You A Dime Piece

When we think about perfection, rarely do we understand the current reality of it. For the Christian, we often focus on the thought of being perfect “one day when…” Or we say, “How can I be perfect when I still sin?” The simple answer is because your perfection isn’t based on your behavior. If Jesus is perfect and He lives in you, you’re more perfect than you think. You’re not in the process of becoming perfect, you’re in the process of catching the revelation that you already are because of Jesus.

God is the Master Painter and He’s painting expressions of Himself on your life. Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s masterpiece. This word masterpiece can be translated as handiwork or workmanship. In the Greek it’s the word “poiema” where we get our English word “poem”. In other words, God wrote poetry when He spoke you into existence, for you are His beloved. You are complete and whole in Christ. You are a beautiful expression of God’s brushstrokes and He wants you to show off His perfect masterpiece!

It’s inspiring to experience the reality of your perfection, but your perfection will be expressed in a specific way. In Matthew 5 Jesus says something during His sermon on the mount that many people misunderstand. We misunderstand because we don’t cross-reference this passage with others like it. In verse 48 Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Many people think this is unachievable because they don’t believe they’re already perfect in Christ. But this isn’t even what is being communicated. In the context of this section of Jesus’ sermon, He’s talking about loving your enemies. I think Luke’s Gospel translated what Jesus said during this moment more accurately than Matthew’s. In Luke 6:36 it says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” You see, to be perfect is to be merciful. We experience perfection because of our belief in Jesus yet we express perfection in our mercy and love towards humanity. So stop trying to be ‘perfect’ and recognize you already are. It’s time to start expressing yourself as a masterpiece to the world.

God doesn't love us equally

Over the last month we’ve talked about being victorious in Christ, permanently forgiven, fully righteous, and unconditionally loved. This week, I want to enlighten your individuality! The title of this weeks blog is very important for you to understand: God does not love us equally. But didn’t you tell us last week that He loves us all unconditionally? Yes, He does! But that doesn’t mean He loves us equally. So, you’re saying that He loves certain people more than others? No, I’m not saying that and no, God doesn’t love certain people more than others. In fact, you’re God’s favorite and it’s time you start living like it.

The reality is, God doesn’t love us equally…He loves us uniquely! Here’s what I mean - If God loved us all equally, then we’d be replaceable. Think about it this way. I have two kids and I say I love my kids the same but that is not true. I say I love my kids equally but that is not true. It doesn’t mean I love one more than the other. It means I love them both differently because they both are unique and irreplaceable. If one of my kids passed, I couldn’t just make another one to replace them. That thought alone is asinine. Why? Because they were created by an incredibly passionate Designer with a purpose in mind. They are in fact irreplaceable. You are irreplaceable! God made only one of you! You were created on purpose for a purpose and there is no one in the world quite like you. No one else can do what you are called to do. No one else has your platform, personality, and people to influence. You are the perfect person God created to do what He wants to do in and through you. Because you are irreplaceable, you have an incredible responsibility to be uniquely you.

So stop trying to be someone else because “God can’t bless the person you pretend to be.” He wants to bless you! He wants to love you in your own unique ways. He wants you to celebrate your individualism, personality, strengths, and weaknesses. He wants you to rely on Him when your season doesn’t make sense. He wants you to live life to the fullest knowing that there is no one like you on Earth.

He loves me, He loves me not

Have you ever noticed that when Jesus does most of His miracles we are rarely given people’s names? In the first chapter of Mark alone we see Jesus heal a demon possessed man, a man with leprosy, and Peter’s sick mother-in-law. (Some scholars believe the reason Peter denied Jesus three times is because Jesus healed his mother-in-law…I’m kidding). Instead of knowing their names, we’re often only given their gender and condition - the woman with the blood issue, the man with the withered hand, the blind man, etc. In fact, this is even common in our own lives today. We tend to label people by their gender and conditions - ‘he’s divorced, she’s had an abortion, he’s an alcoholic, she’s a user, he’s battling depression, she sleeps around.’ We love to label people by their struggles and mistakes because it’s easier to look down on others for doing things we wouldn’t.

However, in Christ you don’t have to be identified by your issues. It doesn’t matter what people call you, it only matters what you respond to. People may know your history but don’t let that affect your destiny. The last three blogs have been about understanding our identity as victorious in Christ, permanently forgiven, and fully righteous. This week, our label as a son or daughter of God is one simple word - LOVED.

It’s cliche only because we roll our eyes as we think we’ve heard it before. Yet, if we were to be real honest about how we think God views us, it usually lines up more with the vivid picture of a middle school boy plucking flower petals to see if his crush likes him - ‘She loves me, she loves me not.’ We believe God loves us when we’re good and then frowns upon us when we’re bad. Reality is, it’s impossible to follow God when you are unsure about how He feels towards you. You will never be able to love well until you recognize how loved you are by your Father in Heaven.

What does God’s face look like when He thinks about you? If the image of God’s face has anything but a smile, you have misunderstood the reality of His unconditional love for you. Because our human relationships are broken, we tend to project earthly relationships onto God. We refuse to believe that God is really as loving as He says He is so we create a god in our own image. We want God to be as gloomy, pessimistic, fussy, rude, legalistic, narrow-minded, judgmental, violent, unforgiving, and unloving like we are. We end up basing our identity on how well we are doing spiritually rather than on what God has declared over us in Christ. We must relate to God in light of who He really is, not just who we think or hope Him to be.

Brennan Manning, a man who preached the grace of God until he passed away several years ago believes the Lord Jesus is going to ask us one question and only one question when we see our Maker face to face. He believes God will look at us and ask, “Did you really believe that I loved you? That I desired you? That I waited for you day after day? That I longed to hear the sound of your voice?” He goes on to preach that many of us who are so faithful in ministry and church attendance, will reply to the question with a heartbreaking ‘no’. They’ll say they heard incredible sermons and teachings and even believed it occasionally through life but they really just thought it was the Christian way of patting people on the back and cheering them on. And that is the difference between real believers and the many people who say they follow Jesus in our churches today.

Bottom line is Jesus is our hero. Not because He comes and destroys our enemies but because He shed His blood on the cross for our enemies. He’s the One who has rescued us from sin and death. He is our lover and friend, ascribing to us unsurpassable worth. The cross is not the symbol of Christianity, the empty tomb is! Jesus is alive and He’s freeing us from the religious grave clothes that keep us in bondage. It’s time to break free from rituals and rules and run into the loving embrace of the Father - because we are His beloved! As author Jack Frost says, “Moving from slavery to sonship or daughterhood is a matter of reaching the place where you get up in the morning feeling so loved and accepted in your Father’s heart that your whole purpose for existence becomes looking for ways to give that love away to the next person you meet.” So remember your victory in Christ, accept His forgiveness, own His righteousness, and realize you’re loved and there’s nothing you can do about it!

Thanks religion, we'll take it from here

I hear the phrase ‘you ain’t right’ on a regular basis. I’m easily influenced to do or say something outrageous just for the laughs. Although my behavior isn’t ‘right’ sometimes, it doesn’t define my permanent ‘right’ standing as a son in the Kingdom of God. The last couple blogs have been about people understanding their identity: that we’re victorious and forgiven because of what Christ accomplished. This week we’re going to look at our righteousness. In other words, we’re already standing ‘right’ before God as forgiven, blameless, and clean because of Jesus.

What you’re about to read may be shocking to you. Not because you’ll disagree but because it may require you to rewire the way you think. Can the Gospel message really be this simple?

Righteousness is not given or taken from us based on our performance. In Christ, righteousness is already ours based on belief not behavior. Righteousness means nothing for us today unless we own it. If God is righteous and He lives in me, I’m righteous in Christ. If God is complete and He lives in me, I’m complete in Christ. If God is perfect and He lives in me, I’m perfect in Christ. Romans 4:3 tells us, “Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness.” So how do we become righteous? By believing God to be who He says He is. By believing God when He says He loves us in spite of our actions. By believing God when life falls apart and circumstances don’t make sense. By believing God to provide when our finances don’t line up. By believing God is enough! Romans 10:4 says, “Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Because I am in Christ, God now sees me according to how Jesus has lived, not by how I act. Let this reality sink in. In Christ, God no longer sees me as a sinner saved by grace; He now sees me as a saint saved by grace. Regardless of my situation, He sees Jesus in me; He sees the righteousness of Christ. The life Jesus lived on Earth has now been credited in full to those who believe.

The biggest hinderance to receiving this incredible truth is many of us are more comfortable being slaves than being free. Why? We like having something to measure ourselves by and strive for. It allows us to control how God distributes His love and grace. It makes sense to believe we’re blessed because we follow the ‘rules’. And isn’t it so humble to think of ourselves as such wretched dirty sinners? However, none of these things are actually Jesus focused. Stop striving for something you already have. Stop following rules and start following Jesus. When you live to receive blessings you miss the revelation that you’re already blessed. By the way, it’s not humble to think lowly of yourself. That’s false humility and a slap to the face of your Creator. Proper humility isn’t thinking less of yourself but rather, thinking of yourself less. You are a son or daughter of the living King. You are royalty (1 Peter 2:9)! You are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)! It’s time you start living like it.

We must remember to be faithful to the covenant we’re in. We stand ‘right’ because we’re standing on the finished work of Jesus. We say things like, ‘yeah, but we still sin.’ Well, remember we were forgiven on the cross. We need to stop focusing so much on our sin because it’s already been dealt with. We’re not to live sin conscious, we’re to live Savior conscious. We don’t have a sin issue, we have a belief issue. Jesus doesn’t want your sins, He wants you! Righteousness isn’t what you do, it’s determined by who you believe and who you believe will determine how you behave. When you start thinking differently, you start living differently. You stop focusing on you and you start extending the love that God has bestowed upon you. Paul reiterated this in Galatians 2:21, “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” So be confident in your right standing before God. You are as righteous as you’ll ever be and there’s nothing you can do about it.

The F Word

Isn’t it ironic how Christians tend to argue against something they actually say to entice non-believers to be a part of their ‘church’? If you haven’t thought about it, wait until you finish this blog about your permanent identity. Last week, we talked about having a victorious mentality since the victorious One lives in you. This week, you’re Effed!!

That’s right, you’re FORGIVEN. We tell people they are already forgiven by God, they just need to believe it. Then, we refuse to believe it about ourselves because we still sin. Thank God our identity is not performance based but positionally sound in Christ. You’re forgiven, no ifs, ands, or buts. Still don’t believe me? If you didn’t physically exist during the brutal murder of Jesus, yet He forgave the world of their sin in that moment, how many of your sins were actually forgiven? That’s right…ALL. That means all of your sins - past, present, and future - all forgiven. That even means the sins you forget to ‘confess’ are all forgiven. Isn’t it crazy to believe that the Gospel is actually GOOD NEWS?!?!

I’ll take it a step further. Forgiveness happened 2,000 years ago when God reconciled the world to Himself through Jesus. But now, we’re not just forgiven…we’re justified. Justified means ‘just as if we’ve never sinned.’ See, what Jesus did on the cross actually makes us innocent, never guilty, permanently forgiven. How can I say that? Those aren’t my words, those are the words of several different authors of Scripture who write that God takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), remembers our sin no more by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:17-18), that God has removed our transgressions as far as the east is to the west (Psalm 103:12), and even Isaiah prophesied this would happen through the Messiah (Isaiah 43:25). In Christ there is no more condemnation (John 3:18, Romans 8:1). If God does not remember our sins, why do we? In fact, the more we remember our sins the more of a problem sin is. This is why many can never overcome their ‘issues’ because they’re focusing more on their behavior than their Savior. We must let go of our past and cast our own sin away from our memory because Christ already has.

The only way God could bring us into perfect union with Him is if He refuses to allow sin to be put in our account. So if sin makes us unclean, imperfect, impure, and unholy…but it’s not in our account…we might be more clean, perfect, pure, and holy than we think. Then the religious person responds - but won’t that create pride?!?! Impossible, because we didn’t clean ourselves up. Jesus did it on our behalf. Usually in anger, the next religious response is - but won’t people willingly keep on sinning if they know they’re permanently forgiven?!?! Impossible, because knowing we’re forgiven actually empowers us to destroy whatever illusion of sin we think separates us from God. Everything we think we want in sin actually gets fulfilled in Christ AND THEN SOME. It produces actual joy, peace, and love. The people who abuse forgiveness don’t live with joy, peace, and love. I believe there is nothing that satisfies our soul more than resting secure in the presence of God knowing we’re completely forgiven.

Grace does not give us freedom to sin, it empowers us to live free with Jesus. As Pastor Bill Vanderbush says, “Grace disempowers sins ability to manipulate God out of loving you. Grace does not have the power to tell God whether or not He can love and accept you. That would make the power of sin greater than the power of righteousness.” No one can claim forgiveness apart from Christ yet in Christ we’re made complete, holy, without blemish, and free from accusation because it’s not based on our efforts, it’s based on His! And that’s the good news! We’re forgiven and there is nothing we can do about it.

Stop Putting Your Fingers In Your Butthole

These were the very first words out of my mouth this morning. I was talking to my 2 year old who thinks this is funny because of the way I react. This is the same person who after she poops says these three things… “Can I see it? Can I touch it? Can I eat it?” If you know me, it actually makes me quite proud…

Yes, I’m going to segue what my daughter did this morning into an important truth for Christians. Almost every time, you can trace back your heartbreaks and disappointments to a choice someone made. You may have been victimized but you are not a victim. You may be walking through an extremely difficult season but you are not defined by it. You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can always control how you respond to what happens to you. What boggles my mind most is when people tend to stick their fingers up their butt and wonder why they smell like dodo butter. Of course I mean figuratively. What I want you to know is you have full control over how you react to life. In spite of what our society says, you are not a victim. As neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf says, “We are not even victims of our biology. We are co-creators of our destiny alongside God.”

We need to get rid of this victim mentality and recognize our identity as children of God. We are victors! We don’t train FOR victory, we train FROM it. We must never allow our circumstances to dictate our feelings because our feelings aren’t facts. Jesus Himself was treated as a victim but He never allowed Himself to feel and live like one. In fact, He forgave His abusers in the midst of hanging from a tree. “Yea but that’s Jesus,” people say…Well, before Stephen was stoned to death for his faith in Acts 6-7, his last prayer wasn’t for God to save him from injustice. Rather, he prayed for the forgiveness of those who were killing him. This tells us everything we need to know about his victor mentality.

Life is constantly full of tension. You are guaranteed to go through seasons of pushing & pulling, ups & downs, ebbs & flows. If we allow the constant change to discombobulate who Jesus says we are, we negate what was done on the cross 2000 years ago. Jesus wrapped Himself in flesh to empower and transfigure His kids from death to life, depression to joy, anxiety to peace, victim to victor. Our circumstances only have as much power over us as we allow. We have full control over our thoughts, so transform the way you think about yourself because your heavenly Father calls you righteous, forgiven, loved, chosen, irreplaceable, anointed, perfected, royal...a saint!

I started this blog to help you speak life over yourself and walk in your true identity as a son or daughter of God. You’re a victor. You’re a saint. You’re all those words listed above. Don’t believe me? Over the next several weeks, I’m going to prove it. I’m going to prove how God views you, and it starts by claiming victory because Christ was and is victorious!

A Family Affair

We’re sitting in the worst looking circle that a group of high schoolers could ever attempt in a log cabin on Nolin Lake. Some are on couches, some on chairs, while others are on the floor sitting Indian style (criss-cross applesauce for all you offended people). We’re talking about the pressures of social media and how hard it is for teenagers to be original, authentic, and secure in their identity. Social media is a great thing if stewarded properly but for most people it creates anxiety and a lack of trust in their relationships. One student called it the “curtain personality” as they hide behind the image they create of themselves online.

The conversation shifted however, and in my 12 years of Student Ministry, I’ve never been this shocked. One student spoke up, “I guess I’m not as upset about the pressure that social media creates in me as much as I’m upset about what technology has done to my family.” The room went quiet and I tried to not let my chin hit the floor. Explain, I said. What you’re about to read is going to pierce your heart. If you’re a parent: don’t allow guilt, shame, anger, denial, or any other emotion except empathy enter your mind…

“My family rarely sits down together to eat a meal,” one student said. Another chimed in, “Yea, if we do sit together, no one is present and there is always someone either watching tv or on their phone.” Yet another, “We don’t even sit in the same room when we eat. And my mom is usually watching tv while scrolling Facebook on her computer.”

The conversation continued for the next 20 minutes as every single student agreed. They are longing for our love and attention. As adults, we might think our kids have an issue with their smart phone device but let’s be honest…we all do. We might not be seeking affirmation or popularity like teens are, but it might be worse as we’re ignoring real human beings in our homes to compare vacations, build up our pride as we live through our kids, or just scroll to escape, stay in the ‘know’, or creep. Do we lack real connection time with our kids because we abuse and are distracted by good things?

Every student was wishing for some type of regular connection with their parent(s). Even if they’re opposed to it at first, I promise you they are longing for your attention and affirmation. When was the last time you talked to your kids about their life without interjecting advice or disappointment? When was the last time you gave your kids a hug long enough to let them feel your embrace of love and power? It’s time for us to stop blaming this next generation for the world they live in and start creating a home filled with intentional relationships, undivided attention, and unconditional love.

Make Em Jealous

I so badly wish I could dance. I watch an absurd amount of dance videos and catch myself in long trances of entertaining people with my make-believe skills. The only thing I can do is drop down and get my eagle on pretty impressively for an average white boy. After I twerk (drop it like it’s hot, tootsie roll, etc) people usually laugh and ignore the reality that I use twerking to cover up the fact that I really can’t dance.

Have you ever been to a party and a dance battle broke out? If it’s the right crowd, they’re amazing to watch. If it’s a middle class caucasian wedding, they’re atrocious. But dance battles are the reason for why I love movies like Stomp The Yard.

In the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, it tells us the older brother HEARD dancing at the party that was thrown for his younger brother. Heard them dancing? I don’t know how 1st Century Jews got down but apparently Usher, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg showed up as the entertainment.

What bothers me most about 21st Century Americans (and this includes myself) is you don’t tend to hear Christians dancing. In fact, the world tends to hear us Christians judging, protesting, and living offended. This shouldn’t be. In my opinion, people who follow Jesus should be the most entertaining, fun, creative, innovative, attractive, loving, and grace-filled people on the planet.

Why is it that Christians tend to be jealous of the way their non-Christian friends are living? Why do we believe what society tells us is ‘fun’? Maybe it’s because we’re not aware to the real joy, peace, love, and hope that only Jesus provides. The most attractive people are those who are able to find joy in a season of heartbreak, peace while walking through a storm, love for the people you disagree with, and hope in the middle of uncertainty. Christians have the living Creator of the Universe living inside us…are we showing who Jesus really is? Does our faith dictate our circumstances or do our circumstances dictate our faith? If people were to look at our lives, would they want the Jesus we worship? Are we as Christians provoking the world to jealousy? Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Your life as a Christian should make non-believers question their disbelief in God.” Maybe we need to shift our perspective and change our attitude. Maybe we just need to go dancing…

10 ways to not suck at marriage

Asking for marriage advice is like asking the waiter/waitress what they like on the menu. We all have different taste buds and texture limitations. In marriage, we all have different personalities and love languages. Marriage is not a one size fits all type of deal. What works for you might not work for me and vice versa. However, there are some truths that are universal. Here is my list of 10 ways to not suck at marriage…

1. Quit comparing. Your marriage is your marriage. Find your normal and be okay with it.

2. Sacrifice A LOT. There is no such thing as a healthy marriage without sacrifice, so get over your pity-party. Stop whining about what the other person is or is not doing. Marriage is not a 50/50 thing. Marriage is a 100/100 thing. When you give 100% of yourself to someone else, sacrifice is no longer viewed as a negative thing. I sacrifice for my wife because I choose her.

3. Be loyal. It’s too easy not to be. Don’t flirt with others just because you can get away with it or because your spouse doesn’t give you what you want. Women are multipliers - We give them sperm, they give us a baby. We give them love, they give us respect. We give them crap, they give (fill in the blank, but it’s not pretty). My pastor, Channock Banet says, “If you don’t like what you’ve been getting, look at what you’ve been giving.” 

4. Spend time together alone. Don’t focus so much on your kids that you neglect each other. The kids will leave one day, will you know the person you’re left with or will you go with your kids?

5. Have fun. Good Lord have fun! Remember how fun it was at first? The only reason you feel it isn’t fun now is because you let it become dull. You weren’t dull when you got married so don’t be dull now.

6. Be sexual with each other. The act of sex should be a given but that’s not what I’m talking about. You should be inappropriate with each other. (I can’t believe I have to clarify this but of course I’m talking about privately and only with each other). Send that naughty text, wear that sexy outfit, smack her booty, provoke him. Whatever floats your boat. Be inappropriately appropriate (if one of you is uncomfortable with something, it’s wrong to continue to push). But for the sake of your marriage, prove your interest in each other continually.

7. Don’t put your spouse down, especially in front of your kids. Too many people do this and it’s not okay. You don’t have to agree with everything they say and do, but how you confront someone is more important than the confrontation itself. Your kids are watching how you interact. Show them how to respectfully disagree and argue. Show them what it’s like to be in a mature relationship and what is to be expected from a significant other.

8. Fight fair. One of my favorite things about Julia is she fights fair. Even if she disagrees, she’s willing to put herself in my shoes and view things from my perspective. Remember, this is the person you love and respect. How can you not honor each other even in a disagreement? Even when one dishonors the other? We all have moments, but we must remember to be each other’s biggest fan.

9. Stop focusing on the negatives. This is the 80/20 principle. So many people give up on their spouse because of the 20% they don’t like about them. They end up trading in the incredible 80% for a fairy tale experience with someone who really doesn’t exist. There are so many amazing qualities about the person you chose to do life with. I said, ‘chose to do life with’ because when you said “I DO”, you really said “I DON’T” to everyone else. Pastor Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church once said, “Don’t marry the person you fall in love with. A fall is an accident, not the act of your will. If you fell once, chances are you can fall again for someone else. Grow in love because what you did on accident will need to be done on purpose.”

10. Understand that marriage doesn’t make you happy. Your happiness is your choice and a happy marriage is a by-product of a person who chooses to be joyful in spite of your external circumstances. 

Quit putting Jesus first

It’s February, which means football is over, it’s ‘cold as balls’ (I don’t know why we use this phrase because testicles range between 93-95 degrees Fahrenheit), and you gave up once again on your New Year Resolution. Statistics show us that 92% of New Year Resolutions fail and if you made a New Year Resolution to put Christ first this year, you probably failed at that too. But it’s okay, because Christ doesn’t want to be first. In fact, when you make Christ first, He becomes a part of your checklist…

You know that checklist…
1. Spend time with God ✔️
2. Get to work and survive the day ✔️
3. Spend some time with the kids ✔️
4. Make a move on the wifey ✔️
5. Don’t get into debt

When spending time with God or growing in your faith comes down to a specific slotted time of your day, you’ve missed the point and message of walking with Jesus.

It’s not Jesus THEN my day or Jesus THEN my work or Jesus THEN my family or Jesus THEN my finances…Jesus doesn’t want to be first. He wants to be the center of your world. When Jesus is the center, your perspective changes. It then becomes Jesus IN my day. Jesus IN my work. Jesus IN the way I parent. Jesus IN my marriage. Jesus IN my finances.

God doesn’t want to be boiled down to a devotion of the day (for the record, devotions are great and I encourage you to do them). He wants to do life with you. He doesn’t want you to just survive your work. He wants to empower you to encourage and impact people that you work with; making your work environment the most fun place to work in the world. He doesn’t want you to just parent. He wants you to raise history makers to leave a legacy worth following. He doesn’t want you to just have a decent marriage. He wants you to serve and love the person you chose to do life with and be a testimony of grace, forgiveness, and love. He doesn’t want you to just live paycheck to paycheck. He wants you to build wealth for generational blessings and Kingdom expansion. So stop trying to make Jesus first in your life and awaken to the power and reality of Christ IN you. Then proceed to change your world today!