Response to Dr. Dave Rahn

Response to Dave Rahn…UB youth conference 2008 – Tuesday night

I'm in Daytona, Florida for a gathering of youth pastors from the United Brethren Churches around the U.S. Tonight, Dr. Dave Rahn from Huntington University and Youth For Christ spoke to us of the inescapable fact that our lives transmit into those around us. Jesus' style of leadership was one where he infused his heart into those he lead through his presence with them. This was his way of changing people, and this was his method for leadership development. Dr. Rahn traced the pattern from Jesus to his disciples (such as Peter) to Barnabbas, to Paul, to Timothy…and on to us now.

Check out first Timothy 2:22
“…And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

This is more than a positive action that touches someone else's heart. This is one life shaping another life. The reality is that we have lives of consequence. The consequence will either be good, eternal, God-infused, and reflective of Jesus; or it will be negative - a marred representation of the image of God, a misrepresentation of Jesus, a turn-off...one that shapes others' lives in a way that decreases their awareness of ultimate reality that is available to them.
So, to say that our lives touch others’ lives would be an understatement. The danger is that what we pass on could be deficient.

To ignore the life Jesus offers will begin the process of the dissipation of the image of God in me. By saying the “life Jesus offers” I am not referring to salvation or some sort of full feeling. I am speaking of knowing Jesus, leaning into him and striving to embody Christ to our world. This includes a lifestyle of blatant rebuttal of the malfunctions of religion. This includes carrying my cross, choosing the way of suffering, and refusing to value anything above pleasing Jesus and striving to live like him in our world.

In Dr. Rahn’s talk, he identified 3 characteristics of Jesus-representatives – selflessness, fearlessness, and tirelessness. Interestingly, all three seem to be severe deficiencies in me. But, I take heart. Therein lay an opportunity for growth through submission to the Spirit of Christ within me. Pray for me as I strive to follow Jesus more closely and represent him more faithfully, that I might pass on the beauty of the Messiah to the next generation. May this happen in your life too. Amen.

Wisdom

Random snippets about wisdom:
According to Scripture, wisdom is very important.
"...encourage the young men to live wisely in all they do." Titus 2:6
"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and apply ing your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding...then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2 (beginning)

A couple of definitions for wisdom:
"Wisdom is applied knowledge."
"Wisdom is knowing what God wants you to do in a situation."

Reflections about wisdom.
Wisdom is something I desire to have. Why? Several reasons. First, I don't want to do stupid stuff. Wisdom protects from the consequences of stupid or sinful actions. Second, I realize that the consequences of wrong decisions affect more than just myself. Family, Friends, and those in my fellowship of Faith are affected by right or wrong choices I make. The third and perhaps most powerful motivator is related to the first two (especially the second). Leadership requires wisdom. God has appointed me a leadership role in a local church. As a pastor, I need God's wisdom in order to serve the awesome people I find myself in community with.

The pursuit of wisdom is not an empty pursuit when God is at the center of that pursuit. This is the message of Proverbs 2. The results of pursuing God and his truth are well worth the time spent in seeking. "Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you." (Prov. 2:9-11) The passage continues to share some great results of obtaining wisdom (which I'd encourage you to check out).

So, what's the point of all this? Simple. Wisdom is well worth the effort it takes to obtain it.

I ask for you to say a prayer for me today that I will be a person of Godly wisdom. This will happen as I pursue God and his truth, and then apply that knowledge to life. As I do, I will bring God's life-giving truth to the people around me. It is what my family, friends, and those in my fellowship of faith deserve because they are valuable to me and to God.
Thanks for reading. Lord, bless my friends with your wisdom as they pursue you and your truth. Amen.

Established Heart

A few sermons have really gotten under my skin lately. These sermons have forced me to investigate my heart. The first was by John Hall. The title was "Cold" and the Scriptural passage was Revelation chapter 2:1-5. He pointed out that the Ephesian church had left her first love which is Christ. The second sermon was by Brian Houston of Hillsong Church in Sydney Australia. It was about being "all-hearted" as opposed to "half-hearted". He focused on Psalm 112:8 which says of the godly man, "His heart is established". I love the sense of spiritual stability of that phrase.
Where does this kind of inner strength come from? What is its source? Psalm 112:1 and 7 provide context for verse 8. "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord…" (v.1) "He confidently trusts the Lord to care for him." (v.7) In other words, a steadfast or established heart is based in a relationship with our "first love" (Rev. 2:4).
What is my heart established toward? What things am I certain about at the core of who I am? In taking the time to ponder these questions, I discovered that my heart is established toward my family, my Savior, my calling in life, and my beliefs. Taking time to examine my deepest convictions has resulted in a renewed focus in my life, with my first love at the center.
How about you? What is your heart established toward? I would encourage you to consider asking yourself this question. It is worth the time it takes to ensure that you are all-hearted for Christ. If you aren’t sure, ponder the message of these two sermons I have briefly shared with you. Putting Jesus Christ at the center of life will bring a sense of inner strength and security to your life. Let us be a people of established hearts, trusting confidently in the Lord, our first love. Amen.