When "The Good News" is viewed as bad news.

The simple message of the gospel is this,
JESUS LOVES YOU.

Somewhere along the way we've changed the simple message to Jesus Loves You if you're good. But before you can feel the love of Jesus you need to make sure your life is in order. This is bad news. Then we add to scripture by saying Jesus loves you only if you don't get drunk, sleep around, cuss like a sailor, and smoke anything that grows out of the ground. You need to get your life in order and then Jesus will "really" love you.

I was reminded this week of how powerful this simple message is - just as long as we keep it simple. There is a verse in scripture that says, God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Meaning, while life is still a wreck, while we're stuck in addictions, when we're angry, full of lust, high on whatever our current drug of choice is, Jesus loves me...

A mentor of mine once told me that there is nothing that I can do that will make God love me more than He already does. In-fact, God doesn't just love you, He's extremely found of you.

I've learned something powerful about this simple message. It brings hope. Because Jesus loves me I can conquer addictive sin, and be the person that God has created me to be.

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

"Go to the Ant you SLUGGARD!"

The bible is filled with all sorts of weird phrases. Solomon is writing in proverbs about sloth, or laziness, and what to do about it. He calls the lazy person a sluggard and instructs the person to consider the ways of the ant. I love Solomon's tone in this passage. He's comparing a lazy person to an ant and saying that an ant is SUPERIOR! Kinda makes you feel like you're worthless for sitting around all day watching TV, and simultaneously checking your facebook/twitter accounts, playing games on your iphone, while neglecting your responsibilities. Oh, wait. Maybe all that stuff is worthless? (sorry, sometimes when i write i end up feeling convicted)

As I thought more and more about this I realized that there is a balance to this whole lazy sloth thing. Sidebar - does anyone ever use the word sloth anymore? I realized that laziness leads to neglect of responsibilities. On the flip-side a being a work-a-holic can lead one to neglect other responsibilities such as being a loving husband, and father, taking care of things around the house, playing with your kids (if you have them) and your relationship with Jesus.

So is there a balance? What about the age old disciple of Sabbath? Can we really slow down, cut out distractions and rest for one whole day? Where do we find the balance, when do we know when its time to stop, unplug, turn off the cellphone, rest and simply be with loved ones and Jesus Christ? These are the thoughts that we will be pursuing in our life groups.

life groups at PULSE

We've had two successful weeks so far with life groups! Its been great to split the group up and listen to them talk about life, family, scripture, Jesus, music, games and the latest in high school dating drama!

One lesson that I've learned so far (and is difficult for me) is to talk less and listen more. So much happens when people stop talking and start listening. Its powerful! After a great conversation with someone I can't help but walk away feeling, loved, cared for, respected, and the joy and confidence of knowing that I have friends who are there for me.

Which do you do more of: talking or listening? If you're anything like me you've missed some great opportunities to hear the stories of others. I'll finish with a verse that has been important to me.
"... Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," James 1:19

Toy Story 3

First off, I absolutely loved this film. I thought it was brilliant. Seriously, its a great movie. I'm not saying that this is my favorite movie or that its on my top 10 list of all time favorites. Then again, it might be. Below are just a few reasons why I enjoyed this film.
1. Clever use of humor. The thing I enjoy the most about the Toy Story franchise (and Pixar for that matter) is that thier films have hilarious stuff in them. I really respect people who can tell clean jokes and use humor is a positive way. With all the dirty comedians who use the "F-word" like the word "the" and every other joke is about sex, its nice to laugh at something that is simply funny, and not degrading.

2. The Characters were bounded by love. A constant theme through the movie is family, brotherhood, and a sense that under no circumstances would they separate. They were in the adventure as a team, weak or strong, and they would live or die as a team.

3. There was a spiritual overtone throughout the film. The following is a quote from Donald Miller. "The Toys want to be reunited with their owner. Their owner loves them. Something has come between their owner and they are confused about whether their owner still loves them. It’s powerful stuff, and it’s relatable because it’s true."

I simply enjoyed a good movie that made me laugh, reflect a little bit on life, relate to the characters, and most importantly, it didn't make me cry!