BAPTISM
We got to baptize a girl yesterday from one of the local coffeeshops we are seeing God move in. I went in there the other day, and a guy who DOESN'T go to our church said that they sometimes play our podcast in this Starbucks when they set up in the morning. That's pretty amazing. He brews.
ISAIAH 30:18
I just cannot shake this verse... I feel overwhelmed and enthused with new faith. The Lord waits (longs to) be gracious to us." He is just waiting to release His grace in my kids, my marriage, my church, my neighbors. God has so many plans, Summit, for your families and our community. Keep believing. This ain't rhetoric... we ain't see nothing yet. I believe that with ALL my heart.
ADVANCE
Please pray for me as I prepare for Advance this weekend. 2500 pastors and Christian leaders coming right here to Durham... for one of the year's best events! (I think there's still a few seats left!)
TWITTER
Also, I'm about to cave on twitter and do it... what do you think? I've been resisting, but I feel my resistances dwindling. What to do? I am really excited about telling jokes on Twitter which I'll call "Twittie Twisters." Yes, I made that up and I am DANG proud of myself. I used to be a youth pastor, and I guess some things never die...
YESTERDAY'S MESSAGE
I've gotten quite some interesting feedback from the message yesterday
on Jesus' tirade against religion. I hope it wasn't too harsh... but as
I tried to acknowledge yesterday, real love always has a severity to
it. Jesus cares enough to call both the sinners AND "the righteous" to
repentance. I think here in the South we have to call people to
"repent" of religion.
- Religion believes it must IMPRESS God… God accepts us because there is something about us that makes us better than others.
- Religion tries to USE God as a means to an end… money,
admiration, a better life, a more secure life, a way to make sure you
go to heaven in the afterlife.
Religion built on these two premises (which are ALL religions but the
simple Gospel of Jesus) produce a certain poisonous fruit in your life…
people who are religious are often fervent (busy people), but they are
plagued with a perpetual feelings of insecurity (nagging questions of,
"Have I done enough? Am I good enough?") This leads to constant
comparison with others… trying to show yourself superior to them… and
this leads to oscillating cycles of pride and despair: you proudly look
down on others when you think you’re better than them, and despair when
you think you’ve failed in comparison; Religion makes you judgmental,
and condescending, and hateful toward others.
The Gospel contradicts religion on both accounts. Rather than an
attempt to use God, the Gospel teaches that God is Himself the
"reward."
Rather than thinking there is anything we can do to impress God, the
Gospel teaches us that God must accept us only by His mercy, which God
extravagantly poured out on us through Christ's work on our behalf. The
Gospel absolutely shatters any pretense we have to superiority.
The Gospel produces an entirely different fruit in our lives. It makes
us humble and generous. Overwhelmed by God's grace toward us. And it
causes us to love God, not fear and resent Him (1 John 4:19). This is
ridiculously attractive, even to a world in rebellion to God.