King’s Ransom

Here’s what happened: I was driving home from work, listening to some Petra. The song “King’s Ransom” was on and I debated skipping it as it has never been one of my favorites. For some reason, I left it on and just listened. When it got to the part that says “The life of a King in place of me,” I started to think about the value that God placed on us. We were worth so much to him that he was willing to sacrifice his son for us.

What’s funny is that I keep trying to think of another way to say that to make it sound better…some way to make it mean more.

Jesus knew exactly who you were and died for you anyway. He knew all your junk and all the horrible things you were capable of and would ever do. To make it even worse, he wasn’t ordered to do it, but instead did it willingly.

God, thank you for what you did. Thank you for sending your son to die in my place. I can’t believe you would do that for me. Did you actually see value or potential in me? Am I worth that to you?

I know I can never repay what has been done for me. I know there is nothing I can do. But what COULD I do? How should I live my life, knowing this is true?

I’m going to be more grateful. More aware of the price that was paid for my life. Please help me to do this.

First Baptist Church, Pantless

So, we were talking about church at dinner tonight. I asked my girls “What would the perfect church look like?” I meant, “What would you want church to be like?”

Someone said, “I would love to be able to worship with others who worship with reckless abandon.”

Someone else said, “I wish I could hear everyone singing.” (We had just been to SWTS Gala and heard everyone singing hymns – tres cool)

One of them said, “I want to go where people dress up.”

Then, another one said, “I think they shouldn’t wear pants.”

It went downhill from there…

It’s An Action…

Yesterday, I spoke with the Sunday School class that I help teach. I asked them to ask God which of the seeds they were from the parable of the Seed and the Sower. Then I told them to wait for an answer – if they dared.

Have you ever asked God a question and then waited for him to answer? I think that most of us do the first thing: ask a question. But we rarely wait for an answer. The problem is that we really don’t want to hear what God had to say. We’re afraid that he will ask us to do something hard like move to Africa or become a nun/monk/aesthetic/whatever.

If you were playing soccer and wanted to be improve your game, you would ask your coach what you should do. If you were playing piano, singing, playing basketball, wrestling, playing the horn/guitar/trombone you would ask your instructor what you had to do to improve. And then, if you really meant it, you would do it. Whatever that person said, you would make it happen.

So, why do we try to slide when it comes to our Christian life? You said the prayer, yer in.

Yippee. Now what?

Yes, I know that God’s sacrifice of his Son, Jesus, is the greatest gift we’ve been given. Please don’t get stuck on thinking that I am in any way trying to trivialize this.

Do you really think that God intended you to ‘become a Christian’ (sorry for the air quotes) and then never do anything to become a better Christian? I’m not talking about becoming more saved, I’m talking about changing your life. I’m also not talking about doing things so that God will love you more. Seriously, what more does he have to do to prove that he loves you?

Are you serious about this whole Christian thing? Here’s some things that the Bible says you need to do:

1. Love – John 13:34 – 35
2. Do your best – II Timothy 2:15
3. Pick up your cross – Luke 9:23
4. Look after widows and orphans – James 1:27
5. Do NOT love the world – I John 2:15-16
6. Obey his commands – John 14:21
7. Get to know the Bible – Psalm 119: 9, 11

Yeah, there’s more but that should do for now. Do you want to know how to be a better Christian? Look at the list above and do them. Not so God will love you more or so you can be saved, but so you show people you are a Christian, rather than just tell them.

Some thoughts

I’ve been trying to figure out how to start something new. I don’t really know why, just a feeling I’ve had for some time.

Last week, I had a rough week. I learned that Jesus was not a humble servant so much as a humiliated servant. I keep wondering, however, if I not making too much of it all.

The other thing I’m afraid of is that I’m afraid it’s not over but don’t know how to prepare for what may be the next stage.