Why Call Me Lord?

Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?   - Luke 6:46


The term "Lord" that Jesus uses in his question carries the meaning of one who is a master or ruler.  His point is that it is inconsistent to recognize and assign someone this role and then to not obey them.  Jesus takes the point further than just simple obedience.  In John he says that if we love him we will obey him.

It is impossible for Jesus to be Lord of your life and for you to have a genuine love for him if you are not obedient to his will.  Many people claim a relationship with Jesus but it seems few truly understand what it means to live in that relationship.  I know for myself I am guilty of selectively following Jesus.  I follow him in the ways that it is most convenient for me and fits the pattern of the way I want to live my life.  That's not true obedience.  That's not love.

If you proclaim Jesus as Lord of your life, do you then live your life in a way that reflects his Lordship?  If not then what's the point.  He is Lord in practice or not Lord at all.

Take His Word For It

I have been attending Bible Classes, VBS, Camp, Devotionals, Small Groups, Youth Rally's, Lectureships, and Worship Services all of my life.  I have heard some of the Bible stories hundreds of times.  Yet, I can sit down to study for a lesson and find something new nearly every time.  I also occasionally stumble across something that doesn't match up to what I have been taught.

The older I get the more I discover that there are many things we have accepted as Biblical fact that in reality are based on little more than human conjecture and tradition.  Today I have been preparing for my class on Heroes of Faith that I am doing this Summer.  I was reviewing the story of Noah when I began to search for scriptures that supported a few "facts" that I had always heard.  I found that some of those so called facts really aren't facts.  While there is much about the life of Noah and the story of the flood that the Bible is specific about there are at least a few details that someone throughout history surmised to be the truth and others came to accept them and passed them on as truth.

In my research, I came across more than one online discussion forum on these specific topics.  I was amazed at the number of times different people would write that "the Bible says (fill in the blank)" when in fact the Bible does not.  They were just saying what they believed the Bible to say or perhaps had been told it says with obviously no first hand knowledge of the truth.  What was even more amazing is some gave scripture references to support their claim and the stated passage gave no such support.

I do think that we can read the Bible and make some logical conclusions.  God gave us that ability.  However, while these guesses may be accurate they may not.  We need to be careful in differentiating between conjecture and what the Bible specifically says.  Why? Because there are many people looking for excuses to discredit God's story.  We only serve their cause and create confusion for believers when we portray conjecture as fact.  We also show our own ignorance of the very truths we claim to be so sacred.

I would also point out that such details are not worth agonizing over or certainly arguing about.  If they were that important and God wanted and needed us to know, then I'm quite sure he would have told us.  Take confidence that the God who spoke the universe into existence is perfectly capable of delivering and protecting His message to you just as He wants it to be.

Remember

This weekend is of course a holiday weekend.  It's 2:30 on Friday and I'm sure many people have snuck out early to enjoy the long weekend.  It's great to have these breaks from the normal routine and to be able to spend some time relaxing with family and friends.

However, I found it ironic that many people forget the reason for this holiday.  A holiday created to help us remember the great sacrifices of so many men and women to secure and protect our way of life.  While I hope we all enjoy our break, don't forget to take time to remember.  I would encourage you to also thank God for the blessings we enjoy and for those who have and continue to sacrifice to maintain those blessings.

You're A Winner

My postings recently have been based on questions.  Today, however, I stumbled across an article I wrote a couple of year's ago and for some reason it struck me as one I needed to share again.  I don't know why, but maybe God does.

I was standing in line at the convenience store the other day where the man in line in front of me was redeeming some lottery tickets.  The clerk took the tickets and put them in the machine and the computer declared, “You’re a Winner!”  The man responded, “at least somebody thinks so.”  The clerk smiled and handed him $5.

When I first heard the man’s response, my reaction was to chuckle.  As he walked away, however, I began to think to myself how sad it was that so many people are reliant on things like gambling to be able to see themselves as a winner.  How sad to be dependant on chance to have any sense of self worth.

The truth of the matter is that we are very valuable.  We know how valuable we are because Jesus Christ the Son of God died for us and through that death we have a tremendous victory.  In Romans 8, Paul tells us that those who are in Christ are more than conquerors because nothing can separate us from God’s love. 

The most important victory one can attain is the victory over death and Jesus Christ has done that.  Paul writes in Romans 6 that those who are baptized are joined with Christ in that victory and will gain the reward when we rise to meet him in heaven some day.

The question is, “Are you really a winner today?”

Question of the Day: What are you Chasing?

If you have spent any time at all reading the Gospels then you know that Jesus asked a lot of questions.  In fact more often than not he would respond to questions with a question of his own.  He did this to get us thinking and to come to the answers on our own.  He knew that they mean more that way and we are more likely to both accept the answer and remember it.

The question I'm sharing with you today comes from Mark 8:36, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul?"  Come on admit it, it's a great question.  It is one that should quickly return us to a proper perspective on life.

So what are you chasing today?  What will you chase after tomorrow?  Where do you pour out your time, energy, talents, abilities, and strength?  Are you trying to gain the world or are you building treasures in heaven?  It really is a great question.

New Resource

Our Tech guys have done it again.  Now we are able to post recordings of sermons onto our website.  If you miss a lesson or there is one you want to hear again, all you have to do is go to the church website (see link below) and look for the "sermon" link in the menu on the left.  There you will find a table with sermons going back to March of this year.  The hope is to have each new sermon uploaded by the end of each week.

A special thanks to David Wilhite and Leon Foust for getting this up and running.  We hope this will be a useful tool for everyone.

Today's Question - Am I Your Enemy?

Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? - Galatians 4:16

The familiar saying is often true, "the truth hurts."  Our normal reaction to pain is to get away from what's causing the pain and if someone is responsible for that pain then we may not like them very much.  When someone speaks the truth to us and it is a truth we don't like or hurts us, it can be very natural to then dislike that person and dismiss anything they say.  It is our way of keeping ourselves from being uncomfortable.

As a minister I have encountered this on a few occasions.  Sunday after Sunday someone will smile, shake hands, offer encouraging words and thanks for a "good lesson".  Then the week comes when the lesson hits a little too close to home.  Suddenly  instead of smiles there might be scowling glances, in place of warm hand shakes their are cold shoulders and if words are shared they aren't compliments but mumblings about how I shouldn't have said that.

On one such occasion someone approached me with their face all twisted up, shoulders up around their ears, hands clenched and all they said was, "You just don't know how much that lesson offended me."  I quickly offered an apology for any offense because that is certainly never my intention with a lesson.  As much as I hate to admit it, I am capable of making a mistake so I also asked what I had said that was in error and in conflict with God's word.  I was met with a blank stare, a long pause and then finally the short reply of, "well, not everyone sees it that way and it was very offensive."

I felt very confident that what I had said that morning was in line with scripture because it was so clear, but in order to be sure I later prayerfully went over the lesson again and also discussed the matter with others I consider wiser than myself.  Still, I could find no error only validation of what I had said.  My only conclusion was that this person had been offended by the truth.

Here is a harsh reality all of us must face, just because we may not like the truth does not invalidate it as truth.  When it comes to Biblical truth we often want God to align with us instead of seeking to align ourselves with God.  We must be careful and understand that when it is God's word that offends us it is not the Word that is wrong but us.  It is also not the messenger sharing that truth who we are opposed to but God who is the author of all truth.  For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.  Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. - 1 Thess. 4:7-8

So many people saw Jesus, witnessed the miracles he performed, and heard his teaching but rejected him.  Why?  Because he didn't always say what they wanted to hear but what they needed to hear in order to inherit eternal life.  I encourage you not to be one of those people.  Be open and receptive to the truth no matter how painful it might seem and do not live in opposition to God.

Comments Welcome

I know that the posts to our blog have been sporadic, but there is something you can do to encourage us.  You can comment!  Below each post there is a small link that you can click on to add a comment to that post.  It is very easy to do.  Here you can ask questions or give insights on that post.  Your feedback encourages us by letting us know someone is reading and it will improve the overall blog experience for everyone.

Right now you do not have to be registered with blogspot to post, so your comments will show as "anonymous".  As long as we don't start getting inappropriate comments from someone who stumbles across the blog and just wants to cause trouble, then it will remain that way.  If you choose not to register and leave comments it would be appreciated if you would sign your first name at the bottom of your comment.

I'll have a fresh post tomorrow, so check back then.  In the meantime, feel free to comment :)

What's Your Purpose?

Here's the question of the day:  What's your purpose?  I have known many people who go through life without knowing the answer to that question.  Their lives are chaotic because they have no understanding of their purpose.  While the answer may be a little more complex than one line, let me share what Paul wrote to the church in Colosse. "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Paul sounds to me like a guy who had a very clear understanding of what he was trying to accomplish in his life.  Imagine if your purpose in life was something like this.  How would it change you.  How would you be different at home, at work, at play, and in line at Wal-Mart?  What is your purpose and is it reflected in the way you live your life?

My Apologies

Just days after vowing to do better about posting to the blog I up and go on a week vacation followed by a week at the Pepperdine Lectureship.  Needless to say I didn't do any posting during the last 2 weeks.  But, I'm back now and will be posting regularly again, at least that is my plan.

There is a lot going on and so much to do over the next few weeks.  We have several ministries gearing up for summer activities, graduation is around the corner, pictures are being taken for the new directory, Community Care is just weeks away,  a group will soon be headed to Roundup at York, new biography and involvement forms are being circulated and filled out, and I have heard whispers that a new bus may be on the horizon.  That's not nearly half of what is going on and doesn't include next month!

How great it is to be a part of this family.  I love watching what God is doing here and can't wait to see what else he has in store.  Another post tomorrow Lord willing and the creek don't rise (or in our case a tornado doesn't blow us all away).

Oh Happiness!

"Oh Happiness! There's grace! Enough for us and the whole human race!"

(from "Oh Happiness" by David Crowder Band)

I can't stop singing that song. It's stuck in my head. Consequently, I've been thinking about the lyrics a lot.....

Romans 3:23-24 says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

"Redeemed, How I love to proclaim it!..." Whoops. I'm singing again. :-)

I've been pondering:

Isn't it great how God planned grace?

And how it's free?

And how it's for everyone through His precious Son, Jesus?!

And how can I possibly keep the good news about His gift all to myself?

And why would I ever choose to wear a grumpy face when I know how much God loves me?

Knowing we have the gift of God's grace makes me happy. In fact, that makes me smile. A lot. What about you? Do you have your happy face on today? If you don't have one today, please let me share one of mine. We have lots of smiles down here in Sonshine School, and we really really love to share.

And by the way- Wow! Isn't it great how God made smiles? I just love the way He plans stuff.
They brighten your face and your eyes! They improve your mood! And they are very contagious!!

"It isn't any trouble just to s-m-i-l-e...."

God is Good, All the Time.

-Ms Christi

To Whom Shall We Go

I was just turning pages in my Bible looking for a certain verse when one of the section headlines caught my eye.  It read, "Many Disciples Desert Jesus."  I have read this section more than once before, but it was not the verse I was looking for.  For some reason, however, it stuck with me, and I found myself coming back to it to read again.  Jesus had just given his disciples some difficult teaching that many of them were having a hard time accepting.  Being aware of their thoughts and uncertainty, Jesus doesn't back away and John records that many who had been following turned away.

It was at this point that Jesus asked the Twelve if they wanted to leave as well.  Peter speaks up and actually gives a great response, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."  A powerful statement of faith and commitment, but it makes me wonder what was different about the Twelve who remained and the others who left?

I believe the answer is found in the first sentence of Peter's reply, "to whom shall we go?".  The Twelve that Jesus called had left everything to follow him.  They got up from their jobs and just walked away.  They had given up everything to be disciples.  These other followers were those that came to see the miracles and hear this new teaching.  It seems to me that they hadn't given up everything so it was easier for them to leave and go back.

This is something we see still at work today.  Many people can be attracted to certain aspects of following Jesus.  They may like the worship, the fellowship, activities or whatever.  However, let them hear some teaching that hits a little too close to home or asks too much of them, and they will just walk away.  They turn back to all the things they didn't leave in order to be a disciple.

It is the very reason the rich young ruler went away sad.  Jesus told him to give up the one thing that he knew would always be more important to this man and would be his safety net, his wealth.  Jesus knew he would not be completely committed and would easily turn away as long as he trusted in anything other than Jesus.

What about you?  To whom or to what do you turn other than Jesus?  The Twelve had no place else to go.  They had put all of their eggs in one basket so to speak.  Are you completely surrendered to the Savior or should things not go as you wish could you just walk away?  Half-hearted or part-time discipleship has never been an option with Jesus.  He gave himself completely for you and he demands all of you in return.

Exciting Times

These really are exciting times for our church family. There is just so much going on and coming together that makes me so excited about what God is doing here. My last post was about our new praise time on Wednesday evening. To be honest I really didn't know how that was going to work. I didn't know if the older people would come down to the youth center and participate. I didn't know how the teens would react to their space being invaded. I have to say I was greatly encouraged.

We had a number of older members come in and enthusiastically participate. At first the teens kind of moved away and huddled up out of the way. However, when we got ready to sing they came over and sat in the middle of everything and joined right in. I can see a lot of good things coming about as a result of these few minutes spent together in praise in the middle of the week.

Tomorrow is the great clean out. We are clearing out all the storage areas and reorganizing them. We will keep what is useful, sell what we don't need but is good, and trash the rest. We have a lot of work ahead of us so I hope we will have a lot of help show up to work.

Also, work has begun on sprucing up our old foyer and hallways around the auditorium. Even though we are a long way from being done, just the few changes that have begun have made a big difference. I am really looking forward to seeing the finished product and how it will help our facility reflect the warmth and friendliness of our family.

Over the last few weeks we have had new families coming to work with us with more being added this week and several others visiting. Add this to some additional changes we hope to be able to announce soon as well as some behind the scenes stuff that is going on and it is all pointing to a great future for this family.

God is good all the time!

Praise Time

I can't wait until this evening because tonight we begin our new praise time. I love all of the fellowship time we have during the Wednesday night meal and class is always great, but it has felt like something was missing. Then a couple of weeks ago about ten minutes before class started I walked down one of the hallways and heard beautiful singing. I walked toward it and discovered it was all of our elementary kids packed in a small class room having a pre-class devotional.

They seemed to be having a pretty good time and were really into the song they were singing. It was then that it dawned on me that the teens and adults could do the same thing. So, tonight at 6:40 anyone who wants to is going to gather in the youth center for about 15 minutes of nothing but praise. I think this is a great way to wrap up our wonderful fellowship time and prepare to go to class. I hope everyone will join us.

Habits are Hard to Make

I have always heard it said that bad habits are hard to break. As I reflect on my life there are a couple of bad habits that I have fought and fought to get rid of that I don't remember having any problem picking up. Yet, there are many good habits I would like to have that I have tried to incorporate into my life that just never seem to take. I have learned that good habits are as hard to make as bad habits are to break. For example, I had the idea for this blog after the first of the year and when I started it up it was my intention to post to it several times a week as well as encouraging others to post to it as well. I did pretty well for the first 10 days or so and then, well, life happened and next thing I knew it had been 2 weeks since I posted anything.

This is something I see as a good communication tool as well as something that can keep me focused on the spiritual development of our church family. I really believe it has the potential to be good for me and others, so why am I having a hard time making it become a regular part of my life?

Then I remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome. "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good i want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members."

This is a reminder of the continual struggle we have of the spirit versus the flesh. While my spirit longs to serve God and others there are a multitude of physical distractions pulling me to serve myself. It can become frustrating and discouraging to the point of wanting to quit when I time and again give into the flesh. It can seem hopeless. Paul goes on in that same letter to make a desperate statement, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Of course he doesn't leave it there. He gives the answer in a statement of praise, "Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Amen! We sometimes forget the victory has already been won. I think that all of us need to do a better job of understanding that we are flawed and weak. Left alone we will fall short. We will fail. But, through Jesus Christ we are made more than conquerors and can do all things. What may be impossible for us is made possible through the power of God. We need to stop trying to "make good habits". That is us working and that really never works. Instead, we need to start seeking God and opening up our hearts and souls to His leading and I believe we will see great things happen.

I guess what I am saying is this. Maybe we need to kick the habit of trying to control our habits and turn ourselves completely over to Him and let His Spirit lead us, teach us, encourage us, and empower us.

I Am Not Alone

As a preacher I don't always know if the lessons I present are really making a difference or impacting people. Now, that is not to say that our church family is not extremely encouraging of me and the work I am doing because they certainly are. Everyone is great at reassuring me that they are listening and do appreciate the messages I give. However, I still sometimes wonder if the true meaning of what I have said is received and understood.

This past week I shared a lesson on grace that was rooted entirely in my own personal struggle with comprehending, appreciating and then living in God's grace. It was a very personal message and one I know many people appreciated but I wondered as I was delivering it if they were really getting it. That question was answered after worship when a man came and talked to me. With a very sincere look on his face he told me how he shared the very same struggle. As he talked, I could see in his eyes both the pain of his past doubts and also the relief that came with a new perspective. He thanked me for the reassurance that he was on the right path.

What he might not realize is how much it means to me to know someone else shares my same struggles. It is good to know I am not alone, and the truth is that none of us are. Whatever our doubts, struggles, mistakes, and successes, there is someone out there who has been there and done that. We all too often can become isolated thinking no one could possibly understand when in reality there are probably lots of people who do.

God did not intend this journey of life to be one we travel alone. For one, He is always there. It is a promise he has made. And second, he has given us a whole host of brothers and sisters in Christ who will love us and bear our burdens right along side of us if we will just open up and allow them to do so.

God Bless,

Daryl

Great Anticipation

I have been looking forward to this week with great anticipation. This is the week for the annual Tulsa International Soul Winning Workshop (see link below). I look forward to the many great lessons I know I will hear. I look forward to perusing all the booths with vendors and mission efforts. I look forward to hearing some great concerts. I think I look forward most of all though to the great time of fellowship and worship. It is always so encouraging and inspiring to be with thousands of Christians from around the world and joining with one voice to praise God.

I am looking forward to being able to share the experience for the first time not only with the other staff ministers at Adams but so many of our family members as well. Several of us will be going together Wednesday evening for the opening event. I know the bus is nearly full and we have several others who will be taking their own vehicles. I really can't wait to share this opportunity with them all.

It is going to be great and I'll try to post some of my experiences and maybe even some pics on this blog as the week unfolds.

God Bless,

Daryl

A Little Spring Cleaning and Sprucing

Great things are happening here at Adams Blvd! We continue to look at ways to better serve our members and our guests. One way that we can do that is to make sure that our facility is as welcoming, comfortable and convenient as possible. In the coming weeks and months you will notice some changes as we look to clean, organize and update parts of our building. We are also going to work on improving our methods of communication by making new brochures available and improving our signage. So keep your eyes open. You don’t want to run into a “Wet Paint” sign!

There's Power in The Blood

Yesterday evening we were enjoying a nice quiet night at home. Amy was cooking supper, the boys were playing in the back yard and I was just relaxing in our room. The peace was suddenly shattered with screams and crying from the back yard. Now that is not all that unusual when the boys are "playing" together. We have learned to wait and listen at least a second or two to see if they are screams of anger & frustration or a real emergency. Most often it is the former and they either work it out or come storming into the house pleading their case about how they are being mistreated. This time, however, the crying did not stop and it was followed by Spencer yelling, "Mom, Colby is bleeding!"

I actually made it outside faster than Amy and found our youngest son sitting with his hands out in front of him, palms up, looking down, crying and blood all over his head and hands. I knew from past experiences that even minor head wounds bleed profusely but it is still very disturbing to see your own child in that condition. We quickly discovered it wasn't serious but he did have a nice little gash in his forehead. We took him into the house and got him cleaned up. It took quite a while to get Colby, who is pretty even tempered, to calm down. Even though I'm sure his head hurt I could tell it wasn't the injury that was bothering him as much as all the blood. Once the blood was cleaned up and we eventually got the bleeding to stop he was back to his normal self.

I am not a squeamish person and blood in and of itself does not bother me. I'm one of those weirdos that watches them put the needle in my arm when I give blood. I have to admit though seeing my son with all that blood all over him was disturbing. It didn't make me nauseous but it did make my heart stop when I first saw him. Even as I sit here typing and recall those first images of him sitting there bleeding in pain, my chest tightens up a little bit.

For me this was one more of those little spiritual lessons that parenting often brings. This one little incident has given me even greater appreciation for what God allowed to happen to his Son with all the abuse leading up to his death. I think we often choose to forget the absolute horror of those events. Our minor little event caused me a few moments of fear and anxiety until I knew my son was alright. God watched hours of pain and the shedding of his Sons blood knowing how it would end, and he did it so that his blood could wash away our sins. Amazing!

God is good all the time and all the time God is good!

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. - John 3:16

In the words of Paul Harvey, "Now for the rest of the story." I know some of you want to know how the head wound occurred. The details are still a little fuzzy. Neither boy really seems to be able to recall what happened but apparently they were wrestling around and Spencer's front tooth somehow ended up in the top of Colby's forehead. As the chaos with Colby was subsiding Spencer showed us his tooth which is cracked horizontally from one side to the other. After an early morning dentist visit, he is being sent to a specialist this afternoon to hopefully save the tooth.

Safe Travels

Next week is Spring Break, so I know we have lots of folks that will be traveling. If you are traveling, I pray that God will watch over you, keep you safe, and return you safely back to us. I hope that you have a great break where you can relax and recharge. All of us need to take a break from time to time. It helps to reduce stress and gives us a chance to think about and do things outside of the normal routine. You might say it helps to keep life interesting.

You are going to need your rest too. We have a lot of exciting events and service opportunities that are coming up in the next few months. It is an exciting time to be a part of this church family. I hope you are making the most of all the opportunities God is giving us to know, grow, and go!

God Bless,

Daryl

A New Beginning

In the age of constant electronic communication, the staff and leadership felt that starting a blog would offer one more way that we can communicate with the church family. We will use this platform to share devotional thoughts, information about upcoming events, pictures, and any other information we feel will be useful to others. Blogging is new to most if not all of us, so we will have a lot to learn. We hope this will be something that grows and becomes more and more useful to our church family. I look forward to this new adventure!

-God Bless,

Daryl