When "Good Enough" Isn't Good Enough

Here on the Gulf Coast, we're familiar with the process of preparing for a storm. In the summer or fall, the process repeats itself: We hear a weather report of a disturbance in the Gulf. We watch it carefully for a day or two, paying close attention to the "cone of probability" that shows where the storm might make landfall. We watch as the storm is upgraded from a depression to a tropical storm to a category 1 hurricane, and so on up the scale. Then, when it seems the storm is indeed headed toward us, we spring into action. Some of us stand in long lines at the hardware store and the supermarket, stocking up on supplies. Some have long since bought the lumber, generator and extra food and water we need, and we spend the next day or so boarding up our windows. And some of us choose to simply wait and see, hoping that the storm will take a last-minute turn away from us. We're hoping for Rita, not for Ike.

Fortunately for us, we live in an age of advanced technology, so we have several days to prepare for such a storm. But the spiritual storms of life--which can be far more destructive than a category 5 hurricane--often come without any warning at all. This Sunday, we'll be looking at Jesus' parable of the two builders in Matthew 7:24-27, as well as the other version of the parable in Luke 6:46-49. What does it take to be ready for any storm life throws at us?

What You've Been Looking For (Excerpt)

This Sunday, free copies of my new devotional guide, What You've Been Looking For will be available at the church. Here's an excerpt that should give you a taste of what the book will be like:

It was one of those moments of amazing clarity for me. I was sitting across the table from a friend, someone I respect deeply, and he was pouring his heart out to me. He was at a point of personal crisis; some things in his life that he thought were unshakable were beginning to crumble. He needed a friend to listen, to pray for him, but he also wanted to know what to do. I gave him the best advice I know, advice I have given dozens of times before to people who are hurting and fearful. I said, “You need to see this as an opportunity for spiritual rebirth. Take advantage of this time of brokenness to get closer to God.” His response was so honest, so obvious, that it took my breath away: “How do I get closer to God?” This was a man who had been in church all his life, who had heard many of my sermons, who prayed daily, yet he had no idea how to deepen his relationship with His Lord. I realized then that this was my fault. I am responsible for the spiritual condition of my flock. I wondered how many people in my church and in my broader “sphere of influence” were like my friend: Wanting to grow closer to God, but not having any idea how to do it.

That led me to the idea of writing a devotional guide. Actually, I hate to use that term. This book isn’t your standard book of devotions, nor is it simply a tool to use in one’s “personal quiet time.”...

An athlete goes through training camp to prepare for a season. An actor hires a personal trainer so he can pack on muscle for his role as a gladiator or superhero. But what we’re talking about is bigger than sports or movies. Imagine a man goes to his doctor and finds out that unless he dramatically reduces his weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure, he’ll be dead within a year. He thinks of his wife and the plans they had for the “empty nest years.” He thinks of his kids, of the experiences he wants to have with them in years to come, and of the possibility of holding grandchildren someday. He has some vague concept of what it would take to get into shape. But with his life on the line, he doesn’t want to tinker around with diet and exercise plans he can find on the internet. If only there were a sort of “boot camp” for out of shape middle-aged men, like the camps that prepare athletes and actors. He could whip himself into shape and, along the way, establish habits that would keep his body at its best for years to come. That’s what this book is intended to offer: a spiritual boot camp for people who want to have a real relationship with God, but who don’t really know how.

You want someone who’s in great shape running your boot camp, so I’ve found a great source. I am basing this book on The Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster. Celebration was named by Christianity Today as one of the top ten books of the 20^th Century. Foster’s book is simply sharing the collected spiritual wisdom of great devotional writers that the contemporary church has largely forgotten, but who showed us how to truly know and serve God; people like Brother Lawrence, Julian of Norwich, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas a Kempis, and AW Tozer. Foster’s book lists twelve spiritual practices, or disciplines, that lead us closer to God. Of course, you could read Foster’s book, or any of the great devotional masters, and I hope you do. The book you are holding in your hands is simply a guide to help you walk through these classic disciplines. Think of it as Spiritual Disciplines for Dummies.

Here’s what you will need: A Bible; a place to write down your thoughts as you travel this journey (a notebook or a computer file will do fine); a designated time of the day to read this book (I prefer the early mornings, but you do it when you’re the most mentally fresh, and when you can spare a half-hour or so); and a serious commitment level. Again, this is a spiritual boot camp. We won’t just be running through a quick devotional thought and a Scripture each day. We’ll be learning to practice the classical spiritual disciplines that have enriched followers of Jesus for millennia.

The Curse of the Untended Garden

Years ago, I met a man while visiting church members in a nursing home. His name was Frank, and he had spent his entire life as a pastor in the area where I grew up. In fact, for a few years, he had pastored my home church, although that was before my parents were born. As you can imagine, he had some amazing stories. But one thing he said really stuck with me: "I'm 92, and I still have all my teeth!" He was so proud of that. As a 26-year-old smart-aleck, I found that funny. But now I think I understand. Our teeth are an important part of our body. If they are bad, our appearance suffers (and that affects the way other people respond to us). With bad teeth, our ability to eat good foods is compromised, leading to further health issues. Repairing bad teeth can be expensive, but the cost of NOT repairing them can be even higher, as chronic pain and embarrassment can produce depression. Bro. Frank was proud that he still had all his teeth after all these years, because that was quite an accomplishment. It represented countless times he had done the little things to take care of them. And because he had done the little things, he was reaping the rewards, well into his nineties. We only have one set of teeth. If we take care of them, they'll take care of us. If not, we will face the consequences.

No, this week's sermon is not about brushing and flossing and the wonder-working power of fluoride. It's about something even more unappreciated, and far more important. We'll be studying Proverbs 24:30-34. Here's a term for you to look up as you prepare for the message this week: entropy. Curious yet? See you Sunday.

Jesus the Great Equalizer

Several years ago, I read a news story about a youth soccer league that had stopped keeping score at their games. Their goal was to protect the fragile self-esteem of their young players, while still teaching them soccer skills. But their plans were derailed when it was found that, scoreboard or no, the kids themselves were keeping score! Those darn kids...

We all keep score. We want there to be winners and losers. We want to be able to measure ourselves against others. That's one reason the doctrine of grace is so hard for us to accept. In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), Jesus turns our conventional wisdom on its head. He tends to do that a lot. What does this story have to say to us today? And how can we start to see the world through eyes of our gracious God? Come and study the Word with us this Sunday.

God's Fuzzy Math

As most of you know, I am a sports fan. However, at the risk of offending some (ie, many) of you, I don't enjoy all sports. As I get older, I find it harder and harder to enjoy sports that don't seem to have a clear winner and loser. Gymnastics, figure skating, diving and other sports that are "judged" by humans just seem way too subjective. I find myself angry that the nice little Canadian girl got shafted by the Russian judge. Even College Football, my favorite sport by far, is starting to lose its allure for me, since they can't seem to figure out a way to crown a single, undisputed National Champion, and a small cadre of large schools with mammoth athletic budgets seem to wield all the power.

There is something in us that demands fairness. Ironically, that is often the same part of us that resists the biblical idea of grace. Philip Yancey wrote a column for Christianity Today many years ago entitled "The Atrocious Mathematics of the Gospel." He talked about how so many of Jesus' parables ended in ways that didn't add up...at least, according to our human reckoning. A perfect example is the parable we'll study next week, in Matthew 20:1-16. Yancey was thereafter assaulted with a barrage of angry letters to the editor. One called him blasphemous; another said his column was Satanic. Yancey's point--which obviously sailed far over the heads of many of his readers--was that grace seems unfair to us, except when we're the recipients.

This Sunday, we'll take a look at the requirements of grace as we examine the parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:23-35. What signs mark those who truly have received the saving grace of God? And how can we learn to do the mathematics of life according to God's standards?

The God Who Runs

One day years ago, a group of Bible scholars and theologians were debating the question, "What makes Christianity different from all other world religions?" Someone suggested the incarnation, but others in the group could name stories of gods taking on human form in other religions. Someone else said resurrection, but again, there were stories in other religions about people cheating death. As they hashed out the question, CS Lewis came strolling into the room. "What's all this about?" he asked. "We're trying to decide what makes Christianity different from all the other world religions?" He shrugged, "That's easy. Grace." (From What's So Amazing About Grace, by Philip Yancey)

Jesus rarely used the word "grace" but He spoke about the concept often, especially in His parables. In the first month of this year, we're looking at some of these stories of grace. This Sunday, we'll take our third and final look at the story of the two lost sons, better known as The Parable of the Prodigal Son. This time, we'll focus on the most important character in the story, the Father. What does He teach us about who our God really is? Coming to know God in a fuller, truer way can change your life in amazing ways. I pray that will happen for each of us this Sunday.

The Big Brother Syndrome

This year, I plan to preach through the parables of Jesus. I'm excited about this...these are, after all, the greatest stories ever told--in terms of their impact on the world. I started last Sunday with the Parable of the Prodigal Son. As I said then, it should be called, "The Story of the Two Lost Sons." We looked at the part of the story we're all familiar with: The rebellious younger son's odyssey from runaway to reconciliation. But this week, we'll look at the older son; this is the part of the story that most of us (preachers and, er, "normal" people) never pay attention to. But considering the audience Jesus was speaking to (see Luke 15:1-2), the older brother is really the main character of the story.

As I said last Sunday, we all tend to be either rebels or rule-keepers. And we religious folks mainly fall into the latter category. We may have had our wild-haired days, but most of us have settle down into respectability. So we have much more in common with that older son. As we'll find out this Sunday, that's not such a good thing. Here's a great quote from Tim Keller's book, The Prodigal God:

Jesus’ teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of His day. However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect. The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones. We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did. If our churches aren’t appealing to younger brothers, they must be more full of elder brothers than we’d like to think.

Are you an "older brother?" And if so, what can we do about it? That's what we'll talk about this Sunday.