Our culture promulgates, educates, and even obligates us to narcissism. We have to make sure that we are the priority. You have to take care of yourself because no one else will, and if you don’t take care of yourself you’re going to get taken.
If narcissism is our culture’s blue pill to avoid the truth of our own depravity without a Savior then entitlement is the water to wash it all down with. How do you look at a hurting, starving, naked, homeless, and dying world and still find the audacity to be indignant at the condition of our current plight? Entitlement. You are owed everything you’ve been given. You should be given everything you want because you are intrinsically good enough, and the have nots have not because they aren’t worthy of the life you are. This is the disgusting lie our culture wants us to believe, and not just believe but embody. The creed of our society is bigger, better, and newer. We live in a vicious cycle of narcissistic, competitive greed where our possessions give us meaning, worth, and power. So the bigger my stuff is the bigger my image; the better my things the better a person I am; the newer my wealth the greater the measure of my success.
What about the oppressed, the broken, the hurting, the poor, the homeless, those who are meaningless in our system of appraisal and worth-ascription? Who cares for them? Who meets the needs of those unable to meet their needs? Is their lack of material worth negate them from the love and grace of the creating Savior? Our culture’s response is a resounding yes.
Christ lived His life as an example that the poor, unwanted, and outcasts matter to God because that’s who he spent most of his time with. The condition of the creation has no determination on the value of the creation. If I were to offer you a $100 bill you would take it; if I were to take the same bill wad it up and stomp on it, would you still want it? Of course, because the value you of the bill hasn’t changed simply it’s appearance and condition. People are the same way; their condition may change but their worth is still the same and that’s what should drive our lives. Not some false and temporal value system based on characteristics and attainment that is all a gift beyond our means and control.
Simmer with this a bit, pour into God’s word and see if it doesn’t change your thoughts and the way you view people.
Live in chaos, pray for brokenness, and seek to know nothing apart from Him.
Much Love,
Drew
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
What Really Matters
What really matters?
Many people live their whole lives trying to figure it out.
They go to great lengths to attain things, because they think stuff matters.
They work themselves ragged trying to accomplish some great thing, because they think achievement matters.
They make every attempt to conquer and dominate everything they can because they feel power and control matter.
I think all of those things can offer us a temporary feeling of significance, allowing us to feel as though we have purpose and worth because of all those things. But I think if we were to examine the thing that Christ valued over everything, and what fulfilled his purpose, was relationships. The entire purpose of Christ coming was to establish a means for us to be in relationship with him and his father. The miracles he performed established a relationship with the benefactor of those miracles, and all those around who were witnesses to it. Chris was a man focused on relationships, every time he locked eyeballs with someone they were changed forever, why? Because the creator decided to put on flesh and make the relationship that he desires to have with each one of us very personal.
What in life really matters isn't the wealth you attain, the achievements you accomplish, or the power you acquire, what really matters is the relationships you build and the impact you have on those people. Christ left a legacy of relationships. He lived a life that left eternity forever altered by the ripples of the rock of his life being placed into the water of history.
What Really Matters to you?
Many people live their whole lives trying to figure it out.
They go to great lengths to attain things, because they think stuff matters.
They work themselves ragged trying to accomplish some great thing, because they think achievement matters.
They make every attempt to conquer and dominate everything they can because they feel power and control matter.
I think all of those things can offer us a temporary feeling of significance, allowing us to feel as though we have purpose and worth because of all those things. But I think if we were to examine the thing that Christ valued over everything, and what fulfilled his purpose, was relationships. The entire purpose of Christ coming was to establish a means for us to be in relationship with him and his father. The miracles he performed established a relationship with the benefactor of those miracles, and all those around who were witnesses to it. Chris was a man focused on relationships, every time he locked eyeballs with someone they were changed forever, why? Because the creator decided to put on flesh and make the relationship that he desires to have with each one of us very personal.
What in life really matters isn't the wealth you attain, the achievements you accomplish, or the power you acquire, what really matters is the relationships you build and the impact you have on those people. Christ left a legacy of relationships. He lived a life that left eternity forever altered by the ripples of the rock of his life being placed into the water of history.
What Really Matters to you?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Smell
I want to preface this blog with: I am not God, I don't have His love, compassion, or capacity for grace. I know that's always an interesting way to preface any blog, but I think you will understand why. I want to make it known that I am no greater, better, or have any greater worth than everyone else and I was definitely made even more humble today.
I was working on my stuff for Crave, and I had a gentleman come into the office who just from his appearance you could tell had fallen on hard times. He was asking for a Walmart card to be able to go get some food, because he said he hadn't eaten in days. At our church we don't have Walmart cards to give out to people who need assistance, that would be awesome if we did. So I told him that I could give him the cash I had, and we could give him some food out of our food pantry to help him out. This man was more than amazingly grateful for what we were able to give him which to my own selfish standards wasn't really even enough to get me through a few days, but he treasured it like it was gold in a paper sack. I asked him if I could pray for him, and after we prayed he asked me if he could give me a hug, and really didn't wait for a response and just grabbed me and gave me a hug like a man who had just seen his brother after 10 years of absence. I was moved by his gratitude, and thanks but his effect on me came 15 - 20 mins after he left. I was back at my desk continuing to work on my stuff for Crave and I noticed a subtle scent that seemed a bit off, and after trying to figure out what it was for a few minutes I realized that it was my new friend, who probably hadn't showered in who knows how long because he doesn't have the resources to do so, and when he gave me a hug had given me a reminder that when we are the hands and feet of God it will have an effect on us. That smell of him was a blessing to me because it helped me to remember that one, I'm a few bad months away from being in that exact same place, and two, that when we are the hands and feet of God we're going to be effected by it.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
Matthew 25:40
Live in chaos, pray for brokenness, and seek to know nothing apart from Him,
Drew
I was working on my stuff for Crave, and I had a gentleman come into the office who just from his appearance you could tell had fallen on hard times. He was asking for a Walmart card to be able to go get some food, because he said he hadn't eaten in days. At our church we don't have Walmart cards to give out to people who need assistance, that would be awesome if we did. So I told him that I could give him the cash I had, and we could give him some food out of our food pantry to help him out. This man was more than amazingly grateful for what we were able to give him which to my own selfish standards wasn't really even enough to get me through a few days, but he treasured it like it was gold in a paper sack. I asked him if I could pray for him, and after we prayed he asked me if he could give me a hug, and really didn't wait for a response and just grabbed me and gave me a hug like a man who had just seen his brother after 10 years of absence. I was moved by his gratitude, and thanks but his effect on me came 15 - 20 mins after he left. I was back at my desk continuing to work on my stuff for Crave and I noticed a subtle scent that seemed a bit off, and after trying to figure out what it was for a few minutes I realized that it was my new friend, who probably hadn't showered in who knows how long because he doesn't have the resources to do so, and when he gave me a hug had given me a reminder that when we are the hands and feet of God it will have an effect on us. That smell of him was a blessing to me because it helped me to remember that one, I'm a few bad months away from being in that exact same place, and two, that when we are the hands and feet of God we're going to be effected by it.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
Matthew 25:40
Live in chaos, pray for brokenness, and seek to know nothing apart from Him,
Drew
Monday, February 16, 2009
A tangible challenge
“love those who hate you”
“rejoice in your struggles”
“in order to truly find your life, you have to lose it”
“less of me is more”
Jesus’ teaching were and still are completely contradictory to what the world, our society, and everything about this world is telling us. Our God is a God of changing people’s hearts as he turn their world upside down.
Matthew 20:16 tells us that he first will be last and the last will be first. That’s exactly how we want to live our lives as followers of the cross. We want to be about putting others before us, serving the needs of those around us before we concern ourselves with our own selfish desires. If we look at the example set for us in the life of Christ there is much to learned about what it is to be a servant, in that Christ’s entire life and death was about serving.
It never ceases to amaze me how God uses things in our lives that don't make sense to us, to teach us something and reveal some life changing truth to us. I just want to encourage you to press into those things that on the surface don't make sense and those things that you seem to struggle understanding because it isn't our understanding that we as followers of the cross are called to live our lives with, we are told to seek wisdom and God will give it to anyone who asks.
The way we think and process through things is so infinitely limited compared to the vast knowledge and wisdom of our creator. And to think that we question His designs, plans, and purposes to bequest a substitution of our eternally-infantile wisdom because we know better than our maker.
Live in chaos, pray for brokenness, and most of all seek to know nothing.
“rejoice in your struggles”
“in order to truly find your life, you have to lose it”
“less of me is more”
Jesus’ teaching were and still are completely contradictory to what the world, our society, and everything about this world is telling us. Our God is a God of changing people’s hearts as he turn their world upside down.
Matthew 20:16 tells us that he first will be last and the last will be first. That’s exactly how we want to live our lives as followers of the cross. We want to be about putting others before us, serving the needs of those around us before we concern ourselves with our own selfish desires. If we look at the example set for us in the life of Christ there is much to learned about what it is to be a servant, in that Christ’s entire life and death was about serving.
It never ceases to amaze me how God uses things in our lives that don't make sense to us, to teach us something and reveal some life changing truth to us. I just want to encourage you to press into those things that on the surface don't make sense and those things that you seem to struggle understanding because it isn't our understanding that we as followers of the cross are called to live our lives with, we are told to seek wisdom and God will give it to anyone who asks.
The way we think and process through things is so infinitely limited compared to the vast knowledge and wisdom of our creator. And to think that we question His designs, plans, and purposes to bequest a substitution of our eternally-infantile wisdom because we know better than our maker.
Live in chaos, pray for brokenness, and most of all seek to know nothing.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Exciting Times
So I was thinking about writing a blog about transition and how God has a greater plan than us. But as I began that blog it had this serious and weighty tone to it, and I didn't like that.
Sure it feels weird right now, because we don't know what's going to be happening in two months, or two weeks from now, but I find that it's in times of uncertainty that God shows me new measures of faith I need to live the life He has for me.
I'm truly excited about what God has in store for us and for me personally. I don't know what it is, but I do know that God is doing great things right now even as I type this blog, God is changing a broken heart into a heart filled with grace, love, and compassion. And God is setting the stage and preparing us for really great things in the days ahead. If you look at the Bible God is a God of amazingness, not surprise, but amazingness. And I just feel it, to the core of me, that there are amazing times ahead in the life of First Denton Students. (i just need to go back and read my own words when Satan attacks me with doubt, self-defeat, and frustration.
This is where I am coming from for Sunday if anyone reads this before then (which I doubt anyone will): Matthew 16:13-20. We're going to talk about what it means to really be the church. Good stuff coming, I can feel God all up in this message so be there bring your friends and expect God to show up and challenge us.
Much Love,
Drew
Sure it feels weird right now, because we don't know what's going to be happening in two months, or two weeks from now, but I find that it's in times of uncertainty that God shows me new measures of faith I need to live the life He has for me.
I'm truly excited about what God has in store for us and for me personally. I don't know what it is, but I do know that God is doing great things right now even as I type this blog, God is changing a broken heart into a heart filled with grace, love, and compassion. And God is setting the stage and preparing us for really great things in the days ahead. If you look at the Bible God is a God of amazingness, not surprise, but amazingness. And I just feel it, to the core of me, that there are amazing times ahead in the life of First Denton Students. (i just need to go back and read my own words when Satan attacks me with doubt, self-defeat, and frustration.
This is where I am coming from for Sunday if anyone reads this before then (which I doubt anyone will): Matthew 16:13-20. We're going to talk about what it means to really be the church. Good stuff coming, I can feel God all up in this message so be there bring your friends and expect God to show up and challenge us.
Much Love,
Drew
Monday, November 17, 2008
Our God of Love
Have you ever come to a place when you really wished you could pursue God? I don't mean in the way we normally think about pursuing God, like reading our bibles, praying, doing good things for others. I'm talking about throwing off all the junk that this life gives us to deal with and without any hesitation or reservation pursue the living God, creator and lover of my soul.
So what is it that holds us back from pursuing that real relationship with God? YOU!! Me, us, ourselves. However we want to polish up that penny, the problem is a resounding response to the fact that I am the one that holds back my pursuit of the deep, passionate, and intimate relationship that my Savior desires to have with me. He has desired for me to know him intimately since before he spoke everything we know, and things we don't know into existence. God wanted way back in eternity past to have a relationship with me, and he didn't want it to be some cursory, peripheral relationship that I attended to whenever convenience should allow. God gave up his most precious thing to tear down anything that I may put in the way of letting him be my everything.
You are important enough to God to give up his everything for you, so why wouldn't we want to have an intimate relationship with Him?
So what is it that holds us back from pursuing that real relationship with God? YOU!! Me, us, ourselves. However we want to polish up that penny, the problem is a resounding response to the fact that I am the one that holds back my pursuit of the deep, passionate, and intimate relationship that my Savior desires to have with me. He has desired for me to know him intimately since before he spoke everything we know, and things we don't know into existence. God wanted way back in eternity past to have a relationship with me, and he didn't want it to be some cursory, peripheral relationship that I attended to whenever convenience should allow. God gave up his most precious thing to tear down anything that I may put in the way of letting him be my everything.
You are important enough to God to give up his everything for you, so why wouldn't we want to have an intimate relationship with Him?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Evangelism
What is "Evangelism"?
Webster defines it two ways:
1. The preach and promulgation of the gospel.
2. Missionary zeal, purpose, or activity.
I would like to first preface all that is to follow with I love JESUS, and I don't want to seem as though I am angry at the entire system or even the idea of evangelism. My issue lies within the dogma of outdated, culturally irrelevant, mono-systematic approach to evangelism in a world and culture where cultural relevancy and multi-systemic approaches of impact are not only favorable but essential.
Issue #1:
"THE CHOICE"
Please believe me I mean no offense, even though I'm certain much will be taken if anyone actually reads this. But I have grown up sitting in church services where at the end of the service someone or the praise team begins to lead the congregation in a song for the "time of decision". Now I have no problem at all with a "time of decision" my problem lies in what we are asking people to make a decision about. The choice is "heaven or hell", "turn or burn", "get right or get left", choose your cliche, they're all just as terrible. Why? because more times that not people are making a choice of avoidance rather than a choice of acceptance. Meaning, they choice to avoid hell so the option to avoid hell is heaven. They choose to avoid burning so the avoidance option there is to turn, they choose to avoid getting left: get right. No matter how you couch it or frame it, it's all the same premise, you have people making decisions based on an act and theory of avoidance rather than acceptance. They should be making a decision to have a relationship with Christ. Bottom line, I believe that is what salvation is: you choose to accept the fact that because of what Christ did on a cross for you, even though you didn't accept him at the time, so that you could someday have a relationship with Him.
Issue #2
Issue two is very much related to Issue #1.
If we believe that people should be making a choice to have a relationship with Christ, how can they do that if they don't know who Christ is?
Think about it this way, when you meet someone for the first time have you agreed to have a relationship with that person? No. You have simply made their acquaintance, you know who they are, but you have in no way made a commitment to desire and cultivate a deeper relationship with them. So then why do we expect it to be any different when it comes to Jesus. Why do we think that someone sitting to a sermon and some music, and essentially meeting Jesus for the first time, or maybe just being exposed to Him in a new way, would automatically desire a relationship with Him?
Do we as humans with one another not need time to discover and discern whether or not we want to be in a relationship with someone, through learning about them and who they are? If we are to have a real, genuine relationship with Christ I think that happens over a process of time. So then why do we not devote more energy and effort into building relationships with people who don't have a relationship with Christ and allow them to see Him through us, and then allow them to decide if they want a relationship with him?
Salvation is a one time event: the deciding to have and develop a relationship with Christ.
Redemption is a life long process: the developing of our relationship with Christ and becoming more and more like him.
I think this is a paradigm shift that is essential for the modern church to retain it's relevancy and impact in a culture that is quickly turning away from the God who created us all and loves everyone of us.
With Love,
Drew
Webster defines it two ways:
1. The preach and promulgation of the gospel.
2. Missionary zeal, purpose, or activity.
I would like to first preface all that is to follow with I love JESUS, and I don't want to seem as though I am angry at the entire system or even the idea of evangelism. My issue lies within the dogma of outdated, culturally irrelevant, mono-systematic approach to evangelism in a world and culture where cultural relevancy and multi-systemic approaches of impact are not only favorable but essential.
Issue #1:
"THE CHOICE"
Please believe me I mean no offense, even though I'm certain much will be taken if anyone actually reads this. But I have grown up sitting in church services where at the end of the service someone or the praise team begins to lead the congregation in a song for the "time of decision". Now I have no problem at all with a "time of decision" my problem lies in what we are asking people to make a decision about. The choice is "heaven or hell", "turn or burn", "get right or get left", choose your cliche, they're all just as terrible. Why? because more times that not people are making a choice of avoidance rather than a choice of acceptance. Meaning, they choice to avoid hell so the option to avoid hell is heaven. They choose to avoid burning so the avoidance option there is to turn, they choose to avoid getting left: get right. No matter how you couch it or frame it, it's all the same premise, you have people making decisions based on an act and theory of avoidance rather than acceptance. They should be making a decision to have a relationship with Christ. Bottom line, I believe that is what salvation is: you choose to accept the fact that because of what Christ did on a cross for you, even though you didn't accept him at the time, so that you could someday have a relationship with Him.
Issue #2
Issue two is very much related to Issue #1.
If we believe that people should be making a choice to have a relationship with Christ, how can they do that if they don't know who Christ is?
Think about it this way, when you meet someone for the first time have you agreed to have a relationship with that person? No. You have simply made their acquaintance, you know who they are, but you have in no way made a commitment to desire and cultivate a deeper relationship with them. So then why do we expect it to be any different when it comes to Jesus. Why do we think that someone sitting to a sermon and some music, and essentially meeting Jesus for the first time, or maybe just being exposed to Him in a new way, would automatically desire a relationship with Him?
Do we as humans with one another not need time to discover and discern whether or not we want to be in a relationship with someone, through learning about them and who they are? If we are to have a real, genuine relationship with Christ I think that happens over a process of time. So then why do we not devote more energy and effort into building relationships with people who don't have a relationship with Christ and allow them to see Him through us, and then allow them to decide if they want a relationship with him?
Salvation is a one time event: the deciding to have and develop a relationship with Christ.
Redemption is a life long process: the developing of our relationship with Christ and becoming more and more like him.
I think this is a paradigm shift that is essential for the modern church to retain it's relevancy and impact in a culture that is quickly turning away from the God who created us all and loves everyone of us.
With Love,
Drew
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