Blessing Comes Through Obedience

Sometimes it's tempting to think that you've failed when others don't respond to the message of the Gospel.

"God, I was just doing what you said. I seized the opportunity. I was bold. I laid out the Gospel. But they didn't care. I failed."

WRONG!

You seized the opportunity. You were bold. You laid out the Gospel.
That's all God asked you to do. Success!

You'd be a failure if God had told you to make your friend a Christian. Instead, He said to share what God has done for you. Make that distinction. After all, in Acts 1, what did Jesus say to His disciples before He ascended into heaven? Was it "Go and make Christians of everyone in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the Earth?" NO! He said, "Be My witnesses." If they chose to reject the message (and many times, the messenger), that was their issue.

If you're reading through the Bible with us this year, earlier this week you read a verse that's easy to look over in Genesis 26. It's the end of verse 4 and all of verse 5. God, speaking to Isaac, says:

...in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.

Did you catch it? "Abraham obeyed, so you get hooked up!"
Abraham was by no means perfect. He lied, he doubted, he tried to fulfill God's promise for a son through polygamy. However, the over-arching theme of his life was obedience and faith (Genesis 15:6).

When we obey, others get blessed.

Their response may not be what you wanted or expected, but God isn't focused on their response when He's commanded you to obey.

A NEW Work in an OLD Building

There's something cool about an old theater: concrete walls and floors, old ghetto paintings everywhere, secret passageways and dungeon-like lairs, and of course the vintage vibe that that all creates. That all describes the El Rey Theater where Jenn led worship and I taught last night for Calvary Albuquerque's college group, Renovate.

I love teaching anywhere I get a chance - I've taught at school Bible clubs, youth groups, winter retreats, main sanctuaries, conferences, class rooms, and even a girls' small group meeting in a home. I've had plenty of opportunities. However, out of them all, I can think of a few favorites:

Of course one of my favorites is my church family in Clarksville. I love the building that we transformed from a smelly old office building with broken-down bathrooms and peeling wallpaper. Most of all, I love my church family that meets there. God has done a great work there and I can only imagine what He has up His sleeve for the future. If you haven't checked it out, you need to.

Out of all the places I've gotten to teach, however, one of my very favorites is Renovate. I feel like I should have to pay to teach there...and I don't normally volunteer to pay! They used to meet at the Lobo Theater, another theater in downtown Albuquerque where Mars Hill Church now meets. Now, however, they meet at the El Rey. Sure, the Lobo Theater had bathrooms with doors on them and floors without holes in them, and modern uncreepy artwork, but the El Rey was super cool. The main reason it's so cool is because of the unique way that God moves there. The building really doesn't matter - it's the people who make it incredible. They love to worship and they love to hear the Word of God. With that combination, God is guaranteed to do amazing things. He certainly did last night as we studied through Acts 5. It was one of my favorite messages that I've taught so far in our Wednesday night study through Acts at Awaken (you can download it HERE if you'd like). God moved powerfully last night as we looked at these incredible men of God who weren't scared to lay it all on the line for Him. They lived radically:

Persecution? Perfect!

Whips? Wonderful!

Prison? PARTY!!

The verse that always stands out the most to me is Acts 5:29. As the disciples stand trial for defying Jewish authority and illegally speaking the name of Christ, they tell their Jewish opposition, "...We ought to obey God rather than men."
Imagine if we lived by that anthem! Look at what God did with a handful of men and women who lived by that motto and imagine what God could do in our generation if we lived that same way. That was the challenge and people responded! It's always exciting to see people walk to the front of the room in front of hundreds of others and proclaim their commitment to Christ.

If you're interested in listening to or watching the teaching from Renovate, check the service archive on their website. It will also be up in our service archive within the next couple of days.

The Land of Enchantment certainly was enchanting but we're ready to head home. As I sit here in the Albuquerque airport with my 3 beautiful girls, my prayer is that last night was not just another fun night with a bunch of college students, but that God revolutionized lives, and because of that, will continue to revolutionize a college, a city, and a generation.

Renovate, thanks for having us.

Clarksville, we can't wait to be back home. See you soon.

I miss you.

There are many things in life that I would enjoy missing:
- wisdom teeth extraction
- school (when I was younger)
- falling on my tailbone while snowboarding (happened yesterday)
- breaking my collar bone while playing football
- ____________________ (you can probably fill in your own blank)

One thing, however, that I'm not enjoying missing is church at Awaken. Tonight will be the second service that I'll miss.

The good news is: church goes on without me! That's a good reminder for everyone at church as well as for me.
Here's some more good news: you're in for a treat while I'm gone.

Last Saturday, if you were there, you got to hear from Pastor Chris Edmondson of One Church. He's a great guy with a big heart for the Lord, the city, and Awaken Church! It's very refreshing to meet a guy like Chris who is ready to help any time something is needed. If you didn't hear his message from last Saturday about "influence," make sure to get it from the podcast or the teaching archive on the Awaken website! Joining him, leading worship, was Jamie Worley, another great guy from Clarksville with a similar love for the Lord and heart for the city. He leads worship at Hilldale Family Life Center each week and plays around the city in different venues.

This Wednesday (TONIGHT), you'll get to hear from one of my best friends, Nate Witiuk, who most of you know from church. I was excited to give him a chance to teach and he's really looking forward to sharing some things that the Lord is teaching him. As you know, he and his wife, Jenn, moved out to Clarksville with us to start Awaken and they have been indispensable to the church! I'm really looking forward to hearing from him and you should be too. In addition to Nate teaching, Kevin Riner, another local worship leader and good friend, from Xtreme Church, will be there to lead worship. He's a great guy that has also been a helping hand to the church and has led worship for us once before.

Long story short, DON'T MISS TONIGHT'S SERVICE! It will be a special communion service as we look ahead to the new year and look back to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for us!

Although I don't like missing services, I'm thankful that things continue just as well (maybe better?) without me. I'm praying for Awaken and thankful for all those who are lending a hand to help things run smoothly. I look forward to being back with you and back in Philippians this upcoming Saturday! See you soon!

My first weekend away

It was weird being away from church this weekend. As church was happening in Clarksville, I was sitting backstage with a bunch of the pastors from the church that trained me up in ministry, Calvary Albuquerque. It's always good visiting here - we know so many people here and have such a good time. Coming to Albuquerque will always feel like home...but I am excited to get back to my real home in Clarksville!

I got to open up the 11:15 service with a buddy of mine, Levi Lusko, who is the pastor of Fresh Life Church in Kalispell, MT. When I first went on staff at Calvary as the mid-school youth pastor, he was the high school youth pastor. We served together for a couple years, and eventually each planted our own churches. It was cool to be back together for a little while.

Tonight I did a wedding for a couple that was engaged for 15 months (492 days to be exact). The coolest part about it: they had never kissed before tonight! Incredible. 4 years together including 15 months of planning a wedding and not one kiss...until tonight. The photographer had mentioned to me that he was nervous about missing the first kiss, but there was no missing this one - it lasted a good while! In fact, one of my friends leaned over to his wife and mentioned, "If the camera broke, they could have painted that one!" What a testimony of their love for God and each other in not only saving their virginity for marriage but even their very first kiss! Amazing. It CAN be done!


It was good to hear lots of great reports about church while I was away. Nate Witiuk will be teaching on Wednesday while I'm gone. Make sure to be there for that - it will be a special communion service!

Jenn and I get back on Friday and I'm excited to be back in Philippians 3 on Saturday! Read up. See you soon.

Stop reading the Bible like an instruction manual!

If you're like me, you heard this cute acronym in Sunday School:

B.I.B.L.E. stand for
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth

That's cool and true and easy to remember, but I have a problem with that. Sometimes people fall into the trap of actually reading the Bible like it's just an instruction manual. I don't know about you, but here's how I read an instruction manual:

I read it reluctantly.
I rarely pull out the instruction manual immediately upon opening a product. I've believed my own lies that I can do it without the instructions. I also have never curled up with a cup of coffee, a Snuggie, and a nice instruction manual for some good afternoon reading. I only read the instruction manual when I absolutely have to.
Side note: I've never curled up with a Snuggie. Ever. I intend to keep it that way. No offense to you if you are a Snuggie owner.


I don't read. I skim.
When I reluctantly pull out the instruction manual, I don't read every word. I skim. I quickly look for the table of contents or the 1 page/paragraph/picture I need and flip there. I read the smallest amount of instructions possible to get the job done and get back to assembly.

I forget quickly.
I've never purposely memorized anything from an instruction manual. It's all useless information that takes up space where I could be storing other useless information like what channel/time my favorite TV show comes on or useless statistics (Did you know that only 30% of humans can flare their nostrils?! Interesting, huh? Can you?).

STOP READING THE BIBLE LIKE AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL!
It's a dangerous habit to get into.


Read it daily, not reluctantly.
It contains everything you need to live life in a godly manner (2 Timothy 3:16-17), so read it like it's true!

Don't skim. Read it. Meditate on it.
Always read with pen in hand ready to underline, circle, highlight, and take notes. Go as deep as you can and most importantly, LIVE IT (James 1:22)!

Memorize it!
How can you live a pure life? By memorizing Scripture (Psalm 119:9-11). Sure, maybe you've got John 11:35 down solid, but work on some more. Did you read a verse or a few verses that really spoke to you? Memorize them so you'll have them in the forefront of your mind!

What are your methods of Bible reading?
Have you ever read the whole Bible all the way through? HERE is a reading schedule for 2010 if you want to join us in reading the whole Bible. It only takes 15 minutes per day!

Bad words about the Bible

My dad does computer support at a big company. He once got an email from a lady whose "cup holder" on her computer wasn't working. Cup holder? Yes. She thought the CD-ROM drawer was an open-and-close cup holder for her computer. Sounds like maybe a couple things in her brain weren't working either...but that's another blog.

The idea is similar with the ways people view the Bible. People have many differing thoughts on it.

Some people have some very hostile things to say about the Bible:

"...it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God.  It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel." - Thomas Paine 

"…hardly worth reading…other than a handful of spiritual gems that can be found in virtually any religion, the Bible is irrelevant…reading the Bible can make one highly depraved…many a serial rapist and killer has also been a Bible fanatic" - Acharya S. (truthbeknown.com)

 There are plenty of other thoughts that people have about God's Word. They may sound much less harmful, but the truth is that if someone doesn't recognize it as God's actual words to us, they're playing with fire. They're trying to live life with no guidelines, no rule book, thinking they can do things on their own. Jeremiah 17:9 says that "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." In that case, who are we to think we don't need God's Word?

Here are some other ways the Bible functions for people:

- a coaster for cups (we'd much rather ruin our Bible cover than the coffee table)

- a door stop (I've literally seen people throw a Bible down to keep a door from closing)

- a way to look holy (leave it out on the coffee table at home and maybe people will think you're holy)

- a history book (it's filled with interesting historical figures but no relevant truth for today)

- a bedtime story book (nothing like a good Bible fairy tale before bed!)

- a guardian angel (Once when I worked at a car auction lot, I found a Bible on the dashboard of a car that had been siezed by the Police for DWI)

Charles Spurgeon once said, "A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't." If it's getting daily use, it will eventually look like it...and so will your life.

Does the Bible function daily in your life?

Is it a part of your morning/afternoon/evening routine?

2 Timothy 3:17 says that God's Word makes us "complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." It has a purpose. A daily purpose. God went to great lengths to provide written directions for us to live by, so take advantage of that and live God's Word!

Have you read the whole Bible all the way through? January 1 is only 2 days away and it's a great time to start reading the Bible from cover to cover. If you commit to 15 minutes a day, you can read the whole thing by December 31, 2010!

Click HERE to download some bookmarks that will keep you on track.


YouVersion.com also has 20 different reading plans that are available online or on your iPhone, BlackBerry, and more!

The best-selling least-read book of all time

According to one article, the Bible takes first place on the "Best-Selling Books of All Time" list.

Coming in at #1: The Bible: 2.5 billion sold.

Coming in at a distant #2: "(Quotations from Chairman Mao) (the Little Red Book)": 800 million sold.

As stimulating as a chapter in Quotations from Chairman Mao sounds, I'll stick with Quotations From God (a.k.a. The Bible).

Unfortunately, the number of people who have purchased one does not reflect how many people read it or apply it. I wonder what this world would be like if that many people read and applied it to their daily lives!

So here's the challenge: in 2010, read the whole Bible all the way through. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that ALL Scripture is inspired by God. ALL of it. That's right, even Leviticus and Numbers. There's a reason for it all and it is ALL profitable for us in its own special way. I'll be teaching tomorrow night on just those two verses: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 as we gear up to roll into the new year. We'll learn all about the Bible: how we got it and what it's for - should be fun.

The Bible contains 1,189 chapters and 31,103 verses. Sound like a lot, doesn't it? Let's break it down.

It's said that to read the entire Bible from cover to cover at "pulpit speed" (out loud reading speed) takes about 72 hours. Which means if you spread that out over 1 year, all you have to do is read 11.8 minutes every day and by December 31, 2010, you'll be finishing up Revelation 22!

12 minutes a day? That's NOTHING!
You could afford
12 less minutes of sleep,
12 less minutes of TV,
12 less minutes of the latest bloody shoot-each-other video game,
12 less minutes of knitting/croquet lessons/FaceBook/researching the life-cycles of snapping turtles...


It's really that simple. I pray this becomes a yearly thing. By the time we're all old and gray, maybe we'll have read the Bible through 10, 20, 40, 75 times!

Reading schedules are available on the resource table at Awaken or you can download them HERE. They're nothing special and you may have something cooler in your Bible or on your iPhone. This is just one option that we hope some find helpful.

So who's in for the challenge? 
Have you ever read the Bible all the way through? How many times?

January 1 is coming quickly, so gear up.