Money, Morality and Motivation

I just read an article from the Bloomberg Press at http://www.bloomberg.com/ . It seems that the fight for the right to life is under attack again and this time not from an abortion standpoint. Health care reform embeded in the new stimulus package could result in some interesting changes in the way we view and receive care in Hospitals. It appears like the new health care system to be imposed is based on the "lifeboat scenario" where you have to decide who's life is most important in an effort to save money. Check out the article here.

It is articles like these that remind me of the importance of introducing people to the giver of Life, Jesus Christ. HE changes hearts and lives by the power of His love. He is life.

For "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL
BE SAVED." How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

Romans 10:13-15 NASB

I want to have beautiful feet.

Gettin Ready

I have been reading 1 Peter. It's fantastic! I love it! (lil Nacho Libre reference...hope you got it) This verse rocks so I will share it. "Therefore prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13 NASB. I don't think I'm prepared enough for ACTION. But I wanna be! The rest of the book is rockin too if you're lookin for somethin' to read today. Cheers!

No Gimmicks; Divine Purpose

My buddy Matt Ray sent me this video (not from his church) and it got me thinking about how easy it is in church ministry to lose focus on what we were called to do. Now I am by no means saying that this church was wrong or something for having a dirtbike in the church or that what they were doing that night was totally unspiritual or something because they were having fun I am just saying that it got me thinking. (It mostly got me thinking how happy I wasn't the one who had to answer to the senior pastor about what happened during youth group) I want to see peoples lives changed this year by the renewing power of Jesus Christ. I don't want to pawn Him off as cheap entertainment on a Wednesday night for the youth of my church, or a rockin praise and worship service on a Sunday morning, but to raise Him up as the Savior that He is. John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the LIFE, no one comes to the Father except through me." I want my youth group, my family, my friends, saved and unsaved to experience new life in Jesus. Even if we have accepted Jesus as our savior there is still MORE LIFE to be found in Him, new experiences and a deeper relationship. It's an exciting time to be involved in God's divine purpose. "For the Son of man came to seek and save what was lost" Luke 19:10. Let's not invent new gimmicks that reflect some image of "life" in the way that the world sees life but let us be reflections of Him in everything that we do!

It's been awhile...

I haven't blogged in a long time and I am sorry. Probably it isn't that disappointing to any of you that are occaisional readers of the fridge. I got sick last week and the rest of the week was just crazy. So I plan on making an actual post sometime very soon, just wanted you to know that I haven't forgot about it and I am gonna get back to blogging this week.

The Best Gift Ever

This month I am preaching a series called "The Gift". Shocking and original sermon title for the month of December I know, but it has been something that I have been thinking about a lot lately. Here's why. I pretty much love this book that I'm reading, "The Pressure's Off" by Larry Crabb. It has challenged me entirely in my view of God and how I treat my relationship with Him. Am I really searching after Him (Which Larry suggests is The New Way of Living), or am I searching after His blessing (The Old Way of Living)? Larry says "We approach Him (God) the way a child approaches a weary Santa Claus in the mall, who for the hundredth time asks, "What do you want for Christmas?" I wager no child has ever pressed close to Santa's chest, looked up into his eyes and said, "You! I want only you." No Child believes having Santa join him for dinner could bring more joy than watching Santa stack presents beneath the tree." To me that is such a piercing thought. Do I really, from the bottom of my heart, desire Him and only Him, no matter what type of blessed or desperate state my life is in? I don't think that I can say that at all. When things are good, I forget His presence, and when things are bad, I just want Him to fix the things that are broken. Looking back, I can see that some of the most difficult things that I have gone through have made it possible to experience the presence of God in my life that I had never encountered before. It wasn't that He made the way out easier, but I knew that He was there. It was His presence that made the difference in the situation. I came face to face with Him.

He is The Gift, not His blessing. It's Him.

"Perhaps the greatest mistake in the modern church is its unrecognized tendency to encourage Old Way living. Books, sermons, and seminars present an appealing blessing, then tell us how to get it. "God longs to bless you," we hear. "Live in such a way that His blessings are released into your lives." We're living under deception. The supreme blessing He longs to give us is Himself. No other blessing is guaranteed until heaven. The blessings we now claim are so often something less than an empowering, enlivening, pride-destroying, self-effacing, joy-giving encounter with God." - Larry Crabb "The Pressure's Off"

Tu-be or not Tu-be

So I like to watch TV(and movies). A lot. I'm not proud of it but I can watch TV or movies for hours without even thinking about it (which is why we did not and will not get cable at our house, plus it costs money). However it has come to my attention that there is hardly anything worth watching on TV (after spending some time watching it). At least not enough to occupy my time for as long as I sometimes let it. So as of yesterday I have created a new rule for me in ("in" not "and")my house. I am only allowed to watch TV after I have read for at least 1 hour (this includes watching movies and playing video games also). The idea is that if I start my night by reading I might not even get to the watching. There is so much that I could be and should be reading and I always seem to put it off. I have officially made it a priority. All of you who think that it is pretty sad that I have to make this rule for myself...I think you are probably right. Last night was my first attempt at reading before watching and it was a success. I actually read for more than an hour and am on my way to finishing a book that I have been sporadically reading and starting over but never finishing for the last year. It's so embarassing to admit that. However, I cannot go back and change my mistakes and failures of the past, but I can make the effort to correct them for the future.

Great Week

So this last week I have not blogged because I have been outta town and busy seein family. Lots of family. Especially since the size of my family doubled when I got maried 3 months ago. The picture above is from the Tien Family Thanksgiving (that would be my mother-in-law's side) and is, of course, the obligatory "crazy face" picture as opposed to the "normal" picture of all of us. We ate a lot of delicious food and watched the Lions get destroyed by the Tennessee Titans. After spending time at the Tiens, Emily and I went with her parents and siblings to visit with her Dad's side of the family and managed to eat a little bit more before dozing off for a nap at 7pm. Nice. Anyway, it was a busy Thanksgiving filled with love, thanks and family. I am truly blessed to have TWO amazing, close, extended families. I got to see my family (minus my brother Nick who is going to school in Minneapolis, MN) on Saturday when they got home from Wisconsin to cap off the end of a great week. I have so much to be thankful for!