Posts Tagged ‘love’

“Where Did You Get That?”
Romans 13:7-10

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

“Where did you get that?” That’s a statement that is most often connected to lots of energy and emotion. Most often, when we hear that question, there is body language that goes along with it. Eyes are wide open, body is leaning forward, and the pitch of the voice suddenly takes an elevator ride to the next octave. Don’t believe me? Well, when was the last time you heard that phrase spoken in a monotone, detached, apathetic way? Just doesn’t happen very often does it? There’s a reason for that. Most often when we hear the phrase someone has just spied something that is unique, out of the ordinary, eye-catching. Remember when the iPhone first came out? I wasn’t there, but I know the first kid that brought one to school heard, “Whoa! Where did you get that?” over and over again. The hottest shoes that boys are craving these days are the newest manifestation of the LeBron shoe line. The Nike Air Max LeBron VII won’t cause you jump out of the gym or hit jump shots from half court, but boy will they get folks to say, “Where did you get those?” And well they should for $160.00! To get a reaction from folks you don’t have to have the latest and greatest—you just have to have something that is unique. I’ll guarantee you that if you pull up in the parking lot some Sunday in a shiny 1976 AMC Pacer heads will turn and more than one person will smile and say, “Where did you get that?”

I want you to know that God is all for that which is “attention getting.” Just look at what He has created. How can you see the incredible beauty and variety of the colors and shapes of the creatures He has placed in the ocean and not be amazed? How can you stand on a snow covered mountain and watch snowflakes falling with the grace and elegance of a Baryshnikov and not be amazed? God has placed within us an attraction for the magnificent. He has placed within us a propensity for wonderment, but rather than being amazed at what is truly amazing, we’ve become amazed with stuff.

In Matthew 15, the people who were in the presence of Jesus were amazed at what He did for those who had debilitating needs. Read along with me from Matthew 15:30-31.

30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. (Matthew 15:30-31 NIV)

What did they do when they broke out in amazement? They praised God. Our wonderment, our amazement, should lead us to praise God, to draw near to God. (more…)

The Discipline of Love
Romans 12:9-13

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

For those of you who were with us last week, I told you about a couple of experiences I had during the week. I met a young woman who was sharing with me about her spiritual beliefs. They didnt even begin to resemble what the Bible teaches so I asked her, How do you know that what you believe is true? Her response was the response I hear quite frequently. She said, I know it in my heart.

A few days later I was driving back from Lincoln, Nebraska with Annie. I told Annie about my conversation with the young lady and then I said, What if, when we left Lincoln, I asked someone, Can you tell me how to get to Oklahoma City? and they said, Just follow your heart? Where would that advice get us? Annie said, Lost. And that is where most folks are todaylost. They dont mean to be lost, they dont want to be lost, most dont even think that they are lost, but that doesnt change the fact that their internal GPS is all messed up and they are off the path that God desires for them.

What I didnt tell you last week, but what I want to confess this morning is this: I got to talking to Annie and was enjoying our conversation so much that I missed my turn south off of I-80 onto Highway 81. I drove 10 miles out of my way before I recognized that I was lost. Once I realized that I was lost I had to confess my sin and repent. The word, repent, in the Bible means, to turn around. And that is exactly what I did. I turned around and got back on track. I was only 50 miles outside of Lincoln when I made that huge mistake. I could have said, Well, it feels like we are on the right road. Or I just need to follow my heart all the way home. If I would have kept on the same path I would have ended up in San Francisco, California and not at my desired destination. For the rest of the 400 miles of our trip I paid attention, I was disciplined, focused on the task at hand. (more…)