Tuesday, December 18, 2012

It’s not just another Christmas story....


We didn’t record a bunch of songs about Santa, snow and reindeer, or presents, candy, and toys. We recorded songs about the great mystery of the gospel, songs that proclaim the greatest gift the world has ever known: Jesus.

The Christmas story we sought to tell is about God demonstrating abundant humility to save unworthy sinners and bring them into an unshakable kingdom. Jesus, who spoke creation into existence, left his throne in heaven and humbled himself, coming to earth to live and die as a man in order to pay for the sins of the world and to reconcile man to God.

JESUS HUMBLED HIMSELF TO IDENTIFY WITH US
The story of Christ’s birth is immersed in humility. A few brief examples:
  1. Jesus was born in a barn to a virgin mother.
  2. Jesus was worshiped by humble shepherds and a caravan of pagan astrologers, not the emperor of Rome or affluent religious people.
  3. Jesus was smuggled out of his own country because a pagan king had declared infanticide at the threat of his birth.
Why did Jesus come in such a humble manner? Because he came to identify with our suffering: he felt our pain, he endured our trials, he lived as we do, in a broken world.
We get to worship God with creativity, not worship creativity as a god in itself.

Sent by the Father God, Matthew tells us what Jesus came to do, namely, “he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus is called “Savior,” a name that implies that we’re lost, that we need rescuing. Our sin separates us from God and leads to death; the Bible says over 600 times that God is going to pour out his wrath on sinners. Jesus came to save us from our sin and its consequences—but why? He was under no obligation to shower us with grace. What kind of a king gets off his throne to save a rebel, an enemy? Only the greatest King: Jesus. As God, he was under no obligation to save anyone. That’s what makes grace so gracious.

RESPONDING TO GRACE
As Christians, God not only pardons us from our sins, but he brings us into his kingdom and makes us family. We live under the protection and sovereign rule of Jesus, who will come back one day, not in humility but in complete glory, eradicating sin and Satan and bringing to completion his plan for us to join him in his perfect, righteous, eternal kingdom.

How do we respond to such grace? Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.” There is no other response to such good news! None! Period.

THE KING IS THE INSPIRATION
We didn’t approach this project intentionally thinking of what “traditional” Christmas songs would sound like. Instead, we looked at the story of Christmas, the incomprehensible measures of grace and love we have found in Jesus, and how those things apply to us personally and as a collective. From there, we dove in musically, letting the music express what the lyrics preach: Jesus. He is our inspiration, and he gives us passion and energy to sing. In his rich mercy, he has let us (an eclectic group of crazies) take music (something all of us once worshiped) and he has redeemed it.
Now as a band we get to worship God with creativity, not worship creativity as a god in itself. The endless grace of Jesus calls for this time of year to be about nothing else than worshiping him. Our prayer is that this album would be an encouragement and reminder of the love God has for you this season. He sent his only Son, Jesus, to die for us and rise again, reconciling us to God for eternity. That’s what Christmas is all about. That’s what is EPIC about this story. 

It’s not just another Christmas story....



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Monday, December 17, 2012

Are You Overexposed and Underdeveloped?


I once heard Derwin Tom a professional photographer say, "a lot of people’s lives are like poor photographs. Over-exposed and underdeveloped." 
Many of us are overexposed. We know many people and spread ourselves very thin relationally, but really our lives are underdeveloped.
We need to balance our lives if we want to stay effective for the long haul. Why?
First, a lack of balance leads to frustration. 
Maybe you can relate to this: Sometimes I find myself working on one part of my life and then another part crumbles. It’s like playing that frustrating game of “Whack a Mole” at Chuck-E-Cheese. It’s a struggle to get everything under control.
Second, a lack of balance leads to fatigue
When you buy a new set of tires, it is important to get them balanced. If you don’t do that, they will wear out easier and quicker! The same is true for in life. When you’re out of balance, you get tired.
We need to find balance in these five areas:

  • Mental: 
  • You don’t just allow anything into your mind. You screen what comes in through God’s Word.
  • Physical: 
  • We must take care of our bodies.
  • Spiritual: 
  • We must maintain the spiritual habits that help us have a growing relationship with God.
  • Emotional: 
  • We’re demonstrating the fruits of Spirit from Galatians 5.
  • Social:
  •  Even if everything else is right in your life, if your relationships are wrong, you will still have major problems with your life.
  • Am I mentally sharper than I was five years ago? If not, what am I going to do about the regression? (mental)
  • Do I frequently complain of a lack of energy? Why? (physical)
  • Am I regularly spending time talking to God and reading His Word? (spiritual)
  • Do I worry a lot? Am I moody? Am I depressed easily? If so, what am I going to do about it? (emotional)
  • Who can I count on as a genuine friend? Who can count on me? (social)
Be honest!  Be brutally honest!  

*If you honestly can't be straight with yourself pull in someone that can. 


Where are you at?  

Is your life / tank full or depleated?


The concept of the tank
What empties your tank?
What fills your tank?


Proverbs 14:8 says, “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways but the folly of fools is deception.” (NIV) Wise people think about where they’re headed.
Here are three steps to help you do that:
STEP #1: Take inventory Do a self-examination. Have a mental, physical, spiritual, emotional and social checkup and evaluate your lifestyle. Ask yourself:
Don’t just rely on your own perceptions. Ask your spouse or a close friend some of these questions about you.
STEP #2: Write down a plan of action. Balance doesn’t come by accident; you’ve got to work at it.  Ephesians 5:15 says, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.” (NLT) How do you do that? You plan and prepare. A life of balance is marked by habits. If you’re living a life of balance, your plan will reflect successful habits in all areas of your life.
STEP #3: Make sure your relationship with God is central to your life. You don’t have the power to create a balanced life on your own. You will need God’s help. If God isn’t at the center of your, you will quickly slip out of balance. When you put Christ at the center of your life, the power comes through Him and flows to every part of your life. This gives you balance. That’s why the Bible says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness… .”
Okay, now what?  
Let's not just be observing readers but readers to take action. 
Your ‘tank’ is your energy and your passion for what you do. A full tank is what keeps you going at full force, with all your creative juices flowing and your heart on fire. But everything you do costs you energy, some things more than others and they empty your tank slowly. So like the gas tank of a car, your tank of energy needs filling up. If you keep going without taking the time to fill up your tank, you’ll end up leading on empty. Once that meter hits ‘E’ and the red light starts blinking, you’ll be too late.
What empties your tank? 
What are those things you do that really drain your energy? Maybe it’s the administrative tasks that come with the territory of being in youth ministry. Or maybe it’s pastoral conversations or visits to the high school or leading small group. How to know? It’s those things that make you tired, frustrated, or angry.
For me, it was meetings, especially those I had to attend but didn’t lead myself. I’d never been big on meetings, but when I started leading various ministries, I came to dread them. They were long, boring, often completely useless and they took up so much time that I could use far better otherwise. I always came home frustrated and exhausted from meetings like that. They were emptying my tank.
What empties your tank? Take some time to list those activities that frustrate you, wear you out or plain scare you. It’s okay to admit not loving everything about life and these insights will help you guard your health, spiritually, mentally and physically.
Pause... what?  Pause, right now and take some the time to list all the things that are emptying your tank. 
.................. ................ .............  come on..... just do it............
.................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. 
.................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. 
Now that's done, let's list the things that fill YOUR tank. 
These can be things you do that FILL your tank. 
How? Ask yourself the simple question ‘what makes you feel better, more energized?’.
Pause... what?  .... yep, here we go again.  Take some the time to list all the things that FILL your tank.
.................. ................ .............  come on..... it's really worth your time............
.................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. 
.................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. 


I know what fills my tank. 
My fillers: Being physically active outdoors, followed by solitude, laughing, etc.... 
Tank drainers: watching TV, non-productive meetings, perfection expectations, etc... 

Before taking time to think about this, I knew being physically active outdoors was important to me, but I hadn’t quite realized how crucially important solitude and laughing was for me. I love hanging out with people, but in order to stay sane, to keep my tank full, I need a few uninterrupted hours of solitude each week.
What fills your tank? What are those activities that make you happy, give you energy? It could be playing with your kids (I saw an interview Andy Stanley had with Rick Warren recently where Rick explained how playing with his kids reenergized him when they were younger), going out for a run, or watching a movie. It could be date night with your spouse, an evening with friends, or painting.
If you want to prevent leading on empty, you have to make sure your tank stays full. Take the time to do things that will fill up your tank, make them a priority and reserve time for these on your weekly schedule. Whenever possible, limit those things that empty it fast.
If we are to be transparent, the pace our society runs everyone is at risk for burnout in the long run.  What are you doing about it? You can be sure I’m doing everything I can to keep my tank full.


Share your thoughts with me.

Check out my blog’s:

Online at:

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Things that happen at the moment of salvation



Eternal life doesn’t start when you die—it starts the moment Jesus saves you from your sin. 

What is sin?
James 4:17 tells us, "to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin."  

Here's a short list of things that happen at salvation:

1. You are reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18–20).
2. You are forgiven for all of your sins (Col. 2:13).
3. You become a child of God (John 3:3, 7).
4. You are accepted by God (Eph. 1:6).
5. You are justified by Jesus Christ (Rom. 4:1–5:1).
6. You are brought close to God (Eph. 2:13).
7. You are delivered from the power of darkness (2 Cor. 4:3–4;Col. 1:13).
8. You join the people of God (1 Pet. 2:9).
9. You are granted access to God (Heb. 4:16; 10:10–20).
10. You receive an inheritance (Eph. 1:14; Col. 3:24; 1 Pet 1:4;Heb. 9:15). 

This post is adapted from Pastor Bill’s Re:Lit book, Disciple: Getting Your Identity from Jesus.


Share your thoughts with me.
trevord@nhww.org

Check out my blog’s:

Web Connections
www.drinenfamily.org

Monday, December 10, 2012

Building Your Child's Self-Esteem During the Holidays


Building Your Child's Self-Esteem During the Holidays




Recently, my wife and I realized the need to help one of our children with self-esteem issues.  She's taken emotional perspective, support, and encouragement role; while, I've taken the mindset, "how can I set them up for a win."  It hasn't been one method or the other but both that have lead to all around increased self-esteem within our child's life.

A great football coach of the University of Southern California and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers John McKay, was being interviewed on television when the subject of his son's athletic talent was raised. That year John McKay Jr. was a successful player on his dad's college team. Coach McKay was asked to comment on the pride he must feel over his son's accomplishments on the field. His answer was most impressive: "Yes, I'm pleased that John had a good season last year. He does a fine job and I am proud of him. But I would be just as proud if he had never played the game at all."

Coach McKay was saying, in effect, that John's football talent is recognized and appreciated, but his human worth does not depend on his ability to play football. Thus, his son would not lose respect if the next season brought failure and disappointment. John's place in his dad's heart was secure, independent of his performance. I wish every child could say the same.

To the contrary, 

human worth in our society is carefully reserved for those who meet certain rigid specifications. 

The beautiful people are born with it; 

those who are highly intelligent are likely to find approval; 

superstar athletes are usually respected. 

But no one is considered valuable just because he or she is! 

Social acceptability is awarded rather carefully, making certain to exclude those who are unqualified.

Believe it or not, my 3-year-old was and is capable of "feeling" his or her own lack of worth in this system. Most of our little ones have observed very early that some people are valuable and some aren't; they also know when they are one of the losers! 

In many ways, we parents inadvertently teach this system to them, beginning in infancy to place a price tag on human worth. The result is widespread inferiority and inadequacy — which has probably included you and me in its toll.

Building your child's self-esteem during the holidays is more about quality time than a quantity of gifts.

Share your thoughts with me.
trevord@nhww.org

Check out my blog’s:

Web Connections
www.drinenfamily.org

SUBSTITUTION PROVIDED


SUBSTITUTION PROVIDED

In Genesis, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac—to bind him to the altar and to spill his blood, before lighting the fire beneath him.

Abraham’s willingness represents the highest expression of his faith. The authors of the New Testament recognized this event as a preeminent example of faithful response to God. The author of Hebrews emphasizes Abraham as an example for believers, writing, “Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to offer his only son” (Heb. 11:17 NLT). Despite the apparent contradiction between God’s promises to Abraham and his command to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham “was ready.” His example encourages us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

SALVATION BY WORKS?
While the author of Hebrews uses the story to point to Abraham’s faith, James refers to this event with a slightly different focus. In writing “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?” (James 2:21), we are led to ask whether James is promoting a salvation by works. At first glance, it may appear so. However, James is actually arguing that true faith makes itself evident through works. He continues by explaining how Abraham’s faith was completed or perfected by his willingness to sacrifice Isaac (James 2:22). Abraham’s actions served as the evidence, not the means, of his salvation.  God didn’t ask Abraham for anything he wasn’t willing to do himself.

ISAAC AND JESUS
The authors of the New Testament also believed that Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Hebrews describes Isaac as Abraham’s “only son” (Heb. 11:17; the NIV uses the phrase “one and only”). The Greek term here, monogenēs, is used most often in the New Testament to describe Jesus, God’s only begotten Son (see John 1:14; 3:16). Paul also describes God’s sending of Christ to redeem humanity with “He did not spare his own Son” (Rom. 8:32), phrasing that echoes God’s words to Abraham in Genesis 22:16.


Although the sacrifice of Isaac came to be understood as foreshadowing Christ’s sacrifice, there was one major difference: Isaac was spared, while Christ was not. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son, but God intervened and provided a substitute for Isaac in the form of the ram (Gen. 22:13). God loves us enough that he did not spare his only Son; instead, Christ endured the cross as our substitute.

BLOOD AND DEATH
We tend to throw around the word “sacrifice” quite casually, describing it as essential to the Christian life, essential to marriage, essential to parenting. We distance “sacrifice” from its Old Testament origins, when the word typically signified a ritual of blood and death. It’s easier to read stories like Abraham’s and Jesus’ when we forget about the gore. But God didn’t ask Abraham for anything he wasn’t willing to do himself. And it’s in this context that our salvation lies.

This adapted excerpt, provided here courtesy of Logos Bible Software, is from Abraham: Following God’s Promise. An eight-week self-study program on the life of the first patriarch, Abraham, comes with graphics, reflection questions and “fill in the blank” boxes where users can record and save their answers. TheAbraham study can also be purchased as a complete church curriculum, which adapts the study material for small group study and preaching. Purchase the book or the curriculum today.



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Monday, December 3, 2012

Are you Over-exposed and underdeveloped?

Are you Over-exposed and underdeveloped?

I once heard Derwin Tom a professional photographer say, "a lot of people’s lives are like poor photographs. Over-exposed and underdeveloped." 
Many of us are overexposed. We know many people and spread ourselves very thin relationally, but really our lives are underdeveloped.
We need to balance our lives if we want to stay effective for the long haul. Why?
First, a lack of balance leads to frustration. 
Maybe you can relate to this: Sometimes I find myself working on one part of my life and then another part crumbles. It’s like playing that frustrating game of “Whack a Mole” at Chuck-E-Cheese. It’s a struggle to get everything under control.
Second, a lack of balance leads to fatigue
When you buy a new set of tires, it is important to get them balanced. If you don’t do that, they will wear out easier and quicker! The same is true for in life. When you’re out of balance, you get tired.
We need to find balance in these five areas:

  • Mental: 
  • You don’t just allow anything into your mind. You screen what comes in through God’s Word.
  • Physical: 
  • We must take care of our bodies.
  • Spiritual: 
  • We must maintain the spiritual habits that help us have a growing relationship with God.
  • Emotional: 
  • We’re demonstrating the fruits of Spirit from Galatians 5.
  • Social:
  •  Even if everything else is right in your life, if your relationships are wrong, you will still have major problems with your life.
  • Am I mentally sharper than I was five years ago? If not, what am I going to do about the regression? (mental)
  • Do I frequently complain of a lack of energy? Why? (physical)
  • Am I regularly spending time talking to God and reading His Word? (spiritual)
  • Do I worry a lot? Am I moody? Am I depressed easily? If so, what am I going to do about it? (emotional)
  • Who can I count on as a genuine friend? Who can count on me? (social)
Be honest!  Be brutally honest!  

*If you honestly can't be straight with yourself pull in someone that can. 


Where are you at?  

Is your life / tank full or depleated?


The concept of the tank
What empties your tank?
What fills your tank?


Proverbs 14:8 says, “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways but the folly of fools is deception.” (NIV) Wise people think about where they’re headed.
Here are three steps to help you do that:
STEP #1: Take inventory Do a self-examination. Have a mental, physical, spiritual, emotional and social checkup and evaluate your lifestyle. Ask yourself:
Don’t just rely on your own perceptions. Ask your spouse or a close friend some of these questions about you.
STEP #2: Write down a plan of action. Balance doesn’t come by accident; you’ve got to work at it.  Ephesians 5:15 says, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.” (NLT) How do you do that? You plan and prepare. A life of balance is marked by habits. If you’re living a life of balance, your plan will reflect successful habits in all areas of your life.
STEP #3: Make sure your relationship with God is central to your life. You don’t have the power to create a balanced life on your own. You will need God’s help. If God isn’t at the center of your, you will quickly slip out of balance. When you put Christ at the center of your life, the power comes through Him and flows to every part of your life. This gives you balance. That’s why the Bible says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness… .”
Okay, now what?  
Let's not just be observing readers but readers to take action. 
Your ‘tank’ is your energy and your passion for what you do. A full tank is what keeps you going at full force, with all your creative juices flowing and your heart on fire. But everything you do costs you energy, some things more than others and they empty your tank slowly. So like the gas tank of a car, your tank of energy needs filling up. If you keep going without taking the time to fill up your tank, you’ll end up leading on empty. Once that meter hits ‘E’ and the red light starts blinking, you’ll be too late.
What empties your tank? 
What are those things you do that really drain your energy? Maybe it’s the administrative tasks that come with the territory of being in youth ministry. Or maybe it’s pastoral conversations or visits to the high school or leading small group. How to know? It’s those things that make you tired, frustrated, or angry.
For me, it was meetings, especially those I had to attend but didn’t lead myself. I’d never been big on meetings, but when I started leading various ministries, I came to dread them. They were long, boring, often completely useless and they took up so much time that I could use far better otherwise. I always came home frustrated and exhausted from meetings like that. They were emptying my tank.
What empties your tank? Take some time to list those activities that frustrate you, wear you out or plain scare you. It’s okay to admit not loving everything about life and these insights will help you guard your health, spiritually, mentally and physically.
Pause... what?  Pause, right now and take some the time to list all the things that are emptying your tank. 
.................. ................ .............  come on..... just do it............
.................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. 
.................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. 
Now that's done, let's list the things that fill YOUR tank. 
These can be things you do that FILL your tank. 
How? Ask yourself the simple question ‘what makes you feel better, more energized?’.
Pause... what?  .... yep, here we go again.  Take some the time to list all the things that FILL your tank.
.................. ................ .............  come on..... it's really worth your time............
.................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. 
.................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. .................. ................ ............. 


I know what fills my tank. 
My fillers: Being physically active outdoors, followed by solitude, laughing, etc.... 
Tank drainers: watching TV, non-productive meetings, perfection expectations, etc... 

Before taking time to think about this, I knew being physically active outdoors was important to me, but I hadn’t quite realized how crucially important solitude and laughing was for me. I love hanging out with people, but in order to stay sane, to keep my tank full, I need a few uninterrupted hours of solitude each week.
What fills your tank? What are those activities that make you happy, give you energy? It could be playing with your kids (I saw an interview Andy Stanley had with Rick Warren recently where Rick explained how playing with his kids reenergized him when they were younger), going out for a run, or watching a movie. It could be date night with your spouse, an evening with friends, or painting.
If you want to prevent leading on empty, you have to make sure your tank stays full. Take the time to do things that will fill up your tank, make them a priority and reserve time for these on your weekly schedule. Whenever possible, limit those things that empty it fast.
If we are to be transparent, the pace our society runs everyone is at risk for burnout in the long run.  What are you doing about it? You can be sure I’m doing everything I can to keep my tank full.

Share your thoughts with me.

Check out my blog’s:

Online at: