March 30--What are we Really Singing?

Lord I want more of you
Living Water rain down on me
Lord I need more of you
Living breath of life come and fill me up....

We sing a lot of songs that talk about how much we need from God and how desperate we are for Him to give that to us. That's a nice thought but when we wake up we're here, in California, worrying about which things to spend our money on or how we can stay most comfortable. We learn to live life independently--completely need free. It's as though the thought of living dependant on anything causes an allergic reaction.

Why is this? Is this true in your life?
Consider the words and implications of Jesus in John 15:1-8.

Brokeness, Brokenness is what I long for

Brokenness is what I need

Brokenness, Brokenness is what you want from me

So take my life....

In reality, it's hard for us to relate to need. Sometimes we make up this artificial need. We need God to make us feel better; to keep us from stressing out; to help us pass our next test or to help us get into our college of choice. Do you ever wonder how God can stand it? Sometimes our pain isn't made up though--sometimes it is real and hurts us deeply. Our life becomes wrapped up in the pain and brokeness we feel because it is all we feel. Isn't it amazing that no matter how big or how small the hurt, God, out of His undying compassion for us, decides that we are important enough for His love and attention anyway. For God, no matter how big or small it is, our pain is real.

Consider the story and implications of a hurting woman in John 8:1-11
What is the pain in your life that you need God to heal?


And I, I'm desperate for you
And I, I'm lost without you
I'm nothing without you....

We sing this--we like this song. Is it really true in your life? Do you really believe that you're "nothing without Him?"
Consider the words and implications of Paul in Philippians 3:7-11.


Let what we do in here fill the streets out there....

Let's be a community that considers and lives what we're singing--

March 16--Was Jesus Really God?

Sometimes Christianity bugs because it seems to explain certain things away which are completely contradictory and make no sense. Even Noah's Ark seems somewhat sketchy if we're really honest. Like where did all the poop go? And how did they possibly have enough food for all that time? But when it comes to Jesus, some real problems arise. Most have no problem believing that Jesus went through life without sinning. Most do, however, wonder a few things about his time on earth.
Was it even possible for Jesus to sin? If so, then how could he have been God, since God cannot sin?If not, then how could he have gone through genuine temptation, just like we are, if he could not have sinned anyway? Wasn't his temptation kind of a joke if that's the case?
When Jesus was on the earth, did he have every aspect of divine power at his fingertips, yet he simply decided not to use those powers sometimes? Or, was he actually limited in his use of those divine powers?
Is it possible that he actually couldn't do certain things, and couldn't know certain things, and couldn't be everywhere, even if he sometimes wanted to?

Classical theologians have argued that Jesus had two distinct natures within his one person. One nature was his divine nature, which contained all of the aspects of power that he enjoyed before the incarnation. This divine nature had full access to the human nature of Jesus. The human nature of Jesus, however, the one that needed to grow intellectually as well as physically (Luke 2:52); the one that didn't know certain things (Mark 13:32); the one that experienced temptation (Luke 4:1-13 & Hebrews 4:15) did not have access to the divine nature. Jesus simply existed as one person with two unique natures. He was fully human, but not merely human. He contained all of the attributes of humanity (like we do), but also contained all of the aspects of divinity (unlike us).

What if Jesus voluntarily set aside the use of certain divine attributes during the time he was a human (Phil. 2:5-8)?
What if he voluntarily decided that he wasn't going to be able to do certain things that he was used to doing?
What if when Jesus was tempted, it was real. That Jesus sometimes did not know certain things. That he had to grow, and learn (do you think he was born having the Pentateuch memorized?)

What if, though Jesus never stopped being God, his humanity was real -- what if he was limited, sometimes angry, and frequently lonely? What if every miracle he did was done solely by the power of the Father or Spirit?

If Jesus really did feel abandonded by his Father at his worst moment ever, it somehow makes me like him even more. If Jesus really didn't know the person who touched his cloak when certain healing powers left him, it makes me believe that he was a real person that I can really follow.What if what most made him God was not the miracles he did, or the omnipotence he still had as a human? What if what most made him God was that, for love of people, he decided to set down his powers for a time, so that he really could go through life like I do? What if what really most makes him God is that he was able to pick them up again?

March 09--The Toughest Thing To Do

Two people were having a converstation the other day. They were talking about what the hardest part about following Jesus was. One of them said, "I think the whole loving your neighbor part it toughest." The other agreed that it was tough, but replied, "I think that evangelism is the toughest part."

What do you think is the toughest part about following Jesus?

What do you think of when you hear the word evangelism?

Why would some say that this is so tough?

What are the implications of us thinking that "evangelism" is so tough?

How did Jesus evangelize?

Read Matthew 9:9-14.

What does this show you about Jesus' style of evangelism?

Perhaps we need to move on from cognitively trying to convince people to follow Jesus and start learning to cook or eat meals with them. I wonder what would happen if we simply became available to others like Jesus was.

Who are two people in your life that you know don't follow Jesus and would never come to church but would come over for dinner? How could this be a form of evangelism?

Try it!