is sufficient and I would be content to remain where I am - 12.14%
• I am not satisfied with where I am. I want to grow in my knowledge of Jesus, His Word, and how it applies to my daily life - 85.71%
• I have no relationship with Jesus - 2.04%

9. How would you rate "Matt's Musings?"

• Very relevant and helpful - 88%
• Somewhat relevant and helpful - 10%
• Not relevant or helpful - 2%

10. What do you think about the length of the average post?

• The posts are typically too long! - 4.08%
• I am comfortable with the length; the content justifies the length - 95.92%

Matt's Musings Reader Survey

I am interested in learning more about those of you who read my blog. Please take a few minutes to answer the following anonymous 10 question survey. 

All you will need to do to access the survey is click on the following link. Thank you!

Matt's Musings Readers Survey

Discover North America

Renaissance Hotel - Nashville

On Monday, March 31st, Kim and I drove to Nashville for a 24 hour stay. I had been invited to join 150 other Southern Baptist pastors and church planters for a "Discover North America" gathering at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville. 

Since I had told the church that I love and pastor that I would lead them to plant churches, I jumped at the opportunity to find out what the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention had to offer. (An added bonus was that some very generous donors paid for the lodging, parking and food for all who participated in this event. Unbelievable!)

We checked in on Monday afternoon, dropped our things off in our 7th story room and prepared for the evening's events.

A few minutes before 6:30pm, we arrived in the East Ballroom for a delicious supper. I looked around the large crowd only to realize that Kim and I knew no one present. So, we sat down at a table with some folks that we would spend some time getting to know. The folks sitting next to Kim were from North Carolina and (other than the fact that they were Duke fans) were very enjoyable conversationalists. The gentleman sitting beside me was Korean but had been a pastor in Massachusetts for over 20 years. We talked much about his passion for making disciples, planting churches, and shepherding the 2,700 folks who regularly attend the congregation he pastors. (In only a few months, he ran against Ronnie Floyd for the position of President of the Southern Baptist Convention. I didn't realize that as I enjoyed conversing with him.)

To our surprise, God had some fun with the seating arrangements because a husband and wife asked if they could sit at our table. As we began to engage them in conversation, we found out that they were the parents-in-law of a pastor friend here in Murray, Kentucky. Small world!

Ronnie Floyd

The two hours after supper were spent listening to Kevin Ezell (President of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention) and Ronnie Floyd (Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Springdale, Arkansas).

I am a big fan of Ronnie Floyd. I recently read his book, 'The Power of Prayer and Fasting,' and came away realizing that his heart's cry is for God to move in revival. He is a mover and shaker and wants to make his one life count for the kingdom. On and on I could go. It is no big surprise that he is going to be nominated as the next President of the Southern Baptist Convention in June 2014.

Both of these men shared the growing need within our country. Churches (specifically Southern Baptist Churches) have not kept pace with the population. While our population continues to grow exponentially, the number of churches have not. 

In fact, there are many places within our major cities where there is no substantial church presence at all. For folks who live in the 'Bible belt', this may be hard to believe. 

To illustrate the situation in which we find ourselves, the following video was shown. It is a brief (10 minutes), enjoyable video that recounts the history of the Southern Baptist Convention through the eyes of an illusionist. Take a few moments to watch it by clicking here.

Bridgestone Arena

After a couple of hours, the meeting was closed in prayer. Kim and I went to the front of the ballroom and chatted with Ronnie Floyd and Kevin Ezell for a few minutes and then called it a night.

After waking up on Tuesday morning, I took a picture of the Bridgestone Arena from our hotel room. The significance of this arena is that it is in that location that thousands of Southern Baptist pastors, church planters and lay leaders will gather on August 3 & 4, 2015.

We gathered again at 9am in the East Ballroom for further explanations of what the North American Mission Board wants to do to help churches become church-planting churches. I left absolutely excited about being a Southern Baptist knowing that as we partner together, we can do so much more than we could do on our own.

But, before the Tuesday morning (final) gathering started, Kim and I sat down at a table with some folks that we did not previously know. As we engaged them in conversation, I began to think that it was a divine appointment. I won't mention who they are just yet because I want to gather more information first. Yet, it may be the very partnership that would allow Westside Baptist Church, the congregation that I pastor, to begin the adventure of becoming a church-planting church.

After the final meeting concluded, we walked to the Bridgestone Arena and gathered in the stands. Cher had performed there the night before and floor was being quickly reconstructed for the NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four Championship that was about to begin. But, for the moment, we prayed over that arena. We prayed that in August 2015, God would gather in that place up to 18,000 pastors, planters, lay leaders and other Southern Baptist to this arena. We prayed that it would be an exciting celebration of what God has done and is doing through us to push back the darkness in North America.

I'll definitely be there!