Main Bible passages:

2Cor. 5:14-15

John 15: 15-16

Phillipians 2:5-7

Key Points:

-it seems like for some of us, its hard to live from the inside out, because we’re dealing with an inside drought

-that there are a lot of other things, besides for the love of God, that can motivate a Christian to attend church, to tithe, to volunteer, to read the Bible, to pray for others

-How many of you right now would say, like Paul here, that you are compelled to live for the Kingdom of God by a deep sense of God’s outrageous love for you?

–In the Kingdom of God, its not just about how much we give, how much time we serve, or  how hard we strive against sin…but to what degree we are compelled and motivated by God’s love for us

ROLLER COASTER-to live from these false identities is to live on a roller coaster of highs and lows

-and the highs when we feel good and valuable are really because of our pride – feeling that we have more, and thus are more valuable than those who surround us

-and the lows are because of insecurity b/c we feel like we have less to offer and thus we are less valuable than those around us

-“In a world that constantly compares people, ranking them as more or less intelligent, more or less attractive, more or less successful, it is not easy to really believe in a love that does not do the same.  When I hear someone praised, it is hard not to think of myself as less praiseworthy; when I read about the goodness and kindness of other people, it is hard not to wonder whether I myself am as good and kind as they; and when I see trophies, rewards, and prizes being handed out to special people, I cannot avoid asking myself why that didn’t happen to me.” – Henri Nouwen “The Return of the Prodigal Son”

-we can stop playing the world’s game, we can get off the roller coaster of pride and insecurity, and we can empty ourselves…just as Christ did

-In the letting go, in the surrender of our own striving, in relinquishing control we are freed  to live out our true identities as God’s beloved children

-a bondservant was one who had been given their freedom…but b/c they loved their master, they personally chose to continue to serve

• You must first learn how to be a satisfied single adult in order to become a mature and satisfied married adult
• 2 whole people are needed to make a whole, healthy marriage
• marriage is more like 1×1 = one flesh synergy
• when two halfway healthy people come together, its not as easy is ½ + ½ = 1
  • its more like ½ x ½ = ¼
    • there’s a negative synergy
• Radical thought – what would happen if you took the desperate energy you spend looking for a mate and instead redirected it into a desperate seeking after God?
  • We run after God, and eventually you look next to you and there is another person going in the same direction, not crossing each others path as much as it is joining each other’s side
  • HOW FAR IS TOO FAR? Because you aren’t married, assume your future spouse is going out on a date with someone else tonight. Where would you want that man or woman to set the erotic behavior limits with your future spouse tonight?

  In OT, the word for virgin comes from root words that mean “to separate” or “to hide” – to separate or hide something was to set it apart as special, unique, valuable – intentionally saved for purpose

  Sexual activity should never be a substitute for emotional or spiritual intimacy

  When we look to another other than God to supply our needs, then we give them the power to make us miserable, b/c they aren’t God and don’t possess the power to satisfy us

  Idolatry: looking to any person, object, or idea to supply what only God can supply

  Love can only take place where a relationship is free from idolatry and a person recognizes God as the source of everything

“In this passage, we see that Luke (the author of the book) wanted his friend Theophilus to have certainty about the things he had been taught about Jesus. With that in mind, I too want to have certainty and clarity about the life of the Lord Jesus. This morning, I find myself more motivated to take seriously this study through the book of Luke, because I realize that the book itself was birthed out of a desire for a fellow Christ follower to clearly understand the life of Jesus and all that He accomplished on the earth. By the power of the Holy Spirit and consistently reading in Luke, I know I’ll gain even more confidence in the character and heart of Jesus.”

—I do not share this to give the “correct” application; There is not one right response, because each of us are different people in different situations. This is just the thing that God used Luke 1:1-4 to speak to me personally. May all of you taking this Journey find freedom and power in making your own personal discoveries as God leads you. Peace and love,

Bb

The time of teaching was centered around the reality that Jesus came as a redeemer that would “enable God’s people to serve him without fear” (Luke 1:74). We also looked at how Jesus is the light that shines in  darkness, driving out fears that keep us from the fullness of life we are offered. Below are the verses we studied – I’d encourage you to read them and look for the common thread between them

1. Luke 1:67-80
2. John 3:19-21
3. Colossians 3:12-14, 3:15-17
4. 1 John 4:19

Here’s the quote from today’s teaching, out of Henri Nouwen’s book “The Return of the Prodigal son”

“The Father’s love does not force itself on the beloved.  Although he wants to heal us of all our inner darkness, we are still free to make our own choice to stay in the darkness or to step into the light of God’s love. God is there. God’s light is there. What is so clear is that God is always there, always ready to give and forgive, absolutely independent of our response. God’s love does not depend on our repentance or our inner or outer changes.”

Peace on ya,

bb

The crowds last night were insane, with all 12 screens at the local Carmike full of people viewing the midnight showing, ages ranging from young middle schoolers to retired married couples. I probably recognized over 50 students in the lobby after the show, all full of smiles, giggles, and passionate cries of “I’m team Jacob” or “I am so on team Edward.” (personally I’m undecided)

I genuinely enjoyed both “Twilight” and “New Moon,” despite dozing off for a few minutes toward the end of the sequel. I chose to overlook some blatantly cheezy moments that resulted in crowds of teener boppers squeeling and gasping for air. I took these scenes as comic relief, rather than judging them as ridiculous & over-the-top (which they pretty much were). There are several redemptive things in the story as I see it so far – Edward (main vampire) consistently demonstrates self-control over selfish ambition, there is an ongoing emphasis on man’s role to serve and protect the lady, and every other scene is not overly sexual and crass, which can be rare in these types of movies.

Several scenes blatantly objectified the male characters (i.e. Jacob ripping off his shirt to care for Bella’s head wound, and Edward frolicking in the meadow), and fueled the fire for most of the women in the theater who were already bonkers for these guys.

On one hand, it was refreshing that the main female character (Bella) was not dressed scantily or portrayed in a sexually provocative way. As a guy seeking a pure heart and mind, it was nice to not constantly have to look away from the screen just to avoid half-naked women. However, was the New Moon experience quite the opposite for many of the women (and girls) in attendance?

The male characters developed in these stories tap into the female heart, (understatement) but I wonder if it’s not at least partially wrapped up in an unhealthy, unrealistic lust after an ideal that no real man will ever fulfill. I’m not saying the longing for the perfect protector is twisted, but the idea that this longing can be satisfied solely in one great guy (Edward), or even the combination of several (Edward + Jacob), does nothing but leaves the ladies frustrated because at the end of the day no human guy(s) can be everything their heart is longing for.

Do movies like “Twilight” and “New Moon” only perpetuate a cycle of disappointment and frustration? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so share them. Peace on ya,

bb

I highly recommend “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” especially if you’ve never read any of Nouwen’s stuff. He writes brilliantly, yet so vulnerably that you feel like you’re having coffee with the guy, listening to his open, honest journey with the Lord. I’d also encourage you to read the story of the prodigal and after reflect on what you see in Rembrandt’s masterpiece. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, or any other artwork that has “spoken” to you in powerful ways. peace

Needtobreathe is an amazing example of a Christian band that is making great music that connects with all types of people, Christians and non-Chrisitians alike. There newest CD “The Outsiders” has been a huge success, coming in at #20 on the Billboards. This is a video of a few clips from the concert, including songs “washed by the water” and “something beautiful” (which they performed out in the crowd with no sound system). Lyrics are super powerful. You have to love quality musicians putting out quality, respectable music that speaks positive messages, rather than stuff that cashes in on human desires in a twisted way (i.e. Britney Spears). There are more and more solid bands finding favor and success in the “secular” world, and speaking more broadly, I’m praying for more talented, kingdom-minded artists to arise in the different areas of artistic expression. enjoy

The lie is simple, but so crippling: in order for me to be valuable and important, I must prove myself. To put it differently- I need to show why I deserve attention, love, respect, worth. The result of this twisted thinking is daily strivings to”increase” our self-value, through winning more games, losing more weight, dating more people, wearing trendier clothes, making more people laugh, wearing more make-up, earning better grades…you get the point. Every day can feel like a roller coaster ride, with moments of feeling valued and important (up!), yet inevitable times of feeling insignificant and insecure (down!), and everywhere in between. I lived on the roller coaster for years, including many after I had already begun a relationship with God. Even now there are relapses when I choose to get back on it. It’s never a good ride (although the “up times” temporarily feel pretty good), and the biggest thing I want to communicate now is that we do not have to live life here. The lies of our culture can be replaced with truth. The truth empowers us to choose to get off the ride (and there absolutely is a choice involved). As humans, we have 100% self-value 100% of the time. According to the Bible, every human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and because of this, all peeps, regardless of their age, sex, race, religious affiliation,etc. is worth being honored as God’s creation (1 Peter 2:17). This fact does not dismiss the reality that all humans are naturally born sinful and in need of God’s redeeming forgiveness and grace. Nor does this imply that all people are worthy of your respect. However, there is innate worth in people because they were created by God, the Creator.

But the real question is this- how do we get off this suppressing roller coaster? How do we break this cycle? How can we be secure in who we are consistently? Look at Jesus. Before he began his earthly ministry (remember he spent 30 years growing, maturing, preparing), God the Father spoke to him audibly after he was baptized, saying “this is my son, whom I love, with him I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus had no need to “prove” himself powerful/respectable/valuable because his father’s complete approval was extended before he did anything. Sticking with the metaphor, Jesus was freed from getting on the roller coaster of fluctuating self-value because he experienced His father’s validation–that he had 100% value. Outside of encountering God’s forgiveness, there is no experience that a person can have to embrace this 100% self-value. Only the unconditional approval and acceptance from God through Jesus can rescue us from the roller coaster. Just as Christ is the son of God, so those who place trust in Christ are adopted into the divine family as God’s sons and daughters, with whom He is pleased, apart from our spiritual performance. When it comes to self-value, you can’t earn what you already have, and the Bible is clear that you already have 100% value, 100% of the time. And it has nothing to do with your “performance” for God. However, if understand this deep approval experientially, we are compelled to live for the God who extends it.

Living life on the roller coaster is living bound by the chains of an old life, a life dominated by the “values” of a broken world, not the Kingdom of God. However, as a follower of Christ, there is a new life given, and we are invited to live with full confidence that we are 100% valuable, 100% of the time. What freedom comes as we embrace our God-given value! Get off that roller coaster and fight to stay off. You weren’t created to live there. peace on ya,

bb