image credit: Creation Swap User Rob Gros

I grew up in a Christian home. My parents were, and still are, amazingly solid followers of Jesus. I look to them and, when I grow up, want to

• Have a marriage like theirs
• Follow Jesus like they do
• Lead like they do
• Find wisdom like they’ve found

They did a great job pointing me to Jesus and, at the ripe age of 6, I began following Him. I didn’t understand it all. But I understood enough to know that, without Jesus, I didn’t have a relationship with God. And I desperately wanted a relationship with Him!

So my journey began.

As I got into high school, I started hearing “those testimonies.” You know which ones I’m talking about. The radical conversions. The “I was a drug addict when I walked in tonight, and now I follow Jesus and I don’t even want for those drugs anymore.” The “I slept with every guy I looked at for 5 years…and now I love Jesus.”

Part of me, the sinful part of me for sure, wished I had a testimony like that. I mean, come on…I began following Jesus when I was 6. What kind of serious trouble can I get in by then? If I’d waited a few years, say, at least 10, maybe I could’ve added a bit of flair to my testimony. I wish I had a cool story. For a few reasons:

1. I bet they had a crazy amount of fun. Sure, it was empty. Sure, it didn’t ultimately satisfy. But dang, they had a good time doing it! (I know…don’t judge me. You’ve had those thoughts too). I know Christians can, and should, have fun, but…

2. They can look back on their life and assuredly say, “I’m different now that I follow Jesus.” From drugs to hugs. From passionate love with the opposite sex…to passionately following Jesus. From fights with classmates to fights with the devil. From…ok, I’ll stop. You get the picture.

That second reason really hung over me. And if I can be honest, some days it still tries to hook me in. “You’re not really different” I hear whispered. “What has Jesus really done in your life?” is shot my way. “Are you sure you’re following Jesus?” enters my doubt.

If I only had a sexy testimony!

The homely testimony

But wait. My testimony is sexy. It is radical. It is powerful.

Once I was lost, and now I’m found. Once I was an enemy, and now I’m a son. Once I was bent against God, and now He’s my friend. Once I was pointing towards an eternity apart from Jesus, and now eternity with Him has begun.

The radical part of anyone’s salvation isn’t the “sin” part. It’s not in highlighting the depth of depravity that the human soul can dive. It’s in highlighting the love of a beautiful King who’s kind enough to save a sinner like me. It’s in pointing people to a God who rescues the powerless. Pointing people to a God who is gracious enough to save someone who, at the age of 6, doesn’t even fully grasp the depth of His love. Someone who, at the age of 6, has no idea what life holds and how grace will be such a powerful part of it.

A word to the doubters

I share this because I know I’m not the only one who has doubts. I’m not the only one who doesn’t have a radical conversion story. I’m not the only one who has sinned more after I began following Jesus than before.

And I’m not the only one who needs a reminder that salvation is about highlighting the love of a good King whose willing and able to rescue.

Question:

Ever doubted?

*image credit: creation swap user Rob Gros

 

Do people really want to leave Christ out of Christmas?

I don’t think so. Because if we did, we’d be left with just ‘mas.’ Which can’t work.

• We wish you a merry mas.
• All I want for mas is my two front teeth.
• We’d invite people to our mas Eve service.
• We’d watch National Lampoon’s mas Vacation.

Nobody wants that. Not even pagans. Because we all know that whether you’re a pagan or a Christian, you watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at some point during this season.

With the myriad of distractions flying at us through the media, shopping, office parties, and traveling, we need reminders to keep Christ in Christmas, right? You’ve seen them on buttons, t-shirts-billboards, and yard signs.

CHRISTmas reminders

• Jesus is the reason for the season.
• Keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas.
• No Christ. No Christmas. Know Christ. Know Christmas.
• Christmas is about Jesus from long ago, not Santa trudging through the snow.

Maybe I made that last one up. But I’m not convinced that these types of reminders work. I also think that when you make it a personal mission to tell everyone you see, “Merry CHRISTmas” (over-dramatizing the “Christ” part), you don’t necessarily help your cause.

In fact, that’s offensive to many people.

“Shouldn’t that make us, the Church, upset?” you say. “It is our holiday, after all, right?” This holiday should be all about Jesus, so we should expect that everyone, even those who don’t follow Jesus, to honor him as Savior and Lord during the Christmas season, right? Oh wait…never mind…forcing someone to recite something they don’t believe isn’t necessarily helpful. Expecting that they’ll honor Jesus during December even though they don’t believe He is King may not be the best way.

Can I offer a better way?

Better CHRISTmas reminders

Maybe a better way to keep Christ in Christmas is to show people love. Even people that don’t deserve it.

Maybe a better way to keep Christ in Christmas is to pursue peace with people because God, through Jesus, has pursued peace with us. 

Maybe a better way to keep Christ in Christmas is to live joyfully in the midst of difficulty. Because we have a Savior who endured our suffering.

Maybe a better way to keep Christ in Christmas is to live generously. Because we serve a King who has given us salvation.

Maybe a better way to keep Christ in Christmas is to live our lives as if the God of the world sent his Son to call us His own.

But maybe I’m wrong.

Maybe we should just keep wearing our buttons. 

 

image credit: creation swap user Matt Gruber

Lots of small groups take the Christmas season off. And that’s fine.

But if you’re one of the groups that really loves Jesus, you’re not taking the season off. You’re soldiering through like the little drummer boy who could. Massive traveling, family celebrating, and time off of work won’t slow you and your group down!

If you’re one of the groups that’s meeting throughout the month of December, you may be wondering what you can do that’s a little outside of the norm. I’ve got some suggestions.

15 Christmas Ideas for your Small Group

Fellowship:

Don’t feel bad about wanting to have fun together as a group this Christmas season. Having fun together is very biblical.

•  Go caroling.
• White elephant gift exchange. See explanation HERE.
• Ornament exchange.
• Pot luck with your favorite Christmas dish.
• “Favorite book” exchange.
• Celebrate with a gift exchange mid-January. That way, you can get gifts on sale, and extend the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Jesus would probably have loved a good sale. Am I right?!?

 Serving

• Email your pastor for families in need, and serve them food and gifts.
• Contact your local public school system and tell them you’d like to sponsor ___ families with food and gifts this Christmas. Ask them to connect you with the families.
• Contact your local Salvation Army and sign up to ring the bell.
• Write letters to soldiers who are deployed, if you live in a military town.
• Bless your pastor. Examples: a gift card to Amazon, a night away for him and his wife, or a gift card to a nice local restaurant.

Worship/study

• The Purpose of Christmas book and/or study guide, by Rick Warren
• Christmas Reboot, by Alan Danielson
• Advent Conspiracy, by Rick McKinley
• Study through the sermons your pastor preaches this Christmas season
• Study Luke 2. Try using the Serendipity Bible to help.

 Is your small group meeting for the Christmas season?

* image credit: creation swap user Matt Gruber

 

Photo Credit: Jon Ashcroft

There are many words that people can use to define you.

• Young
• Haughty
• Mean
• Depressed
• Lost
• Dumb
• Bi-Polar
• Driven
• Angry
• Obsessed
• Liar
• Cheater
• Hyper
• Boring
• Addict
• Divorced
• Widowed
• Scorned
• Lazy
• Thief
• Loser
• Used-to-be
• Worn out
• Beggar
• Dreamer
• Old
• Out-of-shape
• Bitter
• Aloof

But did you know that you can choose how you’ll be defined? You don’t have to continue to wear the label you’ve been pinned. You don’t have to wear the hat that’s been forced on your head.

Those things don’t define you unless you let them.

I’m choosing my label. And my choice is “graced.”

Despite my past. Despite my failures. Despite my weaknesses. Despite my challenges and frustrations and “personality.”

I am defined by grace.

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted  the church of God. But by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective. – Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:9-10

*photo credit: John Ashcroft via Creation Swap

 

I talked with a friend the other day who’s in his 50s. We were talking about a potential job opportunity on his table.

It was a significant step up in pay and influence. I asked him, “Why aren’t you strongly considering this?”

He responded with, “At my age, I can’t make a move like that. If I fail, I’ll have nowhere else to go. Statistics prove that people who have been in my position for as long as I have and transition to another church tend to only spend a couple of years there before they leave.”

There are two important words in what he said. “Statistics show…”

photo credit: Creative Commons License, user Mac Steve

Here’s my word of advice for anyone who uses that phrase:

Who cares what statistics show?!?

Statistics show

• That everyone dies. But I’m not ready for that.
• That more marriages end in divorce than stay the course. But I’m not going to quit fighting for the health of my marriage.
• That I’ll be an absent dad. But I’m not going to let that happen.

Who cares what the statistics say? Not me. I’m not letting statistics hold me back.

I’m thankful that God isn’t limited by what statistics say has to happen.

God isn’t limited by statistics.

• Gideon led an army of 22,000 300 to conquer the Midianites (Judges 6-8). Against the statistics.
• Moses led the Israelites out of slavery to the most powerful man in the world. With no weapons (Exodus 12:31-40). Against the statistics.
• Daniel was thrown into a pit of lions and survived to be a leader for his exiled people (Daniel 6). Against the statistics.
• David, a boy at the time, defeated the best warrior the the Philistines had (1 Samuel 17). Against the statistics.
• Abraham and Sarah birthed a nation at the ripe old age of 100 (Genesis 21:1-7). Against the statistics.
• Jesus had 12 followers that took the Gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts). Against the statistics.

Statistics don’t hold a candle to God.

I know that wisdom takes statistics into account. Statistics aren’t evil, but can help inform our decisions. We should take them into account. But we should not use them solely in our decision making.

Don’t let statistics determine your decision.

Remember that you serve a God who overcomes odds and breaks through strongholds. He won’t be stopped by a mere statistic.

Neither should you.

*photo credit: Creative Commons user: Mac Steve

 

My son doesn’t like having his picture taken.

But instead of giving you the full context here, I thought I’d ask you to fill in a funny caption.  And in return, I’ll reward you.   I’m so thankful for you guys and the community we’ve built here that I’d just like to say, “Thanks.”

I’m giving away 2 copies of the uber-popular Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and me by Ian Cron!

Ian is speaking at the upcoming Story conference, and is a highly sought after communicator.

Ian’s book is a great read. It’s fun, engaging, and is a great picture of one man’s pursuit of God despite so many things stacked against him.

If you’d like to win a copy, you get 1 entry for each of the following:

1. Leave a caption. Make sure to include how many of the additional entries (below) you’ve also done.

2. Tweet this: Do. Not. Take. My. Picture! Caption contest for @IanCron ‘s ‘Jesus, My Father, the CIA & me’ via @benreed: http://su.pr/3DbcNp

3. Facebook this: Do. Not. Take. My. Picture! Caption contest for Ian Cron’s ‘Jesus, My Father, the CIA’ on Ben Reed’s blog today here: http://su.pr/3DbcNp  // (be sure to tag me in the post so I know to count you in the drawing)

4. Subscribe to receive updates to this blog HERE.

I’ll be drawing the winner at 9 pm central time on Saturday, September 2nd.

 

What would it look like if Mary and Joseph had Jesus in the age of Facebook?

(HT: Greg Atkinson)

Merry Christmas!

 

Did you know that as soon as you pull the fruit off of the vine, it begins to die? Looking at these cucumbers above, you’d think they were healthy, right?  They’re green.  They’re huge.  They’ve got the little prickly things on them.  All evidence points to them being as healthy as any other cucumber.  But notice the stem.  It’s been pulled off of the vine.

Whether we pickle them or put them in a salad, these cucumbers are going to taste fantastic.  They look fine and taste fine…at least for the time being.  Wait a week, though, and they’ll look and taste dead.  Nobody would eat them at that point.  But for now, they look fine.

Since they’ve been removed from the life-giving vine, though, they’re dying.  That process can be slowed by putting them in the refrigerator.  Or even pickling them.  But there’s no doubt that, over time, they’ll be completely dead and shriveled up.  Though it’s not visible or tastable now, these cucumbers are dying because they have nothing that’s giving them life.

“I just feel like I’m not where I once was spiritually.”

Ever uttered those words?  Ever felt like you’re just not as close to Christ as you once were?

Ever feel like that just came out of nowhere in your life?  One day, you and Jesus were inseparable.  The next, you felt like there was a wall between the two of you.  One day, he seemed as real to you as the chair you’re sitting in.  The next, he seemed as real to you as the 2010 pennant that the Cubs will win.

The reason you felt like it crept up on you out of nowhere is the same reason that the cucumber looks fine immediately after taking it from the vine.

It takes a while for it to look and taste dead.

Jesus said:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  -John 15:4-8

The Good News is that you can be grafted right back into that vine (Christ)!  The death process doesn’t have to continue.  It can end right now if you just ask (Matthew 7:7)

Have you removed yourself from the vine?  When did you realize you weren’t connected?

How have you personally plugged back into the vine? What did you do that connected you back with Christ?

**you can see all of the pics of my garden on my Posterous site HERE

 

“You need to make a personal decision to follow Christ.”

I’ve heard that many times.  Have you?

It’s something you have to do, on your time, in your heart, in your seat, that you will not regret…with all heads bowed and all eyes closed (thus shutting out the rest of the congregation).

This decision, the one that can, and should, rock your entire community…all boils to you.

Am I the only one that thinks this seems really individualistic, self-centered, and anti-community?

Salvation just doesn’t happen like that.  It is true that you have to make the decision, but the decision isn’t made in a box.  It’s made in the context of community (relationships with others).  It’s community that leads people to a relationship with the Lord, not a mere intellectual ascent to the Truth.  It’s seeing the truth lived out.  Not reading an airtight apologetic.  It’s experiencing the Truth in love.  It’s being served.  Valued.  By community.

And it’s community that you’re saved to.  You’re not saved to be an island.  Rather, you’re saved to be a part of a family.  “Fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household…in him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22)  When you trust in Christ, you are grafted into a family.  Adopted…and given the rights of the firstborn son.  And you instantly become a vital part of that community, which the Bible calls a “body.” (1 Corinthians 12)

So next time, instead of closing a service with, “Bow your heads and close your eyes and make an individual decision…” why not acknowledge the community that has led people to this saving faith, and invite people to look around and rejoice at the family that they are saved into?

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

 

Check out this video. (sorry, I’m having trouble embedding videos onto my blog, so I had to provide a link)

My son is only 10 months old, but I can already see that he loves it when I show him that I’m proud of what he’s done.  He beams with pride when I am excited about his accomplishments.

Children need their parents’ support.  They need us to be proud of their achievements.  They need us to get down in the dirt and play.  Be made to look silly sometimes.  Sacrifice time, resources, energy, and our free time…to attend one of their games…one of their dance competitions…to play in the back yard…to teach them how to ride a bike…how to drive a car.  In short, they need us to love them.

Isn’t that what God did?

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.  –Philippians 2:3-11