A Lesson on Potting Soil

In Jesus's parable of the sower, we read about a farmer who desires to produce a great harvest by sowing many seeds across his land (Luke 8:1-15).  Unfortunately, we see that many of the seeds fall in places where the terrain is unfit for the seed to take root and flourish.  Some are scorched by the sun, others snatched up by birds or trampled by passersby, and still others are choked out by weeds (vs. 5-7).  It is the seeds that fall on the “good soil” that take root and are able to grow into a bountiful harvest.  Jesus reveals to us that “the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15).  Therefore, the all-important question is:  which soil are you planted in?  

“…true spiritual fruit comes from getting swept up in intimate, loving encounters with Jesus Christ.  His love is the soil in which all the fruits of the Spirit grow.  When our roots abide there, then joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control grow naturally in our hearts.”

I love this quote from page 13 of Pastor JD Greear’s book Gospel:  Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary – and I’m not just saying that because he’s my pastor at The Summit Church.  JD is a Spirit-filled teacher of the Word and I am so thankful for his leadership of our church and in our community.  In this quote, Pastor JD reminds us that we need to prayerfully examine the soil in which we find ourselves digging roots.  Think practically about this example.  If you plant yourself in the soil of bitterness, aren’t you going to bear bitter fruit?  Our roots will dig down in the bitter soil and draw up poison that will suck the life out of the plant.  It’s clear that any fruit produced will be poisoned – completely worthless and harmful for others.  Only by abiding in the love of Christ are we planted in His “good soil” full of beneficial nutrients, and from this soil we are enabled to bear the fruits of the Spirit as well as eternal fruit for God’s Kingdom!

As it is written in 1 Peter, “you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God… Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind” (1:23 and 2:1).  Examine your life.  Are you producing fruit that is not of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)?  

Is your life full of such things as malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander?  If so, you may be in one of two situations:

1) You may not be planted in the “good soil” of salvation freely given to us by the saving blood of Jesus Christ.  Whatever the case and circumstance might be for you, know that God desires that you would plant yourself in the life-giving soil of the gospel, which is the good news that Jesus Christ paid our sin-debt living the perfect life we could not live and dying the gruesome death we deserved to die.  Trust in His saving grace alone to be your nourishment and sustenance. (See Ephesians 2:1-10)

2) You may find yourself planted in the good soil but you are filling your life with sinful things that poison any fruit produced.  When we let our garden get over grown with sin, it is impossible to bear Spirit-filled fruit that comes naturally when we are abiding in Christ.  Prayerfully consider the root of your “bad fruit” and confess that sin to God.  Remember that there is nothing – no good works, no self-help books, no “to do” lists – that we can do to fix our own sin problem.  It is through Christ's work on the cross that God provided a way for us to abide with him in love and peace.  Trying to be more disciplined, watch less TV, listen to better music, gossip less, or plaster on a fake smile will only cause our hearts to run farther away from God and deeper into self-reliance.  We must abide in the love of Christ, resting in the knowledge that he has accomplished everything necessary for our salvation and there is nothing we can add to “tetelestai” - it is finished!

I am praying that you would find yourself planted in the only soil that gives abundant life, and that as you dig your roots deeper and deeper into the gospel of Jesus Christ, He would fill you with an inexpressible joy (1 Peter 1:8) and desire to know Him more.

Pray for India

Will you join me in praying for India today?

Video from Operation World India Prayercast

Make sure you check out my friends at Global Hope India as they engage the church around the world in order to empower the church in India for the advancement of the Gospel through church planting, village development, and child rescue.

Glorious Day

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”  - Thessalonians 4:16-17

Take a minute and let this soak in.  This is reality.  The day is coming!

I can only imagine what it will be like to see Jesus coming down from heaven with the trumpets sounding their  bold, victory cry.  In my mind I see glorious light shining all around as our Savior King returns to bring his children home.  Oh, to hear the voice of God calling the dead to awake and meet him in the sky (the sky!).  I can barely wrap my head around this scene as the living watch the once-dead rise from their graves stand with our Lord in the clouds and then, too, rise to join the heavenly multitude.  I just love the last line… “and so we will be with the Lord forever.”  What assurance, what hope, what joy!  As believers we wait expectantly in faith for this coming day, and what a glorious day it will be.  

“How Great Thou Art”

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,

And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Living Every Day On Purpose

After getting home from my trip to Central Asia, I’ve been listening to The Seven, a sermon series by Mark Driscoll, pastor at MarsHill Church in Seattle, Washington, which explores the reactions of seven early churches to Jesus Christ.  The ancient ruins of these early churches are found in and around the country that I recently visited in Central Asia, and it has been so much fun to listen to sermons based on that beautiful place (you even get to see video footage filmed on location!).  It also gives me such great, joyful hope that God is drawing the people of that country back to himself, that those living in the place where it all began might one day worship the Most High God! 

In the first message, “The Revelation of Jesus,” Pastor Mark teaches on Revelation 1:1-8.  He provides an overview of the life of John, Jesus’s close friend and author of Revelation, and the ways in which John’s life continually pointed to Jesus.  Near the end of his message, he speaks to the fact that we are all in full-time ministry, not just those who are paid.  His words really encouraged me and challenged my view of what I am to do with my life on a daily basis, particularly at work and in my neighborhood:

“…You’re in full-time ministry. When you go to work, you’re going to work for Jesus, representing the kingdom of God. When you go love, serve, give, care, you’re going as an ambassador of the King of kings. You are in full-time ministry. You’re a kingdom of priests. When you’re home raising your kids, you’re doing so as a priest—someone who belongs to God and represents his kingdom and serves his cause.

Everything we do is meaningful. Everything we do is sacred. Everything we do is worshipful. Everything we do is missional. Everything we do is ministry. All of life for Jesus is the work of a priest in a sacred place doing a divine task. That’s you. Don’t look at what you do as something less than full-time ministry. Some of us get paid; some of us don’t. All of us who belong to Jesus are on mission, in ministry with him as servants. How’s it going?”

Wow.  

I am in awe of how our amazing God calls us into service no matter where we are or what we are doing.  What a transformative mindset to understand that literally everything we do is for the glory of God and should be viewed as missional.  What great purpose that realization gives even the most mundane days!  We are where we are on purpose.  We are who we are on purpose.  We know who we know on purpose.  We live where we live on purpose.  We shop where we shop on purpose.  We get coffee where we get coffee on purpose…. and so forth.  Each moment of our life is given to use as a divine appointment for the sole purpose of making God famous throughout all the earth – that includes your next-door neighbor and the guy in the cubicle next to you.  Everything is on purpose. 

God is not a God of “let’s try this and see how this goes…” No – the God I serve is a God of purpose and of planning.  He is a God who spoke words into the darkness and created light.    He is a God who knows the number of hairs on my head.  He is a God who delights to call me beloved daughter.  He is a God who knows how fast a hummingbird’s wings beat and provides the nectar for its nourishment.  He is a God who dries our tears and gives us hearts that overflow with joy.  He is a God who carved the majestic mountains and filled the seas with life-sustaining water.  He is a God who reins, holy upon his heavenly throne, surrounded by angels worshipping at his feet.  He is a God who humbled himself, becoming fully man so that he could die a horrific death on the cross to pay my sin-debt.  He is a God who cherishes the off-key songs of praise I sing.  He is a God who longs to call each person his child.  He is a God who creates, loves, protects, cares, comforts, guides, cherishes, delights, sympathizes, and sustains. He is God. 

I urge you to make each day an act of worship.  Don’t get lost in the drudgery of your 9-5:00 job or in the length of your “to do” list or in the demands placed upon you by life. Rest in God. Enjoy God. Abide with God. Share God with those around you, wherever you are.  Recognize each moment as a divine appointment given to you directly from God, and I promise that you will naturally change your tone, the words you use, the things you think, the way you spend your time, and the way you view each moment.  You will naturally share about God’s goodness in your life and the salvation he so freely offers to all who call him Lord.  We’re on a mission for God’s glory, and there is no other job I would rather have.  

For more on this topic, see my January 2011 post, Job Offer.

Happy Friday!!

"Guess why I smile a lot.  Uh, cause it's worth it."

-Wisdom from Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Also, Marcel has his very own book! Check it out. 

The Boulder and the Toothpick

“If you place your faith on anything other than God it’s like placing a BOULDER on a TOOTHPICK.”

– Matt Papa, “Jesus: The Truer and Better Object of Faith,” the Summit Church, July 15, 2012

We all have faith in something that we believe will give us happiness, make us rich, make us smart, make us popular… that will save us.  Our faith has an enormous weight as we place hopes, dreams, fears, and desires upon the object of our affection. 

By way of illustration, let me provide a few examples.  A college student might place her faith in attending medical school, for surely that career path will provide a fat salary, which will of course lead to happiness.  Thinking that boys determine her value, a high school girl might put her faith in beauty, starving herself to achieve the “perfect” body that will finally attract the coveted attention of the cute boy in second period.  A mother might put her faith in raising perfect children, knowing that their behavior, abilities, and personalities are a reflection of her worth as a woman.  A career woman might put her faith in climbing the corporate ladder, dreaming of a bigger office and longer title that will prove her value as a professional.  The newlyweds might place their faith in the American Dream, buying new cars, purchasing a home over their budget, shopping for new gadgets and clothing, and taking extravagant vacations… only to find out that the American Dream is really the American Nightmare, which enslaves them to debt in the name of “bigger and better.”

You see where I’m going with this, right?  There is always something that is trying to capture your affections, something that promises to fulfill the desires of your heart.  And those desires tend to snowball out of control until we fall flat on our faces.  The things of this world can never, under any circumstances, sustain the sheer weight of your faith.  It will always let you down, failing to meet up to the expectations you set upon it.  You will never be fully satisfied in anything other than God.  He is the only one who can ultimately bear the weight of your faith, which was made perfect when Jesus Christ bore the weight of your cross, your sin, and your death on his shoulders.  Putting your faith in God means putting your faith in the One who can satisfy, who can bring joy, who can dry tears, who can provide, who can make you whole.  Rest in God and place the full weight of your faith on Him alone.  

The Zoo: An Update

Darcy still thinks he is good at hiding...

 He's also really excited to move into our new house! 

 Hobie taught Kale about the joys of a fan - you think he loves it??

Kale's hot and he knows it! #ElevateRDU

At the end of the day, our boys still love each other. 

What I'm Thinking About Today...

I have been reading In This Place by Kim L. Abernethy, and today at lunch this passage jumped off the page at me.  I've been pondering the wisdom she offers and thinking about its practical implications in my life.  I'd love to hear your comments and reflections!

"I believe that even in Christian ministry, without taking it to the extreme of being selfish, we must be protective of our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies. 'Broken and spilled out for love of you, Jesus' is part of a song that has incited controversy on the left and right side of Christian service. If we completely are broken and spilled out, then there is nothing else to give later on. While that may be a true statement, perhaps there are times when broken and spilled out is exactly what God has planned for our lives and He must be the one to do the refilling. That is the key; it must be God’s will for us to be broken and spilled out. On the contrary, the pouring out and used up should not come from neglecting ourselves. It reaches to Him to either put us back together for further use in His kingdom or take us into our eternal rest. That is entirely His call. There are no kudos for overwhelming our bodies and minds because it makes us feel better to do so.  On the other hand, if we are so protective of ourselves and what God has given us, how can we ever be effective to do the things that matter for eternity’s sake? We have example after example in the Bible of men and women who simply allowed God to use them–very small, seemingly insignificant people, to do very big, significant things for Him! The point needs to be made: a perpetually off-balance scale will wear out quickly just as an off-balance life and ministry will. Lesson learned: take time, take a break, and understand your limitations. And be honest with yourself about the needs that you feel are taking front row. Selfishness or genuine need? Only the Holy Spirit can separate the confusion between the two. If you follow His leading, you will be better off for it....and so will your ministry!"

So Much More to Come

This weekend, I had the privileged of hearing an incredible sermon on death and suffering by former Summit Church member, Trevor Atwood, who is now the lead planter and pastor of City Church in Murfreesboro, TN.   In the span of this short post, all I can do is tell you what an amazing, game-changing sermon this was and beg you to listen to it for yourself.

“If your trust is in the God that has overcome [death] in your place, then death and suffering are just the worst that can happen.  This is as close to hell as you will ever get.  But if your trust is in yourself or someone else to solve your problem of sin, and pain, and death – to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, to work hard enough, to be good enough – then death and suffering represent the foretaste of something much worse, and this is as close to Heaven as you will ever get… Trust Jesus, believe that He took your place when He died to give you life that you don’t deserve, and live like it’s true.” – Trevor Atwood 

How encouraging to think that this - this beautiful, crazy Earth - is as close to hell as I will ever get!  On one hand, the pain and suffering we experience because of sin's curse makes me long for the day when our tears will all be wiped away  by the tender, nail-scarred hand of Jesus (Revelation 21:4).  The day is coming!  And, on the other hand, experiencing the incredible beauty and joy of this world gives me a glimpse of the marvelous things to come when God calls me home - it's beyond what I can grasp.  What hope we have to know that there is more than what we see, feel, and experience on this Earth!  Oh to live in light of this truth everyday!

- - - - -

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” Revelation 5:9-13

Heavenly Citizenship

I hope y'all had a wonderful 4th of July!

As I celebrated America's birthday yesterday, I spent some time reflecting on nationality and citizenship.  I'm so very thankful for the freedoms, liberties, privileges, and many blessings that God has blessed me with as a woman living in America.  I've seen what it looks like to live in other countries where those treasures are scarce and hardship abounds, and I began to pray that God would make me a faithful steward of those gifts. I have been given so many opportunities to make God's name famous - oh, to share my blessings with others and not hoard them for myself!  In reflecting on my earthly nationality, I was reminded that my true citizenship lies in Heaven.  I am so thankful that God has given us fellowship with global believers that transcends time.  I am untied with my brothers and sisters in Christ no matter our geography, skin color, or heart language - we are one in Christ and together we will worship our King Jesus one day!

I'm reminded of this video from Passion 2012, Chris Tomlin's "How Great Is Our God."  Fun fact:  when this performance took place (both live in Georgia and streaming online), "how great is our God" was the #1 trending topic in the WORLD on Twitter. Yes, in the world.  So exciting to know that folks were worshiping all over the world at the same time!  This, to me, is truly a glimpse of what Heaven will be like.

Service: The Deliberate Love-Gift

We love because we have been deeply loved; 
therefore we serve because we have been greatly served. 

"Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. But strictly speaking, there is no call to that. Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God. Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest 

So, here's the big question:  have you signed up for ServeRDU 2012 yet?  This is a week of local outreach to serve our city, and there are many projects that need volunteers during the week of July 11-14th.  You can watch the promo video that has more information about ServeRDU by clicking here.

This is a great opportunity to invest in our community, serving in the name of Jesus out of the overflow of the love that He generously bestowed upon us.  Let this week of hope blossom into a relationship and on-going commitment to serve "the least of these" as we make God's name famous around RDU.  Join me!

UPDATE:  I just came across this Oswald Chambers quote and thought it might add a nice follow-up to my previous post:

"The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him." - My Utmost for His Highest, July 5th devotional 

Lessons from Katie

"We can live a full life wherever we are – even in the days that seem too small – when we live in communion with the Savior. We look up, praise on our lips, and as we worship Him for all He has done our hearts open wide to more. We wait, expectant, for all that He is doing, and this is it, this is life to the fullest." 

- Katie Davis, Amazima Ministries, "What We've Been Up To..." blog post 6/15/12

And, if you haven't read Kisses from Kaite, I'm not sure what you're waiting for... get to it!