Dahhh…

One aspect of traveling I enjoy is visiting the churches that my friends go to and listening to the pastor’s preach. It’s amazing how a very familiar passage can be completely new to you when it’s taught by a different pastor. This weekend I was in New Jersey visiting my old college roommate.

The sermon was on a very familiar passage, Mark 12:28-31, which talks about the greatest commandment, which we all know is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Jesus also replies with the second command to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The pastor tied the two commands together, saying that the two are intwined, basically that a passionate love for God will automatically lead to loving your neighbor.

Then as application he mentioned three things that suck your passion for God that you should watch out for in your life.

• Unbalanced life- If we are too busy with work, school, etc we will not find time to renew our passion for God, we cannot train ourselves to be godly as in 1 Tim 4:7
• Unconfessed sin- If we are filled with guilt we cannot bring ourselves to God Ps 38:4-6
• Unsupported lifestyle – It’s easier to be passionate along with others who have the same passion (he gave the awesome example of mountain biking) Heb 10:25

I got to hear my buddy BT speak this weekend.  Two things really spoke to me from this message.  The first is the verse, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. The second was the lyrics he quoted from, from the song the “Wonderful Cross.”

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 cor 5:14-15

I think a lot of people believe that when they are saved, that’s it, we just wait around until we die and float up to heaven.  The truth is that life begins when we believe.  The song the Wonderful Cross sums it up life very well…

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless
Your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

When I survey the wonderful cross, I realize how far I miss the mark.  Jesus’ love is so amazing, it demands my all, yet my life doesn’t really reflect this…

This morning I went to a Korean Salvation Army church.  I did not know such places existed.  Anyways there’s kind of a long story about how I ended up at this church, but I won’t go into it here.

The message today was from 1 Samuel 13.  The one thing that stood out from the sermon was the pastor’s quote on courage.  Courage is not the absence of fear, courage is moving forward despite fear. Faith is moving forward despite not knowing the outcome.  Faith and courage are somewhat similar.  A lot of times we think faith and courage are something that people posess intrinsically, that is some people are born with strong courage and faith while some are not.  But actually, both faith and courage are built up over time.  They both require practice and discipline to improve and perfect.

At prayer meeting today Pastor Eric shared today from Luke 7 about the differences between John and Jesus.  I never really thought about the differences in their ministry before.  John basically lived somewhat like a hermit, living out in the desert, and baptizing and preaching those who came to him.  Jesus was sort of the opposite, he was sort of in the middle of all the action, traveling and preaching to crowds, but also building up a small group of disciples.

This was interesting to me because I feel like naturally I would be more like John.  I don’t like large groups all that much, so I would be happier in the ‘desert’ building up a select few.

Pgee’s sermon today was from a very familiar passage.

Salt and Light – Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

This passage from the sermon on the mount I’ve read many times and studied it many times in different bible study groups.  Pgee did a really good job of summing it up. Wherever we are, we should make such a positive impact that people will praise God. Well okay, it basically is just rephrasing the last verse of the passage.  But he made a point that really stuck with me.  He asked the question, are we sending mixed messages with the way we living our lives?  Does the message of what I say and the message of how I live my life both act together to cause others to praise God?