Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably seen the “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” video circling YouTube (At least 16+ million have and continues to climb). Well, it stirred all kinds of controversy about whether or not it’s okay to hate religion and still love Jesus. Jay Bakker hates religion, Mark Driscoll hates it, Andy Stanley encourages you to lose it, so does R.E.M.
It’s interesting. There are plenty of things done in the name of “religion” that are hurtful. I’ve even said “…it’s not about rules and regulations, but a relationship.” People hear religion, and they go running for the hills. It’s scary because of the stigma and social injustices that have happened in the name of God, faith, the church, etc.
But, I’m also a bit torn. I read passages like James 1:27, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” So, there is a religion that is pure. In the NIV, it’s put this way, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless…”
So there is religion out there, untainted by you or I, that God looks down at and goes, “Man, they finally got it.” I pray I get there one day. I don’t think I’ve arrived- there’s plenty to learn in this journey of faith. This dialogue doesn’t look to be going away any time soon. Many different people are putting out responses (I’ve included one below), but what should our response possibly be in all of this?
As we search after God, let’s not strive to talk poorly of the church (which Jesus died for and will come back for one day), or religion (because anything can be tainted and abused by messed up people), and instead search out to honor God, share our faith, and build one another up in love.
We’re prepping for our December 23rd service.
It’s a Friday Night, 7pm at Ocean Lakes High School.
It’s going to be intense!
While we’ve been out filming videos for the service, we film little teasers along the way to peak your interest. Here is teaser #2 (We loaded it to YouTube & Vimeo last night, and it’s been blowing up. This is probably due to the fact I fractured 2 ribs at the hands of an angry James elf. Dr’s visit confirmed it yesterday. Merry Christmas!)
We’re prepping for our December 23rd service.
It’s a Friday Night, 7pm at Ocean Lakes High School.
It’s going to be intense!
While we’ve been out filming videos for the service, we film little teasers along the way to peak your interest. Here is teaser #1 (it’s been floating around Facebook & Twitter for a couple weeks now)
I read a bunch of differnt stuff around the web. One of the things I do is keep up with other churches doing great things to see how we can learn, get better, and approach God is a fresh way. Our family celebrates Advent, and we try and teach our girls about it. If you’re interested in doing so, it’s not too late. Village Church in TX has some great resources for you and your family to get rolling today. Here is a brief snippet of their post:
“Christ is coming. He has come, and He will come again. This is the message of Advent.
Though Advent is often neglected in many contemporary churches, it has a long history of remembrance. It is a season of waiting, a time of anxious and eager anticipation for the coming (advent) of Christ to His bride.
Though it overlaps with modern Christmas celebrations, it is quite different. Whereas Christmas tends to be a season of noise and commotion, Advent is a time to slow down and reflect. It is a season to consider the first coming of Christ and patiently ponder His second.”
I love Bon Iver (aka Justin Vernon) and the music he creates.
It’s so relaxing and gives me inspiration while writing, studying, creating.
So, I was extremely excited when he released his entire self-titled album to YouTube in video playlist format.
You can view one of the videos below, and the entire playlist here.
Total time is 39:59 seconds, but it’s totally worth it.
In short, lives are being changed.
I don’t know where you’re at, but God is up to something here… And I’m loving it.
People keep asking:
“What is God all about?”
“Could He really love somebody like me?”
“If I give my life to him and mess up, will He give up on me?”
“Do I have to get everything right before I get baptized?”
“Is there any hope in this life?”
Here’s the great news, people are asking questions and God is providing answers. God is all about love, grace and forgiveness. He absolutely loves someone like you. If you mess up, and you will, God is there to pick up up, dust you off, and walk along this journey with you. You don’t have to have it all together, and it won’t. God is the one who begins and completes the work in you. Best of all, there is a hope that we can experience right now. It’s a hope beyond anything we have ever seen this side of heaven. God gives us a hope when all hope is lost. Man, it’s exciting times here at Forefront!
Take a look a few of the people recently who have given their lives to God. If you’re reading this and check these videos out & go, “I’m not real sure about this, but I have some questions” or “I’ve heard and seen this happening at Forefront, what is this all about?” Please email baptism@forefront.org with your contact info and I will personally give you a call. We can get together and talk about any questions you have.
It’s easy for me to talk about certain things.
God, faith, Mets baseball, art, computers, my family, my little girls, etc.
But, there’s a lot of things I’m not good at when it comes to talking…
Confrontation, asking for forgiveness, forgiving others, being patient.
Over the years I’ve grown in these areas, but I stil have a long way to go.
When you’re not good at something, it can lead to awkward conversations.
Your flaws are out in the open.
Usually, I try and shy away from the awkward moments.
More often than not, I hurt myself and others when I try to avoid the awkward conversations.
It does more harm than good.
Ever been there?
I used to be the same way with prayer.
What? You mean God and I get to talk? To one another?
That’s just weird, right?
It was easy to talk to him about things that I liked or enjoyed.
But, it reached a screeching halt when it came to confrontation, forgiveness, patience.
Slowly, over time, God was moving in my life and my heart changed in what I felt awkward talking to Him about. The moments & strangeness in topics has gotten easier, the things I bring to Him are too many to even count, and there are far less awkward moments in the conversation.
Have you ever wondered if God hears your prayers? Does He even listen? How am I supposed to pray? Is there some magic formula for getting to God? Check out the next three weeks as we dive deeper into this. And head over to the podcast page to listen to the intro week where we looked at the greatest prayer Jesus ever prayed.
Yesterday we took a look at Remember the Titans, and walked through how no matter what people might say/do/act like- our goal is always to start, continue, and end with love. It’s not easy. Loving people is hard. Many times we find difficulty in loving others because we haven’t learned to love ourselves (i.e. “love your neighbor as yourself).
A couple of bonus material items from yesterday’s message:
1. We listed a boatload of passages that show our mission is to “love people.” They’re listed for you below.
2. We didn’t have enough time, but I have 10 thoughts on engaging people and loving others. I truly believe if you put these into practice you’ll see your relationships flourish and watch new ones begin to take shape!
3. The video we played in the opening was great! Justin (our creative arts pastor) did a fantastic job on it. It’s located below for you to share on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
1. Passages on Loving People
Leviticus 19:18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
Proverbs 17:9
Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.
Proverbs 25:21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 15:12-13 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Luke 6:27
But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Romans 12:9-10 Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Romans 13:8
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
1 Corinthians 16:14 Do everything in love.
Galatians 5:13-14 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 John 3:11
For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
1 John 3:23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
1 John 4:7-8 Brothers & sisters, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:11 Because God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
2 John 1:5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.
2. Ten Thoughts on Loving People & Connecting in Relationships
1. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.
2. Smile at people. It takes seventy-two muscles to frown, only fourteen to smile.
3. Call people by name. Music to anyone’s ears is the sound of his/her own name.
4. Be friendly and helpful. Even if they’re rude and inconsiderate, you’re not called to be hurtful- you’re called to love.
5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is genuinely a pleasure, and if it isn’t, learn to make it so.
6. Be genuinely interested in people. You can like almost everybody if you try.
7. Be generous with compliments, cautious with criticism. For a single hurtful thing you say, it takes 8 encouraging things to off set it.
8. Be considerate of people’s feelings. There are usually three sides to a controversy: yours, the other person’s, and the right one.
9. Be alert to serve. People remember when you are present & helping.
10. Embrace humor, practice patience, and be humble. Enough said.
**11. BONUS: Learn to party well. Jesus was constantly invited and going to parties. Christians (for the most part) don’t know how to party well these days. Let loose and enjoy the company of others.
We had a little fun around the office last week.
In Shawshank Redemption, Andy escapes from prison and enjoys freedom.
It’s a magical escape he pulls off.
I’m a pastor, but I also moonlight as an amateur magician/illusionist.
We hired a camera crew to come film the amazingness…
