Thanksgiving Thinking - Expanded Edition of 2012

                      

1) The grace, love, patience, wisdom, and goodness of God in my life. He is the reason to breathe and live. I cannot imagine any kind of passionate life without His peace, power, purpose, and Presence.

2) My parents. With each passing year, I realize that my "normal" upbringing - of two loving parents who don't constantly fight, who are unconditionally loving and yet corrective, who actually stay married, who don't have crazy issues, who raise up me "in the fear and admonition of the Lord," who support me in every adventure God sends me on - actually isn't so "normal" after all. I believe the emotional health and confidence I enjoy in life can be contributed to them.

3) For friends. I believe your life is enriched by the friendships you enjoy and cultivate and I have long acknowledged that God has for whatever reason blessed me with the greatest friends on earth.

4) For bridgeCHURCH. I hear people say on a weekly basis that they have searched all their life for a church like this, and even though I was privileged enough to help start it, I am well aware it is much bigger than us and that we are simply along for the ride. We have many faults and have much room for improvement, and granted I am biased, but to me it is the dream church. I love who we're becoming, what we're learning, the impact we're having, what God's Spirit is doing, and the kind of community that we are creating.

5) Coffee!! Oh let me count the ways...

6) Good food. I love food.

7) For all of my family. I have the greatest family and as I mentioned with my parents, it is something I grow more and more fond of and grateful for with each passing year, and bemoan the fact that I can't be around them more.

8) Good books. The person who said no one's life can be changed by a book is a fool. A book can do much damage or much good. It can enrich one's faith or shipwreck one's faith, and I am so thankful for the wealth of good books available to us today. From spiritual blessing to financial management to nutritional value to simply refreshing recreational fiction. Reading has been a daily part of my life since first grade and has shaped much of who I am.

9) Music. Oh, what kind of magic would be lost to life without music. From anointed worship to punk angst to relaxing melodies to uplifting rifts - anything and everything for every mood, purpose, and season. It is the soundtrack of our lives.

10) For the change of seasons. We often take this for granted. But God has given us varying scenes and colors and temperatures and atmospheres for our own emotional good, and so that we may more keenly appreciate the opposites and extremities.

11) For the many opportunities I have had for vacation and travel.

12) For living in a free country.

13) For my Pastor. He is a best friend, mentor, spiritual leader, and father figure.

14) For Greenville, SC. A rejuvenating place to always come back to with great friends and family and warmer weather.

15) For bridgeGROUPS.

16) For the many opportunities God has given me to operate out of my "sweet spot" - in leading, teaching,  preaching, writing, and drama.

17) Speaking spanish.

18) My health. You tend to take this for granted until it is in jeopardy. But I am so glad for every working limb and for energy and wholeness. I am also thankful for fitness and for a gym to work out in.

19) Having everything I need. I may not be rich compared to those who shop on Rodeo Drive in LA, but compared to the vast majority of the world, I am unworthily filthy, filthy rich. I have food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and many, many extras that I do not need. I am thankful.

20) A job. (Actually, two.) Though I am quite restless for the day that church work is all that I have to concern myself with, I am well aware that there are many people who would simply like to have a job at all.

                                     ________________________________________

                                                      ADDITIONS FOR 2012


21) A dream job. I'll kick off this year by piggy-backing off of and expanding on last year's last topic. It's so easy to dream of a day when "this happens" and then take it for granted. I don't want to do that. I am thankful that I am getting paid to do what I'm most passionate about doing. I'm thankful that I'm in full-time ministry at the dream church with the dream boss with the dream schedule. 

22) Massages. You laugh. But there are few things I enjoy more. I am perhaps a little too grateful for this gracious tool from the Lord to knead out my stress, loosen my shoulders, drive the knots from my aching muscles, bring pleasure to my every nerve, and release the toxins that would keep my body wound and tight. 

23) Accountability. I am grateful for this painful but beautiful gift from God. "Iron sharpens iron" and a loving rebuke from a friend can be like oil on the head. I am thankful for friends God has placed in my life who "speak the truth in love" to me. There is no telling what my life would be like if God had placed no divine gardeners in my life to help prune the branches, spot the weeds, and spur on growth.

24) Gym and fitness. This could tie in to the health I enjoy, but I don't know what I would do without regular exercise or the luxurious but inexpensive gym I enjoy. We all know the benefits are endless, but regular exercise gives me energy, confidence, achievement, stress reduction, health, fitness goals, and an overall sense of well-being.

25) I am very thankful for my girlfriend Kayla! She loves Jesus, loves me, and is breath-taking to look at it. The trifecta! She has been my companion to watch Train and Matt Kearney, go to church, take Ikea trips, explore Charleston, cook and shop, watch LOST, learn how to play with babies, and have fun with! And she puts up with me!

26) Diesel Jeans. Allow me to be materialistic for a minute. God "has given us all things for our enjoyment," and this is one of them I do enjoy. I don't purchase clothes like I used to, but I still come close to lust when it comes to a good pair of jeans that fit perfectly, and Diesel delivers! They are softer than imaginable and stretchy, but yet don't stretch out - they retain their shape perfectly. They last longer than gold, conform to perfection, the sizes and fits are on point, the washes and details are classic and precise, and they look and feel amazing! If you literally live in jeans like I do, a good pair can be a good investment. Diesels are a bit pricey, and so I have yet to ever pay full price for a pair, but they are worth the extra penny!

27) LOST and The Office. I am not a TV watcher by any means, but through DVD and Netflix, these are two shows over the last 5 years that I have gotten into. Make fun of me as you wish, but my emotional, character, and storyline attachment in LOST runs deep. And The Office is one of those few shows I can watch over and over and still laugh until I hurt!

28) The United States of America. I touched on this briefly last year, but it bears repeating and expounding. We could all sit for days and list the spiritual, social, economic, political, and moral problems and concerns of this nation. But I am grateful for every life and price that has been paid for the freedoms that we do enjoy. This is still a land of opportunity and liberty. I can still go worship every Sunday and Wednesday at my church and not fear for my life. I can still have a voice and speak out concerning what I wish. As has been said before, our bumper stickers should no longer read "God bless America." God already has. Indeed He has.

29) Creation and Nature. I don't know about you, but I take the vast and expansive sky above my head for granted almost every day. But one of my New Year's Resolutions for this year was to get outside more and I've done it. I'm grateful for the swallowing and mysterious ocean that I stood before last month. I'm grateful for nearby mountains that I've escaped to on weekends to sabbath and replenish my spirit. I'm glad for the nearby arboretum and its intoxicating solitude in which to read, meditate, and pray. I'm thankful for the multiple times I've stepped hurriedly out of a building only to be stopped in my tracks by the sunset - terribly beautiful hues painted straight from God's canvas - splendor so striking that it hurt. God gave us wonder as a way to worship, and sometimes it's easy to forget that we built buildings and prisons and God made landscapes much better and worth stepping out to explore.

30) Preachers. This is one of God's primary ways of speaking and I'm so thankful. Thankful for my pastor who rightly divides the truth and dispenses hope like a dealer every week. Thankful for modern technology that allows me to hear men like Francis Chan, Jim Cymbala, Steven Furtick, Leonard Ravenhill, Paul Washer, and others on a regular basis to convict my heart, encourage my spirit, instruct my mind, change my life, and challenge my soul. Thank you Lord for these instruments.

I spoke again on a grateful spirit this week at bridgeGROUPS. I'm thankful for a positive outlook that I naturally possess, but I want more than ever to not only grow in an "attitude of gratitude" but express it more and more - to God and to those around me. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A Balanced Diet

   For most of my life I hated vegetables. Even when I would get into one of my "Men's Health" type diets and would work out a lot, I never consumed many greens. I would consume a lot of lean quasi-meats and wash those down with some harsh whey protein shakes. But after a 40-day trial health make-over, I am now addicted to veggies. And not just your grandma's sweet corn or potatoes. I love the dark, rich cruciferous kind - kale, collard greens, spinach, and broccoli. My mouth even waters at the vibrant colors of the earth's cheerful peppers - red, yellow, and green bell peppers, jalapenos, and habaneros. Ah, I can almost taste the flavonoids now...
   But I am still perplexed at those who remove meat from their diet altogether. Medical disagreements aside, it's simply not balanced historically, nor do those I know who practice it seem to be benefitting from it. I observe some vegans and vegeterians to be nearly anemic, and the majority ironically appear to be overweight. I say all of this to make the cliche overstatement that at the end of the day it still seems what we need most is a "balanced diet."
 
   And the same is true spiritually.
 
   1st Peter urges new believers, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." Paul while writing to the Hebrews and the Corinthians revealed his desire to give them meat, but in light of their immaturity in the Lord, could only give them milk. The truth is, depending on our upbringing, our maturity in the Lord, our present circumstances and so forth, each of us as God's children need different food at different times.
   I have talked to two people this week struggling a little bit in their walk with God. No one ever has the perfect perspective, but as I talked to these two individuals, both of whom passionately pursue God and possess humble and sincere hearts before the Lord, I noticed a common denominator. I pointed out to them that their diet might be a little skewed. Most believers in America from what I observe tend to have very shallow pools from which they drink. They read whoever is popular, funny, and uplifting at the time. Many times the theology is off and there is very little if any conviction of sin or urging to explore the deeper depths of God. And yet the books sell and the podcasts take off. Tozer lamented the spiritual shallowness of the books of his day fifty years ago, calling for the reading of the majestic and glorious works of old. God knows what he would say of most of what we have out today, though some gems do shine here and there. Paul warned Timothy that in the last days men would heap up for themselves teachers who would tell them what they wanted to hear. And we lack for nothing in that area.
   But this was not the problem with these two individuals. These two want no easy answers, no pats on the back, and no broad road. They have an insatiable hunger for truth and God's Word and they listened constantly to men who would not let them off easy either. But by constantly only reading after and listening to those kind of men, combined with the fact that they both have over-analytical and self-scrutinizing personalities to begin with - they were beginning to become discouraged. And so I suggested a change of diet. I suggested a break from listening to and reading after some of the men I admire most. I reminded them that Paul said to "consider both the kindness and severity of the Lord." I told them they might be part of the 2% of the American Christian population who spends a lot of time considering the severity, but it might be nourishment to their souls to spend a few months meditating on His kindness. We can't survive off all sugar, but we can't survive off all veggies either. A lot of us could probably use a little more meat, and some of us should obey the book of Proverbs and let ourselves "have a little honey."
   Maybe you tend to lean toward the hyper-spiritual and need some balancing wisdom of John Bevere in your life, or perhaps some of the practical insight of Andy Stanley. Maybe your theological pillars are a little lean. If so, most would say you'd be hard-pressed to find a better building station than the sturdy foundation of the Puritans. Maybe you need some fresh fire to drive out the coldness and bring you to your knees. Ravenhill will do that. Paul Washer will break you and mold you and build you. Maybe you need some anointed refreshing - Jim Cymbala and A.W. Tozer's works are an oasis for me. Maybe you constantly feed on sugar - Francis Chan, John Piper, and Mark Driscol can bring meat today. Or you could mine yesteryear's works of Spurgeon, Finney, Torrey, Wesley, and thousands of others.
   I am not trying to build these heroes up or leave other great men of God out. Nor am I saying it's these men who do it - it is the Holy Spirit working through them. Nor should they ever be our foundation. Jesus Christ alone is our foundation and His Holy Word should be our first starting point and building block. I only point all of this out because as we branch out and allow God to use others to speak to and edify us, let's remember that God has specifically placed different parts of His Body in different places to accomplish different things. And let's remember that at times we might need more meat, and at times we might need more veggies, and sometimes we need some dessert. Let's rightly divide the Word of God. Let's consider both His kindness and severity, Let's watch both our lives and our doctrine. Let's remember the importance of Mary and Martha. Let's strive for a balanced diet.

David's Study Tips

   At times I have imagined being a fly on the wall in Dr. Tozer's study. Watching him get up from the tear-stained rug. The one he would lie on facedown for hours to worship. Watching him walk with purpose to his desk, surrounded with books by giants of the past, like the Hebrew writer surrounded by the very cloud of witnesses themselves. To watch him apply his exegesis to the sacred Scriptures, tender, careful, and eager.
   I have wondered how Spurgeon mined his text, how Ravenhill dug for his treasures. There are many wonderful and beneficial methods and principles in studying Scripture. We must always study the context. We must, when we come across some dark and obscure passage, remember to interpret scripture by scripture. Isolating a text leads to confusion and eventually to heresy. We must study exegetically, as free from bias and prejudices as possible. These are all important. But there are a couple tips from David the Psalmist that might be more important than any others. They are not as practical as they are spiritual. But we would do well to remember them:
   Study Tip #1:  We must hunger for His Word. Jesus said "Blessed are those that hunger..." and surely that applies as well to our daily bread from the mouth of God. Have you ever seen a dog extremely hungry? Panting hard? This verse stalled me yesterday: "I opened my mouth and panted, For I longed for Your commandments." Is that our posture? In a world filled with information but perishing for lack of true knowledge and spiritual voice, are we looking to God with open hands and open mouths for our portion? Longing for just one Word from the other side? One piercing insight for our soul? One morsel from His Presence? To the casual peruser of pages He has not much to say. But to the hungry and panting, He has volumes of revelation to unfold. Let us cry out anew for a fresh hunger for the Eternal Word.
   Study Tip #2: We must approach His Word with humility. David said that "He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way." There have been seminary graduates with more degrees than a thermometer confounded by simple men and women with genuine faith who had unique understanding of the text. "For He has chosen the foolish to confound the wise..." Higher learning is a noble calling and there is nothing wrong with seminary, but the danger exists in the truth of Paul's warning that "knowledge puffs up..." It's impossible to receive fullness of His Word in our hearts with full heads. God is repulsed by it. James plainly states that "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." If we want the grace of the Spirit to reveal God's Word  to our hearts, we need to remember our need of His Spirit and our dependence on His grace to understand. We should approach His Word with humility, remembering that "This is the one on whom I look; the one who trembles at My Word." If we come to the Bible to re-affirm our own position, feed our ego, win an argument, justify a lifestyle choice, or stuff our intellect, we will leave with facts and shells, but no meat. No spiritual food. No enlightenment. May we approach on our knees, saying like Samuel, "Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening."
   Obviously there are many things that go into careful study, but let us not complicate things. First and foremost, let our lives and our approach to Scripture be characterized by hunger and humility. Lord, open our eyes to see treasure. After all, as the disciples said, "Where else, Lord, can we turn? Who else holds the words of life?"

Secretly Incredible

     You walk into a young couple's house and your breath is taken away by the striking visual of showcase rooms, stuffed full with expensive eye-furniture. In a few minutes their Jaguar will race them away to a 5-star restaurant where fresh lobster will load their plates and aged wine will go down smooth.You will not be able to hear anything, however, in this fantasy. And so you will not hear the arguing in the car or the tense silence over dinner, all caused by maxed-out credit cards, deep debt, and a scrambled budget. Across the room, however, sits a smiling and laughing couple. Looking from the outside in, they are modest at best, and might even seem to be struggling financially. But once again, you hear nothing. You don't hear her giggles, or his excited plans on how they will purchase their new home in just a few more disciplined years. They don't live a celebrity lifestyle, but they have an emergency fund with margine, no debt, and no payments. They have peace.
     What's the main difference between these two couples? The main difference is between looking good versus being good.
     A religious scribe is loud and verbose with his prayers on the sidewalk. He has the meticulous details of each law down to a science and he can recite them verbatim. But Jesus says he is like a beautiful tomb that inside holds only death and decay. Near the lake strolls an uneducated fisherman with a sketchy past. The spiritual leaders of his day critique him with crossed arms and verbally assault his teacher. But the Son of Man has personally hand-picked him, performed surgery on his heart and perspective, and sealed His power and grace over the man's life.
     What's the difference between this fisherman and the scribe? Many things, but once again... the difference between looking good versus being good.
     John Bevere says that we all have three selves: our projected self, our perceived self, and our actual self. That is, the person other people think we are, the person we think we are, and the person God knows we are. And a lot of times, out of the fear of man, hypocrisy, and self-deception, there is a wide gap between what we portray and what we actually are. Dr. Henry Cloud says that the closing of that gap is what we call "integrity."
    But instead of focusing on outright hypocrisy, I simply want to issue the exciting challenge of living deep and authentic lives. Lives that speak louder than our words do. Having money instead of looking like money. Being truly intimate with God instead of the exhausting work of keeping up appearances. Having vulnerable and real friendships instead of flattering and superficial acuaintances. Having deeply rooted values and goals that are proactively being exercised and lived out instead of just talked about.
     Bob Goff, who just recently wrote his first book, is one of the memorable characters in Donald Miller's memoirs. One day he inspired Donald Miller by simply urging him to be "secretly incredible."
     As a passionate person who admittedly has a tendency to over-declare, I am drawn to that challenge. How about you? Let's do it. When the choice is before us to look good or be good, let's choose the latter. Let's be "secretly incredible."
    

Literature of 2011: The Top 10 Most Influential Books of My Life This Year

     Reading has retained a very special place in my life and heart since an early age. It is the window to both information and revelation, the door to unexplored fantasies, the key to applicable and critical knowledge, the canopy on which to bathe and refresh in poetry and song, and the escape staircase to exotic locales of fiction. It has also been a crucial key over the centuries and the undeniable catalyst for any soul desiring to excel in the noblest of endeavors - to grow spiritually, learn of Christ, and focus one's heart and mind on eternal things. I have, for my own enjoyment and future reminiscing, compiled a list of some of the most influential books in my life this year. Also, in the rare event that a handful of souls would stumble upon this and feel compelled, I would highly recommend any one of these books to you. Some are new, some are old, and some were re-reads for me.
     All of these books, however, still pale in comparison to "the Book." I have now read the Word of God many times over, but it still leaves me in awe. I can read new and powerful books, but return just momentarily to casually peruse the Bible and a passage of scripture will stab me in the heart with conviction, give startlingly specific direction, or the direct encouragement I need the most. It really is the only "living" book, written by flawed men, but truly penned and breathed upon by the Holy Ghost.
     I am also continually impressed by the Bible's systematic wisdom and principles that can be applied to every area of life. For example, in my list, I mention Dave Ramsey's books and it is truly a testament that in a day of broke financial sophisticates and money-hungry stock-brokers, the timeless and time-tested financial principles of the Bible have made Ramsey, his business, and his plan the most proven, the most popular, and the most successful in all of America. Same thing with health and diet. After years of tight-roping a balance between low-carb fad diets and the organic extremists that typically end up in vegetarianism and even veganism, I have found the biblical and scientifically-proven balance of Jordan Rubin's "Maker's Diet" to be a wonder for my health, not to mention the miraculous recoveries and healings that it has provided for thousands and thousands of people. Now his company "Garden of Life" is one of the number one product and whole food supplement providers to "Whole Foods" supermarkets all across the nation. And this goes, of course, for any facet of our lives. Countless scores of people have testified to the change in their lives by simply adding a daily helping of the "Proverbs" to their morning regimen. I believe with every fiber of my being that were the Word of God to be read, meditated on, and above all obeyed, this world would look drastically different.

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian." --AW. Tozer

     There are only two regrets I have in my reading studies this year. The first is my habit of speed-reading. I am fortunate to be blessed with good retention and I am glad to cover a lot of books in a short amount of time. This, however, has also left me with very little application at times. Our absorption level is only so deep. And revelation that is not turned into application can be simply wasted information. One of my New Year's resolutions this year is to spend more time on meditation and application through note-taking and planning, even if that means reading fewer books. If I applied a tenth as much as I read, I could be a spiritual giant and a much better person by now. I plan to do better.
     The second regret I have is not reading the Word more. Serious theological and biographical study has been a diligent part of the serious saints over the centuries, but they would also be the first to point out that nothing should replace the preeminence of the sacred Scriptures. I plan to bathe in and swim deeper in the living, abiding waters of the Word this year.

    But on to the purpose of this blog... without any further ado, here is my top ten list for the year:

1) "Relentless" by John Bevere
This book was just released a few weeks ago. However, I was fortunate enough this past summer to visit Messenger International in Colorado and at the end of the tour given to me by our curriculum representative, I was presented with a surprise gift of this advance copy. I was like a kid in a candy shop and read it about 3 or 4 times. It is chock full of unique insights, surpernatural stories, and raw faith-building content.

2) "Everlasting Man" by G.K. Chesterton
I was hooked on Chesterton ever since Orthodoxy. And early this year I finally got around to this classic. The wit is startling and the arguments are timeless. It should be read by everone - believer, seeker, and skeptic alike. This is the work that led former-atheist C.S. Lewis to a reasonable and saving faith.

3) "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" by Jim Cymbala
This was the first time I have read this powerhouse in about 5 years. We went through a small group curriculum by Cymbala and his simple, refreshing, and anointed approach whet my appetite to return to his material. I was not disappointed.

4) "Joy Unspeakable" by Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones
This is the classic work on the Holy Spirit recommended by both Paul Washer and David Ravenhill, and so I could ignore it no longer. I have been reading books on the Holy Spirit since 7th grade and this is the best treatment - expositorily and well-rounded - that I have ever come across. This is a treasure I will re-visit often.

5) "The Maker's Diet" by Jordan Rubin
In the introduction, Charles Stanley remarks that he had been praying for a year for a diet based on the Bible and proven by science, and now he has found it. I feel the same way and do not believe I will ever eat the same way again as the result of reading this book.

6) "The Cross and the Switchblade" by David Wilkerson
I hate to ruin the word by overuse, but this is another "classic" I felt I should re-visit this year. There are still Teen Challenges and ministries all over the world because of the simple obedience of this man. I still have not seen the movie or documentary based off this unbelievable but true story, but the books still fed my spirit like it did the first time I read it. It was especially dear to me because I went through this remarkable chronicle about the streets of New York only weeks before I actually had the priviledge to go do ministry in the streets of New York. This was also the year that Mr. Wilkerson went home to be with the Lord.

7) "Dave Ramsey" books
I know that's a kind of cop-out, but returning to all of his material is continuing to help correct and guide my course financially. At CATALYST he gave a free copy of his new book "EntreLeader" to everyone there (13,000 people...) and though it was a business book, I benefitted from it greatly. I also read "More than Enough" a few weeks ago, which is a great piece to aid in vision-casting and goal-setting.

8) "Blood Bought" by David Ravenhill
David Ravenhill is the son of Leonard Ravenhill - one of my heroes of the faith. I had the chance to meet David twice this year and at one of the conferences I picked up "Blood Bought." It is magisterial and thought-provoking, and a call to return from humanistic Christianity to a more God-centered gospel.

9) "Desiring God" by John Piper
Desiring God.org has become a favorite resouce of mine this past year and I finally read the book that started it all. It is a majestic and refreshing oasis that proposes "Christian Hedonism."

10) "Pivotal Praying" by Tim Elmore
This book was so surprisingly good that I just kept having to close it and remark to myself how good it really was. Very balanced, insightful, biblical, practical, supernatural... all in one. An excellent prayer guide.


     I have to say "End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists" by Dr. Ravi Zacharias probably would have made the list if I hadn't already been close to completion by the time I read it. In this critique, he addresses the disrespectful and often inconsistent tactics of today's militant atheist pop-stars: the late Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and namely Sam Harris. An excellent read.
     The other thing (I am now editing) I would add would be the long over-due release of Leonard Ravenhill's biography "In Light of Eternity" by Mack Tomlinson. To be honest, other than the Bible, this book probably impacted me the most this year, and I can't believe I just now am remembering to add it.

Runners up: "Not a fan" by Kyle Idleman, "Wierd" by Craig Groeschel, "Fresh Faith" by Jim Cymbala, "Vintage Jesus" by Mark Driscol, "A Disruptive Faith" by A.W. Tozer, "Think" by John Piper, "Breaking Intimidation" by John Bevere, "Father Fiction" by Donald Miller, and Vance Havner's book of essays.

Thanksgiving Thinking

   Well, it has been a while. I soon wish to do a 3-month recap, because the last few months have been rich with experiences and blessings. But for now, my parents have commenced their journey up to the bluegrass and before they arrive, I introduce to you my "Top 20 Things I'm Thankful for" list:

1) The grace, love, patience, wisdom, and goodness of God in my life. He is the reason to breathe and live. I cannot imagine any kind of passionate life without His peace, power, purpose, and Presence.
2) My parents. With each passing year, I realize that my "normal" upbringing - of two loving parents who don't constantly fight, who are unconditionally loving and yet corrective, who actually stay married, who don't have crazy issues, who raise up me "in the fear and admonition of the Lord," who support me in every adventure God sends me on - actually isn't so "normal" after all. I believe the emotional health and confidence I enjoy in life can be contributed to them.
3) For friends. I believe your life is enriched by the friendships you enjoy and cultivate and I have long acknowledged that God has for whatever reason blessed me with the greatest friends on earth.
4) For bridgeCHURCH. I hear people say on a weekly basis that they have searched all their life for a church like this, and even though I was privileged enough to help start it, I am well aware it is much bigger than us and that we are simply along for the ride. We have many faults and have much room for improvement, and granted I am biased, but to me it is the dream church. I love who we're becoming, what we're learning, the impact we're having, what God's Spirit is doing, and the kind of community that we are creating.
5) Coffee!! Oh let me count the ways...
6) Good food. I love food.
7) For all of my family. I have the greatest family and as I mentioned with my parents, it is something I grow more and more fond of and grateful for with each passing year, and bemoan the fact that I can't be around them more.
8) Good books. The person who said no one's life can be changed by a book is a fool. A book can do much damage or much good. It can enrich one's faith or shipwreck one's faith, and I am so thankful for the wealth of good books available to us today. From spiritual blessing to financial management to nutritional value to simply refreshing recreational fiction. Reading has been a daily part of my life since first grade and has shaped much of who I am.
9) Music. Oh, what kind of magic would be lost to life without music. From anointed worship to punk angst to relaxing melodies to uplifting rifts - anything and everything for every mood, purpose, and season. It is the soundtrack of our lives.
10) For the change of seasons. We often take this for granted. But God has given us varying scenes and colors and temperatures and atmospheres for our own emotional good, and so that we may more keenly appreciate the opposites and extremities.
11) For the many opportunities I have had for vacation and travel.
12) For living in a free country.
13) For my Pastor. He is a best friend, mentor, spiritual leader, and father figure.
14) For Greenville, SC. A rejuvenating place to always come back to with great friends and family and warmer weather.
15) For bridgeGROUPS.
16) For the many opportunities God has given me to operate out of my "sweet spot" - in leading, teaching,  preaching, writing, and drama.
17) Speaking spanish.
18) My health. You tend to take this for granted until it is in jeopardy. But I am so glad for every working limb and for energy and wholeness. I am also thankful for fitness and for a gym to work out in.
19) Having everything I need. I may not be rich compared to those who shop on Rodeo Drive in LA, but compared to the vast majority of the world, I am unworthily filthy, filthy rich. I have food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and many, many extras that I do not need. I am thankful.
20) A job. (Actually, two.) Though I am quite restless for the day that church work is all that I have to concern myself with, I am well aware that there are many people who would simply like to have a job at all.

Runners up: laughter, a good pair of jeans, God's creation, a nice massage, prophets and preachers, LOST and the Office...

What are you thankful for? I reminded bridgeGROUPS last night that it is a thankful spirit that drives out many invaders of the heart - greed, complaining, worry, etc. The Psalmist encourages us to "enter His gates with thanksgiving." Thank you God for the life You have given me and for each year, day, and moment.

True Grace

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound..."

Ah, the grace of God. Such a popular subject in many churches today, especially emergent and seeker-friendly ones. But what is the grace of God? Have we lost its power?

A friend and I were talking the other day about the frustration of Christ-less Christians. Hypocrisy. Not just the kind of hypocrisy we grieve and work through in our own lives, for we all are a work in process if we are to be honest. But this modern culture of quasi-Christianity where millions would label themselves Christians by name, but in reality live no different than the unbeliever next door. They continue to live in the same bondage, baggage, and sin. Ironically, a statement you will hear often in these circles is, "Yeah, I'm not perfect, but thank God for His grace."

Several years ago, John Bevere's ministry conducted a survey of thousands of Christians as to the definition and benefit of grace. An overwhelming 98% responded that it was "unmerited favor" or "forgivness of sins." It was encouraging to hear the understanding that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned and that God lovingly bestows upon us what we could never earn. At the same time, however, it was disheartening to discover that only 2% of those surveyed responded with the most prominent and vital biblical definition of grace: the empowerment to live a godly life.

The writer of Hebews said, "Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably (12:28)."

Paul said in Romans 6:14 that "... sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace."

In the book of Acts amid the supernatural outpouring of the Spirit and miraculous revival that was going on among the church, we read that "...with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all."

Though Jesus stripped himself of his divine rights, He still walked by the enabling of the Holy Spirit, in incredible power. How? The writer of Luke tells us in chapter two that "the Child (Jesus) grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him."

Grace, then, is powerful! So often it is only discussed in the context of a sentimental, fluffy, and sugary-sweet sermonette on the love of God. But as we study scripture, grace is not just a mere cover-up for our sins. It is the empowerment to live the life we never could in our own flesh.

I think true grace is perfectly illustrated in the story of Jesus with the woman at the well. When the harsh and judgmental religious leaders want to have her stoned, he exposes their hypocrisy, defends her and shows her mercy. "Who condemns you?" he asks when they all leave. When she replies "nobody," he follows up with those healing words of grace and mercy, "Neither do I condemn you." But notice He doesn't stop there. Neither does he add, "Okay, now that you've said a prayer, go on with life as normal." He doesn't say, "Alright, struggle on in your various sins and sexual addictions, but just thank God for His grace." He doesn't even say "Go and sin less." He flatly commanded, "Now go and sin no more." You see, true grace doesn't just forgive sin from our record; it eradicates the sinful nature from our lives. If we think we have encountered Christ, but continue to live no differently, we have some very real soul-searching to do, for Paul soberly warns us in Corinthians "not to receive the grace of God in vain," but instead to "let us purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be completely holy (2 Corinthians 6:1, 7:1)."

The Gospel is such great news! Christ has come to show us grace not only so that we can be free from guilt, condemnation, and punishment, but free from sin to live the extroardinary, victorious, abundant life of freedom and power that He purchased for us with His blood. And we can access this grace by faith! May we not declare or live anything less.


* Additional resources for study: Galatians, Corinthians, "Extroardinary" (Bevere), & "Relentless" (Bevere)