Sermon Leftovers

Since I already stuck my nose in this, I thought I'd follow up last night's thoughts with a more practical post. Vast amounts of bandwidth have been used in recent days as American Christians debate what other people (namely the government) should do in response to the Syrian refugee crisis. I am fascinated by the intensity of outrage some direct toward others because of their opinion about what someone else should or should not do. Realistically, most of us have little to no impact on what our country will do in response to this crisis. So where our national policy finally lands seems like a really silly thing to get angry about. This comes back to a simple principle I express quiet often. "Don't allow the things you cannot control to control you." You cannot control what the Senate, the House or the President does. So don't allow their actions to control your behavior or your relationships. Instead, consider these five things EVERY CHRISTIAN CAN DO

I've watched for the past couple days as the Starbucks cup outrage has been replaced by refugee rage. I'm sure by next week, the outrage will have moved along. Frankly, I'm a little surprised so many people are so focused on the refugee issue this quickly after the Russian plane, Lebanon bombings and Parisian terrorism. The refugee question is really not connected to these occasions of terrorism. (I know it seems like it, but it really isn't) Anyway, I've been wrestling with this for a couple days and feel like I might as well throw some thoughts out. More than anything else, I hope anyone who reads this can recognize that I'm calling for EVERYONE to think through this a little bit more. There are lots of sides to this issue, and not all of them line up neatly into one concise talking point.  So, here are 8 things I think about the stuff I see going on around me... God loves a cheerful giver.   When we use the gifts God has given us to help those in

Benjamin Franklin said, "Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones."   Habits drive our behavior and our behavior drives our life. By creating a series of healthy habits in which to engage every day, you lay the groundwork to become the person you were created to be. 1.  Every morning write the words, "I am a child of the king. He has purchased my freedom, ensured my adoption and commissioned me into His service." (if you don't like these words, create your own) 2.  Every morning, devote at least fifteen minutes to uninterrupted reading of the Bible. Follow a systematic plan. Don't pause, don't take notes, don't overthink what you are reading. When you are done ask yourself, "So what should I do now?" 3.  Every day, sometime during the day, give away a material item. It might be something you already home. It might be something you purchase specifical

"This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus..." (Romans 1:1) Slavery is an ugly word. Yet Paul embraces it, claiming it as his own identity. All of us choose to enslave ourselves to something or someone. Whatever that thing is which controls us, is our slave master. Many are enslaved by the need for approval or acceptance. Many serve the master of popularity or social success. Some are chained to their desire for advancement and success. The list is long. We are all slaves to something. Paul chose to be a slave of Jesus. Following Jesus meant Paul would not be accepted. He would not receive approval. Following the true Jesus likely extinguishes the possibility of being popular. Jesus' full body of teaching is not socially acceptable. Jesus' followers are content to be last, not first. Success in Jesus kingdom is the polar opposite of success in this world. We are all slaves to someone or something. Every master but one seeks to control us. Only