Week 3 of The Story - Trading in Your Dreams for Another’s

We are three weeks into our incredible journey through The Story.  Max Lucado and Randy Frazee have provided some additional insights for us for each week. Here is what they had to say about Joseph.People nearing mid-life often crash into some startling and unexpected observations. For instance, we all dreamed big dreams when we were younger. But as we move at a break-neck pace through our twenties, thirties, and forties, we eventually slam head on into the realization that some of our dreams will never be realized.

That observation throws some people into a mid-life crisis. Some don’t make it that far with their aspirations, having already given them up somewhere along the way. Some run into conflict that makes them weary and they settle for less. Still others make bold decisions to trade one dream in for another.

That’s what Joseph did. Talk about dreams! He had some big ones. At seventeen he dreamed his ten

older brothers would bow down to him. It’s enough he dreamed that dream. What makes it worse is that he told his brothers about it.

The older brothers already had issues with the younger son. Their father favored Joseph. He had even given him a valuable, multi-colored coat. That’s the modern-day equivalent of a parent of four teenagers giving one an iPhone and the other three a stack of quarters each for a pay phone (assuming they could find one on their travels). The brothers banded together and tossed the dreamer in a ditch, eventually selling him into slavery at the first opportunity. The next thing Joseph knew he was waking up in Egypt.

From there his life was a rollercoaster thrill ride. One minute a slave. The next in charge of an Egyptian official’s house. The next in prison. The next in charge of the prison. Then he found himself in front of Pharaoh, called upon to interpret the leader’s dreams. With God’s help he was able to warn Pharaoh he would have seven years of abundant crops that he should be put in storehouses in anticipation of seven years of famine. Recognizing his wisdom, Pharaoh put Joseph second in command of all of Egypt.

And because of God’s personal involvement in his life, he was was able to save his family. The same family that God was building into a nation. Joseph was in position to bring his family to Egypt and give them the most fertile land to work. And it was definitely fertile. In the time they were there they were “fruitful and increased greatly” (Exodus 1:7).

Joseph could have lost his life getting caught up in the details of his life, chasing his dreams and desires.

Instead, he chose a better story. God’s story.

You can do the same. If your life’s dream has stalled, look to God. If your dream now realized is not all you thought it would be, look to God. He can give you another dream. A better one, not according to the world’s standard but God’s criterion. Just like Joseph’s. Then you’ll have a story to tell.

 

Things don't always go as we think they should and sometimes we have very little if any fault in those circumstances.  Things just don't seem to be working out.  But could it be that God is working things out, even when things don't seem to be working out.  - Romans 8:28

 

Read Chapter Four about Moses.  You actually have a couple of weeks.  We will talk about it on July 14th.

 

Keep on Reaching,

Dave

Random Thoughts for May 28, 2013

• Why do people think that they can live like hell Monday through Saturday and show up for a worship service on Sunday and it's all good?  God will not be mocked!  Galatians 6
• If you are living like there is no hell, you better be right!
• I can't believe that I get the privilege of leading people to Christ in spite of my short comings. Grace is a wonderful thing, so I try very hard not to abuse it.
• God is up to something on the Hill at Shelby Christian.  I pray that I am always aware of His leading and don't miss a single opportunity.
• The Story is going to be incredible.  I pray that we are all able to grow in our story as it fits into His Story!
• This week is going to be special as we finish our two-part parenting sermon.  I wish I knew some of this stuff before I became a parent ... or grandparent!

FROM DREAMING TO DOING

If you could do anything you wanted to do what would that be?  Do you ever just stop and dream anymore?  What would a future that you would create for yourself or someone you love or someone you don't even know look like?

 

It seems that for the majority of the people I know that they have stopped dreaming completely.  They are so caught up in the day to day monotony of life, that they have either forgotten how to dream or they have just given up on anything ever being different than it currently is for their life. I have to admit that many days, no most days, I fall into that group.

 

Either we have tried something spectacular before that didn't work or we just had the legs cut out from under us people who told us we were just being silly, we just stopped dreaming.  I find myself today wondering about a different future, and what it would take to see it fulfilled and come to be.

 

I wonder what it would be like if every child that was born got to live with their mommy and daddy until they were out of high school and then they all got to go to college.

I wonder what it would be like if there weren't any homeless people in my community, not because they didn't exist but because we took care of them.

I wonder what life would be like if every family was virtually debt free, except possibly for a mortgage.
I wonder what it would be like if everyone that I know, knew Jesus as a loving savior.

I wonder what it would be like if everyone who goes to church acted like they knew Jesus as a loving savior.

I wonder what it would be like if we never said that will never work. 

I wonder what it would be like if we started dreaming ... and then started doing ... hmmmmmm

Time To Make a Change

We have been working through a great series of messages on the Hill focusing on accepting that we are all sinners and the most of us have aSignature Sin that Satan keeps using against us over and over again.  I am so thankful to my friend Greg Johnson for sharing some of the ideas they had at Generations Christian Church as they worked through materials from Saddleback and Celebrate Recovery.  This week we put together what we called a recipe for transformation from that material.

Recipe for Transformation

1.    Tackle one change at a time.  Prov. 17:24

What is it going to be?

2.    Find victory one day at a time.  Mt. 6:9b-11

Where have you won?

3.    Depend on God’s Power! Phil. 4:13

Where have you seen God?

4.    Focus Forward. Phil.4:8

Where do you want to be?

5.    Try to do good, not just feel good.  Gal. 5:16

What is something good you could do?

6.    Find people who help you, not hurt. Prov. 27:17

Who make you feel special?

7.    Seek progress, not forgiveness. Phil. 1:6

Have you made positive changes?  Why or why not?

What I really love to see is how God is helping people to work through letting go of some Signature Sins and finding freedom that comes from turning it over to Him.  Maybe it would be good just to share a few ideas of secrets that you have learned that have helped you let go of something.   You don't have to share what it was, but maybe the principle would help others.

Until Jesus comes back, let's just keep on reaching!

What Could I Do If I Had No Debt ... I Mean None

As our nations economy spirals helplessly out of control and is teatering on the edge of that magical cliff, I am still convinced that we not only haven't figured out how to fix things, but we won't even admit how we got here.  Nobody in Washington seems to want to realize that is an individual had done what we have done as a country and simply printed more money any time we run out that there is a felony called counterfeiting and we would be found guilty! 

 

I am by no means the smartest man in the world but I am thankful for my parents and Mrs. Wilson would taught be basic math as a child.  From basic math I was able to transfer knowledge to finances and established early on that if the price of what I wanted was more than the amount of money I had, the I couldn't buy it.  It was amazing how that worked.  I was serious about it.  I even kept a list in my desk drawer in my room of the serial numbers on my dollar bills and marked them off the list if I spent them.  Obviously I didn't have many but when you have to draw a line through each one you spend it has an amazing way of making you hang on to them.

 

I wonder what would happen if our leaders in Washington had to do the ... oh nevermind.  Why dream of something that makes so much sense? 

 

Then came high school and a car and real paychecks instead of dollar bills and it was harder to keep track of my money, but still diligently reconciled my checkbook every month so I knew exactly how much money I had on any given day.  I was maturing and growing up and taking on responsibility and then I went to college.

 

Did you know that every company in the world will give a college student a credit card?  You did!  Oh no they got you too.  But why should a college student worry about running up a few hundred or a few thousand dollars in credit.  What's that compared to several trillion?  Our young people are really good learners, they watch their leaders and wonder why they can't do exactly what their leaders do.  They can. They have. They will therefore continue to dig a hole so deep that the sides will fall in on top of them.

 

But what could they do with no debt?  What could you do with no debt?  Look at your bills right now.  Which ones are current?  What do you owe that is accruing interest?  If you were able to make those bills including your mortgage go away would your life be simpler, better, less stressful?   What could you do with just that money?  Maybe make more money because you could collect interest instead of paying it.

 

What about the church you worship at?  They had to build a space for you to come and sit in on the weekend.  But that usually meant they had to go in debt.  What if that suddenly went away?  Can you imagine how many people could be helped with the annual interest paid on church mortgages?  If we got our own house in order, then we could get God's house in order. 

 

What about our country?  What if churches started taking care of people with the money they used to spend on debt service in a way that eliminated the need for government entitlements?  Who would you rather have take care of you anyway?  Money hungry bureaucrats trying to build a bigger government or people who have a personal relationship with the Great Physician, the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills and the one who created life and the ability to acquire wealth?  What if the country didn't have to pay for entitlements and people actually worked and earned their own money and had a sense of self-worth?

 

What could we do if ...

Great New Book - Get a Copy

I am proud of my friend Dean Burk for publishing this important book that details the eroding values of a society that has removed God from their decision making.  I have known Dean for many years before he and his family started worshiping on the Hill.  I have had the privilege of watching Dean grow and mature over the last few years and I am thrilled that he pressed forward with this book.  I read the manuscript a couple of years ago and was impressed with the clarity and the preciseness of the documentation that Dean shares. 

The beauty this book is that it is brief and to the point.  It can easily be read in an evening and then kept as reference or shared with a friend.  It is being distributed exclusively through Amazon and amazon.com .  When you log on www.amazon.com  search for Dean Burk and the book titled Removing God from the One Nation Under God.  The cost is only $5.99.  I know Dean's heart and his goal is not to profit from this book, but to share firm researched truth that might possibly change the heart and mind of readers to do what they can to help bring God back into the fabric of this great country where He has been removed and to keep Him as a part of where He has not been removed.

So Much More to Do

Many would think that with modern technology the whole world already knows about Jesus. Many have chosen to follow after him, some have not yet made that choice, but surely everyone knows about him. It is shocking to discover that so many still haven't even heard of the one who came to save them for eternity. Estimates range around two billion people that have not even heard the message of hope that Jesus brought to earth. Millions more have heard and chosen to ignore or simply not respond. If you have a heart for these people I encourage you to be on the hill this Sunday morning and to also check out www.u4theu.com website.

Changing Lives on the Hill

I get so excited about the change that I see in people's lives when they start to really get it about Jesus.  Early in His teaching He told his followers that they were to the light of the world and that a town built on a hill could not be hidden.   I love that our facilities are built on a hill on the east end of Shelbyville.  It is a reminder to me now every time I drive "up hill" to the building that we are here to make a difference and to be seen by men as a place where life change happens.   This new art work is just a reminder that we are all somewhere on the path to following Christ.  Some are just getting started and others have been running for a while, but we are all on a journey.  "The Hill" is just a stop on the journey, because our ultimate destination is heaven.

I also love hearing the stories of change that Jesus has made in people's lives.  I love it when part of the change happened on the hill.  I hope some of you will write about your change and add it to this blog.  I was introduced to a website last night by someone who is really growing in Christ on the hill.  He told me about www.iamsecond.com .  I really like the name, but I LOVE what is documented on the website.

Also if you have been touched by the ministry of Christ on the hill in east Shelbyville we have window stickers that you can put on your vehicle that might provide an open door to share about Jesus with someone.  We have them available at worship times, but if you have moved and want one let us know and we will send them to you.

So many lives have been changed, I can't wait to see what is around the corner.

DON'T BE DECEIVED

Our "Summer Breezes" series took us to the book of 2 John this week.  One of the major concerns of John for the church at Ephesus was that they were being deceived by false teachers.   In verse 11 John gives very strong warning to not show hospitality to those who teach in opposition to the teaching of Jesus and scripture.  Right after talking about the importance of love, John comes back to the truth of God and warns the people to be very careful.

Satan is a deceiver, and he will use people, sometimes without them even knowing it to deceive those that are trying to follow God.  Think about the things in your life that you have experienced that are decptive by design.  I love to fish and I have a whole box full of little plastic and rubber things that are supposed to look appealing to big ole fish.  But every one of them has at least one hook attached to it.  Some have as many as six.  They are called "lures", because they lure fish into a false sense of security and then I catch them.  Once upon a time I could hit a baseball pretty well and then the older I got the pitchers on the other team starting throwing these balls with a different spin on them and then they reacted to gravity and wind and just as a would swing they would ... "CURVE".  I was deceived to think it was a fast ball and then I would strike out and head back to the dug out.  Satan is the master of deception.

Many things that look good, are really harmful, that’s why it is called deceit

According to Peter Kendall in the Chicago Tribune, Ruben Brown, age sixty-one, was known on the south and west sides of Chicago, as the friendly neighborhood cockroach exterminator with "the Mississippi stuff." The Mississippi stuff was a pesticide Brown had bought hundreds of gallons of in the South, and it really did the trick on roaches. Brown went from door to door with his hand sprayer, and his business grew as satisfied customers recommended the remarkably effective exterminator to others.      

In the process, however, Brown is alleged to have single-handedly created an environmental catastrophe. The can-do pesticide-methyl parathion-is outlawed by the EPA for use in homes. Southern farmers use it on boll weevils in their cotton fields, and within days the pesticide chemically breaks down into harmless elements. Not so in the home. There the pesticide persists as a toxic chemical that can harm the human neurological system with effects similar to lead poisoning.        

The EPA was called into Chicago for the cleanup. Drywall, carpeting, and furniture sprayed with the pesticide had to be torn out and hauled to a hazardous -materials dump. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that the total cost of the cleanup would be some $20 million, ranking this as one of the worst environmental nightmares in Illinois history.     
Brown was charged with two misdemeanors. He apparently didn’t know much about the pesticide he sprayed so liberally. Brown’s attorney said, "It’s a tragedy. It is one of those situations where he did a lot of harm, but his intention in no way matches the damage he has done. He is a family man and handled it with his own hands. Do you think he knew how toxic it was?"  

What you don’t know can hurt you. That is true both of pesticides and of false teaching.

That’s why the “study” part of our Spiritual DNA is so important. We need to know the truth because the truth can … set you free!

Grace Demands Shared Forgiveness

Another great lesson that we learned from studying Paul's letter to Philemon, was about sharing forgiveness.  It was a lesson Jesus taught many times.  Most pointedly with the parable of the unmerciful servant.  Forgiveness is a wonderful thing when you are on the receiving end of things, giving well that is a different story.

The really clever thing that Paul did was send this little letter along with a bigger letter to the entire church and so it would have been read in front of the whole church.  That means everyone would have been watching to see how Philemon responded.  You’ll probably never be put on the spot in front of the whole church, but people are watching to see how you respond to the grace that was shown to you as a follower of Christ.

Francis Chan said, “Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people he has made?” When you forgive someone, you bring healing to both you and them. When you hold a grudge, you bring harm only to yourself. Christianity is nothing if it doesn’t show itself in terms of relationships.  

Christianity is really just one beggar showing another beggar where to find bread.  The great news is we can be showing others the bread of life – Jesus!

A Great Lesson from Haggai

We are in this great series this summer called Summer Breezes where we are looking at seven of the most overlooked books of the Bible because of their length.  They are short books so if we aren't real careful we will just breeze right over them.  This week we looked at the book of Haggai.  It was written in 520 BC as God used Haggai to encourage the people rebuilding the temple that the Babylonians had destroyed in 586 BC.  The last visiosn of encouragement that Haggai received was to Zerubbabel.  He was the little known leader of the people doing the rebuilding.  Apparently he felt like many people feel today who find themselves called to lead.  He felt overwhelmed and God says, "Just serve me faithfully."
The warning to Zeb was, "Don’t feel useless or powerless, God is in control."   2:20-23 That is how Zerubbabel was feeling.  He had limited military might.  Only 42,000 had made the return voyage to Jerusalem.  He was feeling, “I can’t maintain this once we build it.”  God says, “You do what I have asked of you and I’ll take care of the rest.”
That is all any of us can do!  Take care of what we are asked to do and let God handle the rest.  You just serve Him faithfully. 
Several people talked to me after last week's message from Obadiah about forgiveness and holding a grudge.  You can only control you!  You can’t  make someone forgive you or accept your request for forgiveness.  You can only control you!  So you serve Him faithfully and let God take care of the rest!
God tells Zerubbabel that He will make him His signet ring.   That was huge because that was the symbol of being God’s Davidic ruler.  The king from the line of David.  When the people were following Him, God removed that blessing from Jehoiakim.  But the return of His blessing brought hope!
God may be calling you to lead in a very powerful way that everyone will notice, or he may be calling you to lead from behind where no one will notice but Him.  Whatever God is calling you to do, wherever He is calling you to lead ... SERVE HIM FAITHFULLY!