Quotes from www.watchword.org
“The men that will change the colleges and seminaries here represented are the men that will spend the most time alone with God…It takes time for the fires to burn. It takes time for God to draw near and for us to know that He is there. It takes time to assimilate His truth. You ask me, How much time? I do not know. I know it means time enough to forget time.” - John R. Mott
“The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning the world upside down. Our Master expects us to accomplish results, even if they bring opposition and conflict. Anything is better than compromise, apathy, and paralysis. God give to us an intense cry for the old-time power of the Gospel and the Holy Ghost!” -A. B. Simpson
“The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came...Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory.” - R. A. Torrey
“Oh, to realize that souls, precious, never dying souls, are perishing all around us, going out into the blackness of darkness and despair, eternally lost, and yet to feel no anguish, shed no tears, know no travail! How little we know of the compassion of Jesus!" - Oswald J. Smith
"When we get a glimpse of the worth of a soul, and begin to realize that we stand between lost men and Heaven or Hell, then we shall have real concern and the Lord will hear our prayers of intercession." - J. W. Mahood
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
In Christ Alone....
Ahh yes, my favorite song:
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
There in the ground His body lay
No guilt in life, no fear in death
I don't have to write another word. The song says it all. But, I do want to write some thoughts. I get so excited every time we sing this song because of the truths it communicates. In a moment I want to share about just the first few words and what they mean to me, but first I must climb up on my soapbox and tell you guys what verse I think needs to be repeated every time we sing it and why.
I'm sure E Hughes is tired of me saying this, but I absolutely love verse 3. There is something about the progression of the verse that gives me the chills every time we sing it. It starts off a bit somber, talking about his body in the ground, light of the world by darkness slain. There almost seems like there needs to be a But at the beginning of the next sentence. I love buts. (No not butts, buts, the kind that you know that a complete change of thought is coming, kind of of like in Ephesians 2 where Paul was talking about us being dead in our sins, and then he says BUT God, being rich in mercy....anyways, i digress) Our faith, though, does hinge on the next two lines. Because, as Paul said somewhere in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ wasn't resurrected from the dead, we should be pitied among ALL men.
Can you feel the excitement build with the next couple words... Then BURSTING forth, in GLORIOUS day, UP FROM THE GRAVE HE ROSE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOOOO!!!!!!!! I'm pumped just writing this.... We have hope because Jesus paid the price and defeated death. Sins curse has lost its grip on me because he defeated death and rose again!!!! If death couldn't hold him down, and we are in Him, what will hold us down? Can we please sing the verse again?? I want that excitement again.... death had seemingly won, BUT then, BURSTING forth in GLORIOUS day...HE ROSE!!! HE ROSE AGAIN!!! and He STANDS IN VICTORY!!!!!! and because he's victorious, SINS CURSE HAS LOST ITS GRIP ON ME!!! Are you serious???? How utterly amazing is that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I am HIS and he is mine...BOUGHT with the precious blood of Christ!!!! the great thing about this verse is that its not about me!!! Its stating the facts about what Jesus did! HE rose, He stands victorious, because He's victorious sins curse and lost its grip on me, and finally because I am his and HE bought me with HIS blood, i am HIS!!!!
So that's my soapbox of why verse 3 is sooo rocking and why I think it needs to be mandatory that every time we sing this song verse 3 must be repeated and I think we should all get ruckus (as Keith would say) because wow, history hinged on Christs finished work on the cross. We can't separate Christs death from his resurrection. If Christ wasn't raised from the dead, we would have no hope because we wouldn't have a living savior, interceding for us on our behalf. We couldn't pray to someone who isn't glorified, standing before God complete. If Christ wasn't resurrected, our faith is no different than that of Islam and Buddhism. Jesus is the way because his life paid the penalty and opened the way through us by defeating death and cancelling the sin debt that was against us (sounds like something from Colossi ans 1 or 3).
So i wanted to write about the weight of the statement In Christ Alone... however, I think my excitement got the best of me in that post. I'll leave my musings about In Christ Alone to another post. I hope you are encouraged and excited about this song, because WOW, its powerful. ALL 4 verses are (even though 3 is my favorite!)
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save'
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Brought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
I don't have to write another word. The song says it all. But, I do want to write some thoughts. I get so excited every time we sing this song because of the truths it communicates. In a moment I want to share about just the first few words and what they mean to me, but first I must climb up on my soapbox and tell you guys what verse I think needs to be repeated every time we sing it and why.
I'm sure E Hughes is tired of me saying this, but I absolutely love verse 3. There is something about the progression of the verse that gives me the chills every time we sing it. It starts off a bit somber, talking about his body in the ground, light of the world by darkness slain. There almost seems like there needs to be a But at the beginning of the next sentence. I love buts. (No not butts, buts, the kind that you know that a complete change of thought is coming, kind of of like in Ephesians 2 where Paul was talking about us being dead in our sins, and then he says BUT God, being rich in mercy....anyways, i digress) Our faith, though, does hinge on the next two lines. Because, as Paul said somewhere in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ wasn't resurrected from the dead, we should be pitied among ALL men.
Can you feel the excitement build with the next couple words... Then BURSTING forth, in GLORIOUS day, UP FROM THE GRAVE HE ROSE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOOOO!!!!!!!! I'm pumped just writing this.... We have hope because Jesus paid the price and defeated death. Sins curse has lost its grip on me because he defeated death and rose again!!!! If death couldn't hold him down, and we are in Him, what will hold us down? Can we please sing the verse again?? I want that excitement again.... death had seemingly won, BUT then, BURSTING forth in GLORIOUS day...HE ROSE!!! HE ROSE AGAIN!!! and He STANDS IN VICTORY!!!!!! and because he's victorious, SINS CURSE HAS LOST ITS GRIP ON ME!!! Are you serious???? How utterly amazing is that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I am HIS and he is mine...BOUGHT with the precious blood of Christ!!!! the great thing about this verse is that its not about me!!! Its stating the facts about what Jesus did! HE rose, He stands victorious, because He's victorious sins curse and lost its grip on me, and finally because I am his and HE bought me with HIS blood, i am HIS!!!!
So that's my soapbox of why verse 3 is sooo rocking and why I think it needs to be mandatory that every time we sing this song verse 3 must be repeated and I think we should all get ruckus (as Keith would say) because wow, history hinged on Christs finished work on the cross. We can't separate Christs death from his resurrection. If Christ wasn't raised from the dead, we would have no hope because we wouldn't have a living savior, interceding for us on our behalf. We couldn't pray to someone who isn't glorified, standing before God complete. If Christ wasn't resurrected, our faith is no different than that of Islam and Buddhism. Jesus is the way because his life paid the penalty and opened the way through us by defeating death and cancelling the sin debt that was against us (sounds like something from Colossi ans 1 or 3).
So i wanted to write about the weight of the statement In Christ Alone... however, I think my excitement got the best of me in that post. I'll leave my musings about In Christ Alone to another post. I hope you are encouraged and excited about this song, because WOW, its powerful. ALL 4 verses are (even though 3 is my favorite!)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Seeking God and....
“When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself. The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the `and' lies our great woe. If we omit the `and', we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing.” AW Tozer "The Pursuit of God"
This past weekend I took a mini retreat to get away from every day life and seek the Lord on some issues in my life. I came expecting God to meet me in a powerful way. I left not feeling like my prayers had been answered. During worship this morning, however, I began to realize just how much God has showed me this weekend.
First was this quote by Tozer. After reading it, I became increasingly convicted by this statement. I had thought I was doing good since I had sold my motorcycle. I had kind of given myself a get of jail free card. But I soon realized just how much of 'and' I was seeking with God. It was things like God and comfort. God and being accepted by my friends. God and a new motorcycle. I realized this weekend, much to my chagrin, that I wasn't satisfied solely with God. My current lifestyle dictates I need God and television, and Internet, and a new bike, and acceptance from peers, etc. I was deeply disturbed by this revelation and just how much I had become friends with the world.
I encourage you to examine yourself in light of the opening statement. I pray that the Holy Spirit would illuminate any 'ands' in your life.
The second thing I was convicted by was this simple statement the Lord gave me: "If you do the things you've always done, you'll get what you've always got." I know this isn't earth shattering, and I'm sure its been said somewhere before, but its a very challenging and convicting statement. Here I was crying out to God for more of him this weekend and instead of the shekinah glory of God filling my room, I was left with a sense of God's nearness and his desire to meet me in my day to day life. The challenge to me was changing what I always do. If I want more of God, I can't continue to do the same things I have been doing and expect God to meet me more.
So where does that leave us? With a bunch of 'ands' and doing what you've always done. Hopefully you are encouraged. Not in your short comings, but in the knowledge of the fact that its God kindness that leads us to repentance. If God didn't want to draw near to us, he wouldn't reveal to us how we can draw closer to him.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Is what you are living for.....
A friend posed a question to me a while ago that I have been pondering this week, so I decided why not share it with my friends. He posed the question, "Is what are you living for worth dieing for?"
That is an earth shattering question. Not just because of the personal introspection that the question demands. Its earth shattering because of the paradigm it commands. As Christians, our worldview encourages us that this life isn't our home, that we were made for a higher purpose. The claims of Christianity demands a faith that is counter cultural to our society at hand. Immediate gratification is the theme of our culture, yet Christ tells us to store treasures in heaven. The media tells us to live it up now for there's no life after death. Christ promises eternal life with no more sickness, no more crying, no more pain, and oh yes, no more sin!!
Death can be morbid to dwell on, but encouraging to sometimes think about. I often wonder what it will be like to cease to exist on earth. How do people who don't know Christ have any hope?
I ask you this question again and i hope it encourages you to deeper faith in Christ: Is what you are living for worth dieing for? If the answer isn't Christ it isn't worth it.
That is an earth shattering question. Not just because of the personal introspection that the question demands. Its earth shattering because of the paradigm it commands. As Christians, our worldview encourages us that this life isn't our home, that we were made for a higher purpose. The claims of Christianity demands a faith that is counter cultural to our society at hand. Immediate gratification is the theme of our culture, yet Christ tells us to store treasures in heaven. The media tells us to live it up now for there's no life after death. Christ promises eternal life with no more sickness, no more crying, no more pain, and oh yes, no more sin!!
Death can be morbid to dwell on, but encouraging to sometimes think about. I often wonder what it will be like to cease to exist on earth. How do people who don't know Christ have any hope?
I ask you this question again and i hope it encourages you to deeper faith in Christ: Is what you are living for worth dieing for? If the answer isn't Christ it isn't worth it.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Jesus Loves You.... So what???
As I was walking up to the checkout lane at Walgreen's last Sunday, I felt the compassion of the Lord for the cashier. I wanted to say something to her, but I only had a brief window of opportunity. I felt my heart breaking for this girl as it seemed that she didn't know the Lord. The thoughts of eternal punishment ran through my head as I searched for the words to say that might bring her hope. The only words I could think of were "Jesus loves you."
Being way to analytical, i started breaking down the theological implications of this statement and its worthiness to encourage this person at this time. What would her response be if I were to say this? Does this statement clearly communicate the gospel to her? Does she understand the full weight of what that statement means?
Unfortunately, much to my chagrin, this conversation/debate in my head carried me to my car without saying word one to the cashier. I am a bit embarrassed to think that the only words i could think of to say to his girl was "Jesus loves you." As Christians, we are blown away by that statement because we understand from which we came. There was absolutely nothing lovable about us. But God, being rich in mercy, loved us, because he is love.
But what about to the nonbeliever who doesn't understand the doctrine of total depravity, or understand the wonder of the doctrine of the substituitionary atonement. Jesus loves me? So what? To one who doesn't understand the weight of their sin, or the eternal consequences of it, the statement of Jesus's love for them is rendered inconsequential.
What then can you say in those fleeting few moments that could change someones life? What will plant the seed that others might come behind and water it? What would point to the gospel of Jesus Christ as the best news a person could ever hear? Saying nothing is too heart wrenching, there must be something to say.... but what?
Being way to analytical, i started breaking down the theological implications of this statement and its worthiness to encourage this person at this time. What would her response be if I were to say this? Does this statement clearly communicate the gospel to her? Does she understand the full weight of what that statement means?
Unfortunately, much to my chagrin, this conversation/debate in my head carried me to my car without saying word one to the cashier. I am a bit embarrassed to think that the only words i could think of to say to his girl was "Jesus loves you." As Christians, we are blown away by that statement because we understand from which we came. There was absolutely nothing lovable about us. But God, being rich in mercy, loved us, because he is love.
But what about to the nonbeliever who doesn't understand the doctrine of total depravity, or understand the wonder of the doctrine of the substituitionary atonement. Jesus loves me? So what? To one who doesn't understand the weight of their sin, or the eternal consequences of it, the statement of Jesus's love for them is rendered inconsequential.
What then can you say in those fleeting few moments that could change someones life? What will plant the seed that others might come behind and water it? What would point to the gospel of Jesus Christ as the best news a person could ever hear? Saying nothing is too heart wrenching, there must be something to say.... but what?
Monday, October 29, 2007
From the mouth of a kid...
I had the opportunity this weekend to serve after a wedding by helping pick up chairs to clear the sanctuary. I don't share this story to boast about my sacrifice (because it wasn't really a sacrifice), instead I want to share with you what a kid said to me while serving.
As I was wheeling the chairs over to the side, the young man, approximately 11 years of age, came running up to me asking if he could help me. I admittedly was a bit skeptical because a lot of 11 year olds want to mess around more than help. I was soon pleasantly surprised as he ran ahead of me to a stack of chairs and leaned them forward so I could get the chair dolly underneath it. He would then follow me back and forth, eager to help in any little way he can. When we were almost finished, he looked up at me, and with a sincere heart he said, "I'm going to be doing this one day."
I was completely speecheless at the absoute selflessness of his desire to serve in such a small way. As I thought about that interaction more and more, I was challenged and convicted. Challenged because of this kids sincere desire to serve God. Convicted because what if he was with me throughout the week? Would he have the same desire to do the things I do? Would I want him to do the things that I do throughout the week?
What a simple statement, but what a profound impact. "I'm going to be doing this one day." What kind of example are you setting for the younger kids you interact with?
As I was wheeling the chairs over to the side, the young man, approximately 11 years of age, came running up to me asking if he could help me. I admittedly was a bit skeptical because a lot of 11 year olds want to mess around more than help. I was soon pleasantly surprised as he ran ahead of me to a stack of chairs and leaned them forward so I could get the chair dolly underneath it. He would then follow me back and forth, eager to help in any little way he can. When we were almost finished, he looked up at me, and with a sincere heart he said, "I'm going to be doing this one day."
I was completely speecheless at the absoute selflessness of his desire to serve in such a small way. As I thought about that interaction more and more, I was challenged and convicted. Challenged because of this kids sincere desire to serve God. Convicted because what if he was with me throughout the week? Would he have the same desire to do the things I do? Would I want him to do the things that I do throughout the week?
What a simple statement, but what a profound impact. "I'm going to be doing this one day." What kind of example are you setting for the younger kids you interact with?
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The World According to Butterbean
I'm sure you might be wondering about the title of this post. I write for a newsletter at work and the title of my article is "The World According to Butterbean." I thought I'd share the months article with you because I enjoyed writing it.
The cool fall breeze meanders through the trees as the vibrantly colored, yet dieing leaves float aimlessly to a resting spot dictated by gravity and the speed of the breeze. It’s almost as if Mother Nature is taking a collective sigh after the hustle and bustle of the spring and summer seasons. Though a season of change and expiration, fall offers many unique opportunities to slow down and appreciate the splendor of what we have been blessed with.
I often sense a longing in my heart for the days of fall. There is a majestic beauty to the fall season that words simply cannot begin to describe. Its almost as if the ‘dieing’ of the vegetation each year subconsciously forces us to slow down and be thankful for what we have. Fall is often synonymous with a retreat of some kind, for some its camping, hiking, hunting, or even fishing. Whatever the retreat, the motives are similar: get away from the busy day to do duties, take a collective sigh, reflect on all that’s occurred this year, give thanks for what you have been blessed with, and get ready for another year.
My challenge to you is simple: Mother nature seems to take some time to rest and reflect, so should you!
My challenge to you is simple: Mother nature seems to take some time to rest and reflect, so should you!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Commercials which caused Deep Thoughts...
Usually, when the commercials are on I'm running to the bathroom, kitchen, or some other part of the house to take care of a chore so that I might not feel as guilty watching TV (thats a whole other post in and of itself). However, tonight, as I was watching Sportscenter, I was, for some reason, strangely glued to the couch, watching in some kind of a catatonic state as I was unwinding from the day, when a commercial came on that for some reason caught my attention and brought me back to coherency.
It starts out with the actor talking about a 4 bedroom house, white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a family dog being the American Dream. He then goes on to qualify it by saying that's not the American Dream, the American Dream is that each one us gets to have our own dreams. This next line is the one that has captured my attention and intrigued me to write today. The actor went on to say "Its not about where your dreams may take you, but where you will take your dreams."
Ruminate on that statement with me for a moment. Its not about where your dreams take you, but where you take your dreams. What a powerful statement. It places the responsibility of fulfilling our dreams squarely on our shoulders. There's no wiggle room. There's no way to shrug off the load, it's squarely on there.
Now as Christians we know that the burden we carry is that for God's glory and his alone. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I don't believe, however, that this removes us of our drive and ambition to accomplish all that God has called us to do. Some may right away turn to God's sovereignty and that we must intently search for His will for our life like it is some great mystery which is difficult to find out what exactly might be his will. Proverbs 16 offers a beautiful window into the heart and will of God, though I'm very hesitant and would caution anyone from making dogmatic assertions from a couple statements in Proverbs. That being said, I do think we can draw some understanding from this text.
Proverbs 16:9 says "The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." I think its note worthy here to point out two things: first 'the heart of a man.' Webster, though not authoritative, offers a definition of heart that I believe applies to this verse. The 5th definition reads as follows: one's innermost character, feelings, or inclinations. It must be mentioned here that for one to accomplish all that God has for him to accomplish it presupposes a life lived dieing to ones self daily, and taking up his cross daily. A life lived with one foot in the world and one foot towards heaven is not the heart of this verse in my opinion. The beauty of this is that as a man, or woman (of course), seeks to know God better, his innermost, character, feelings, or inclinations will be shaped by God. Therefore a mans heart, or ambitions, will be that which God has given him. It would be wise to point out that this statement is made with a life being lived out in the context of a local church where accountability and discipline is a natural occurrence.
The second thing I want to bring up is the Lord directing our steps. Matthew Henry writes the following commentary on this verse: "If men make God's glory their end, and his will their rule, he will direct their steps by his Spirit and grace." This then brings up the ever mind boggling debate of God's Sovereignty and Mans Responsibility. Due to the weight of the subject, I'll leave the explanations to men much smarter than myself, like Charles Spurgeon. In a sermon entitled, "Sovereign Grace and Mans Responsibility", Mr. Spurgeon said the following:
It starts out with the actor talking about a 4 bedroom house, white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a family dog being the American Dream. He then goes on to qualify it by saying that's not the American Dream, the American Dream is that each one us gets to have our own dreams. This next line is the one that has captured my attention and intrigued me to write today. The actor went on to say "Its not about where your dreams may take you, but where you will take your dreams."
Ruminate on that statement with me for a moment. Its not about where your dreams take you, but where you take your dreams. What a powerful statement. It places the responsibility of fulfilling our dreams squarely on our shoulders. There's no wiggle room. There's no way to shrug off the load, it's squarely on there.
Now as Christians we know that the burden we carry is that for God's glory and his alone. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I don't believe, however, that this removes us of our drive and ambition to accomplish all that God has called us to do. Some may right away turn to God's sovereignty and that we must intently search for His will for our life like it is some great mystery which is difficult to find out what exactly might be his will. Proverbs 16 offers a beautiful window into the heart and will of God, though I'm very hesitant and would caution anyone from making dogmatic assertions from a couple statements in Proverbs. That being said, I do think we can draw some understanding from this text.
Proverbs 16:9 says "The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." I think its note worthy here to point out two things: first 'the heart of a man.' Webster, though not authoritative, offers a definition of heart that I believe applies to this verse. The 5th definition reads as follows: one's innermost character, feelings, or inclinations. It must be mentioned here that for one to accomplish all that God has for him to accomplish it presupposes a life lived dieing to ones self daily, and taking up his cross daily. A life lived with one foot in the world and one foot towards heaven is not the heart of this verse in my opinion. The beauty of this is that as a man, or woman (of course), seeks to know God better, his innermost, character, feelings, or inclinations will be shaped by God. Therefore a mans heart, or ambitions, will be that which God has given him. It would be wise to point out that this statement is made with a life being lived out in the context of a local church where accountability and discipline is a natural occurrence.
The second thing I want to bring up is the Lord directing our steps. Matthew Henry writes the following commentary on this verse: "If men make God's glory their end, and his will their rule, he will direct their steps by his Spirit and grace." This then brings up the ever mind boggling debate of God's Sovereignty and Mans Responsibility. Due to the weight of the subject, I'll leave the explanations to men much smarter than myself, like Charles Spurgeon. In a sermon entitled, "Sovereign Grace and Mans Responsibility", Mr. Spurgeon said the following:
"That God predestines, and that man is responsible, are two things that few can see. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory; but they are not. It is just the fault of our weak judgment. Two truths cannot be contradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in one place that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find in another place that man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is my folly that leads me to imagine that two truths can ever contradict each other. These two truths, I do not believe, can ever be welded into one upon any human anvil, but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel, that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring."
I will not pursue these two lines to the furthest tonight, but I do want to end with a challenge and hopefully motivational thought to all of us. As we draw nearer and nearer to God, I believe our hearts will grow with passion for His name and His renown (Isaiah 26:8, NIV). So whats the challenge? Hearken back with me to the commercial. Remember the thought provoking statement the actor made? "Its not where your dreams will take you, its where you will take your dreams." What do you find your dream to be as you draw nearer to God? What sparks in your heart? What ignites a passion in your heart that is not easily quenched? The dream that God gives you matters not on what the world says of it, but on what God says of it. Remember, God often uses the foolish things to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). So, I ask you, where will you take your dreams? God challenged me with a question 2 years ago that I have yet to shake which I will pose to you (and probably write more about later). "What will you be known for? The things you COULD have done, or the things you ACTUALLY did do?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Return to Me Testimony
Unplugged and ‘Return to Me’ are both familiar phrases to us as members of sovereign grace church during this time. My first impression of the titles of these series was ‘great, here we go again. Haven’t we heard this enough already.” Well, obviously I hadn’t, which is why I’m up here today, to share with you about why I needed to hear about being Unplugged and returning to him. I want to share with you three things today: a seemingly harmless passion, the mass exodus, and the returning to him.
First, lets start on April 1st of last year. How fitting that my story starts on April Fools Day. This day is significant because it was the day that I purchased my first motorcycle, a 2002 Honda Shadow VT750 ACE. It was an immaculate bike, everything you could hope for for your first bike. The chrome was shiny, the pipes were loud and the ride was smooth. I received many compliments on my bike. 4,000 miles and 3 months later I sold that bike to a friend at work and upgraded to a 2000 Honda GL1500 Valkyrie Interstate. This bike was amazing! I soon spent a lot of my time riding, washing, and thinking about how I could make my bike look better. Then, 7,000 miles and 5 months later, I would purchase my 2005 Honda GL1800 Goldwing, my dream bike. This bike had everything you could imagine on it. I was quickly enthralled. This new passion would take center stage after the mass exodus would occur.
What is this mass exodus I’m speaking off? Webster would define exodus as a mass departure. During the Valkyrie time period, also known as July through December of last year, there was a mass exodus of friends in my life. The first week of August proved to be one of the toughest times in my life since my brother had died. First there was the beloved Dr. Kahlib Fisher. He had taken a position at liberty university to pursue the calling God had on his life. It had only been recently that Kahlib and I became close. We experienced great times of Biblical fellowship and worship. To be around Kahlib was to experience the Lord in a joyful way. Kahlib was always quick to encourage me and challenge me with the word. His move to Liberty wouldn’t have hurt so bad if my roommate and best friend Isaiah hadn’t left the same week. Many of you got to know Isaiah pretty well. He is a man committed to Jesus Christ. He’s compassionate, loving, and very insightful and challenging. He lived with me for nearly 8 months. I didn’t know him before he moved in, but God quickly brought us together and man did we experience some great fellowship in the Lord. There were the spontaneous worship nights, the confession of sin, the encouraging from the word, and of course the random wrestling matches. God had given me an amazing gift in Isaiah. Unfortunately he was part of the mass exodus. Then, to put the icing on the cake, my best friend John Napier moved to Malibu to pursue the Lord’s calling on his life at law school. I don’t know how to describe how much John has meant to me. To help, I turn to Proverbs 18:24 that says, “a man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” John was/is a gift from God in my life. He is partly responsible for me even being here at SGC. I came here for a couple of months, but was discouraged by some of the things I saw here. John graciously pursued me and challenged me to stay and see if the Lord might use me to help change things. What followed was years of late night theological talks, spurring one another on to love and good deeds. There wasn’t a day that went by without us talking about the things of God in some way. The fact that he was right around the corner heavily influenced my decision to buy my first house. He was truly a friend that stuck closer to the brother. So to lose Kahlib, Isaiah and John in the same week was absolutely devastating to me. I remember weeping at night because my brothers, with whom I’d gone to battle with day in and day out, had all left to pursue God’s calling on their lives.
Remember the afore mentioned Honda Goldwing? My motorcycle would soon become my safe haven, my source of joy, the place where I spent most of my time and money. This seemingly harmless passion was slowly turning into an idol. I had taken a huge hit on the friend front and instead of finding solace in new relationships, I turned to my bike. There it was all about me, because it had to be. If it wasn’t all about me on the bike, I would have been killed. I would soon find myself riding my motorcycle 7 days a week. I quit tithing because I was spending too much money my bike. I was teaching Childrens Ministry still, but after mulling over James 3:1 that warns us that not many of should become teachers for those who teach will be judged with greater strictness. My life certainly didn’t stand up to a higher judgment. So I informed Eric of my decision and on April 22nd, taught my last children’s ministry class. I wouldn’t return to church until sometime in July. During that time period my heart grew harder and harder towards God, even though I was trying to convince myself that I was pulling away to gain perspective on my life. The truth was, I felt alone and hated it. My bike distracted me from reality. It was natural for me to put 400 – 600 miles on my bike in one weekend. Before I knew it, I had racked up 20,000 miles in just 8 months of riding! That’s nearly 32,000 since last April!
I finally returned to church for the start of the “Return to me” series, not realizing that God was directly speaking to me. It wasn’t until a care group meeting where I shared a verse from Jonah 2:8, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be there’s” that God began working on my heart. The funny thing was that I didn’t share that verse to describe my life, it was illustrating a point that Mr. Davis had made. On the drive home, my friend Wayne Crosby jokingly told me that my bike was an idol. I quickly refuted his statement and ignored the nagging at my heart. The next Sunday I skipped church to go ride my motorcycle. My good friend Dave rockey texted me, asking where I was at. Interestingly enough the book of Jonah was that Sundays book. Dave’s next text to me started to get my attention: “be careful, God got Jonah’s attention.” The unrest in my soul began. Jonah ended up in the belly of a whale. Here I was riding my motorcycle, running from God, who knows where I could have ended up.
The next care group meeting, I wrote down the question, “Why do I not want to sell my motorcycle?” My response: “Because my identity was wrapped up in it.” I went mentally silent; you could have heard a pin drop in my head. Identity is something I have been studying for years about who we are in Christ and now my first thought was my identity is my motorcycle! WOW! How gracious of God to reveal my sin in that moment. I knew what had to happen next. I confessed my sin to Wayne, Mr. Davis, and Eric Hughes and decided to sell my bike. Not that the bike was the problem, because it wasn’t. It was my heart. The idol wasn’t the bike, it was actually myself. I was doing what I wanted, when I wanted, and how I wanted. The bike just happened to be the object of my affections at that time.
“Why not keep the bike and stay accountable with someone?” Great question, I’m glad you asked. My whole family and all my ‘friends’ at work were completely against me selling my bike. I even had people that I thought were close friends turn on me after I sold my bike. But we all know that God often calls us to do things that don’t make sense to the world. You see, this past year was terrible for me. I had never felt so alone in a church in my life. Sure my motorcycle offered fleeting joy, but my soul longed for something more. To the world, my motorcycle offered me a source of joy, when in reality it was driving me further away from the people that love me the most. So when I decided to sell my bike, to the world, I was giving up something I loved for something less. Paul, in Philippians 3 addresses this very situation:
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
This verse is what I cling to when my heart longs to be on two wheels again. Though I still struggle with the thought of owning a bike, I can honestly stand before you today and say that nothing compares to knowing Christ. This last year, my joy was dependent on how many miles I was able to ride, or how good the ride was. Now, my joy is rooted in God, which in Psalms 16:11 we are told that in the presence of God is the fullness of joy, at HIS right hand are pleasures for ever more.
Friends, I shared with you about a seemingly harmless passion turned idol, a mass exodus of friends, and my return to him. Please listen to what I’m about to say. We need each other. We are called to be contributing members of the body of Christ. I hope that my story that I just shared is the last of its kind for the singles here at this Church. When my closest friends left what left with it was the daily encouragement and spurring one another on to good deeds. Hebrews 3:13 commands us to “exhort one another every day, as long as its called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Friends, encouragement doesn’t come natural for most people, so we must determine that we will encourage one another daily. Did you hear the promise that came along with that command? That ‘none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin!!!!!’ My story may have been different if I would have had a faithful friend point out the blind spots in my own heart. I stand before you all today, and I plead with you to make this a practice in your life. Not out of duty, but out of love, and out of recognition that this isn’t our home, that we are sojourners, strangers in a strange land. We have been promised an inheritance that will be not destroyed. With our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, let us run this race together, encouraging and uplifting each other along the way, that we may persevere to the end.
First, lets start on April 1st of last year. How fitting that my story starts on April Fools Day. This day is significant because it was the day that I purchased my first motorcycle, a 2002 Honda Shadow VT750 ACE. It was an immaculate bike, everything you could hope for for your first bike. The chrome was shiny, the pipes were loud and the ride was smooth. I received many compliments on my bike. 4,000 miles and 3 months later I sold that bike to a friend at work and upgraded to a 2000 Honda GL1500 Valkyrie Interstate. This bike was amazing! I soon spent a lot of my time riding, washing, and thinking about how I could make my bike look better. Then, 7,000 miles and 5 months later, I would purchase my 2005 Honda GL1800 Goldwing, my dream bike. This bike had everything you could imagine on it. I was quickly enthralled. This new passion would take center stage after the mass exodus would occur.
What is this mass exodus I’m speaking off? Webster would define exodus as a mass departure. During the Valkyrie time period, also known as July through December of last year, there was a mass exodus of friends in my life. The first week of August proved to be one of the toughest times in my life since my brother had died. First there was the beloved Dr. Kahlib Fisher. He had taken a position at liberty university to pursue the calling God had on his life. It had only been recently that Kahlib and I became close. We experienced great times of Biblical fellowship and worship. To be around Kahlib was to experience the Lord in a joyful way. Kahlib was always quick to encourage me and challenge me with the word. His move to Liberty wouldn’t have hurt so bad if my roommate and best friend Isaiah hadn’t left the same week. Many of you got to know Isaiah pretty well. He is a man committed to Jesus Christ. He’s compassionate, loving, and very insightful and challenging. He lived with me for nearly 8 months. I didn’t know him before he moved in, but God quickly brought us together and man did we experience some great fellowship in the Lord. There were the spontaneous worship nights, the confession of sin, the encouraging from the word, and of course the random wrestling matches. God had given me an amazing gift in Isaiah. Unfortunately he was part of the mass exodus. Then, to put the icing on the cake, my best friend John Napier moved to Malibu to pursue the Lord’s calling on his life at law school. I don’t know how to describe how much John has meant to me. To help, I turn to Proverbs 18:24 that says, “a man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” John was/is a gift from God in my life. He is partly responsible for me even being here at SGC. I came here for a couple of months, but was discouraged by some of the things I saw here. John graciously pursued me and challenged me to stay and see if the Lord might use me to help change things. What followed was years of late night theological talks, spurring one another on to love and good deeds. There wasn’t a day that went by without us talking about the things of God in some way. The fact that he was right around the corner heavily influenced my decision to buy my first house. He was truly a friend that stuck closer to the brother. So to lose Kahlib, Isaiah and John in the same week was absolutely devastating to me. I remember weeping at night because my brothers, with whom I’d gone to battle with day in and day out, had all left to pursue God’s calling on their lives.
Remember the afore mentioned Honda Goldwing? My motorcycle would soon become my safe haven, my source of joy, the place where I spent most of my time and money. This seemingly harmless passion was slowly turning into an idol. I had taken a huge hit on the friend front and instead of finding solace in new relationships, I turned to my bike. There it was all about me, because it had to be. If it wasn’t all about me on the bike, I would have been killed. I would soon find myself riding my motorcycle 7 days a week. I quit tithing because I was spending too much money my bike. I was teaching Childrens Ministry still, but after mulling over James 3:1 that warns us that not many of should become teachers for those who teach will be judged with greater strictness. My life certainly didn’t stand up to a higher judgment. So I informed Eric of my decision and on April 22nd, taught my last children’s ministry class. I wouldn’t return to church until sometime in July. During that time period my heart grew harder and harder towards God, even though I was trying to convince myself that I was pulling away to gain perspective on my life. The truth was, I felt alone and hated it. My bike distracted me from reality. It was natural for me to put 400 – 600 miles on my bike in one weekend. Before I knew it, I had racked up 20,000 miles in just 8 months of riding! That’s nearly 32,000 since last April!
I finally returned to church for the start of the “Return to me” series, not realizing that God was directly speaking to me. It wasn’t until a care group meeting where I shared a verse from Jonah 2:8, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be there’s” that God began working on my heart. The funny thing was that I didn’t share that verse to describe my life, it was illustrating a point that Mr. Davis had made. On the drive home, my friend Wayne Crosby jokingly told me that my bike was an idol. I quickly refuted his statement and ignored the nagging at my heart. The next Sunday I skipped church to go ride my motorcycle. My good friend Dave rockey texted me, asking where I was at. Interestingly enough the book of Jonah was that Sundays book. Dave’s next text to me started to get my attention: “be careful, God got Jonah’s attention.” The unrest in my soul began. Jonah ended up in the belly of a whale. Here I was riding my motorcycle, running from God, who knows where I could have ended up.
The next care group meeting, I wrote down the question, “Why do I not want to sell my motorcycle?” My response: “Because my identity was wrapped up in it.” I went mentally silent; you could have heard a pin drop in my head. Identity is something I have been studying for years about who we are in Christ and now my first thought was my identity is my motorcycle! WOW! How gracious of God to reveal my sin in that moment. I knew what had to happen next. I confessed my sin to Wayne, Mr. Davis, and Eric Hughes and decided to sell my bike. Not that the bike was the problem, because it wasn’t. It was my heart. The idol wasn’t the bike, it was actually myself. I was doing what I wanted, when I wanted, and how I wanted. The bike just happened to be the object of my affections at that time.
“Why not keep the bike and stay accountable with someone?” Great question, I’m glad you asked. My whole family and all my ‘friends’ at work were completely against me selling my bike. I even had people that I thought were close friends turn on me after I sold my bike. But we all know that God often calls us to do things that don’t make sense to the world. You see, this past year was terrible for me. I had never felt so alone in a church in my life. Sure my motorcycle offered fleeting joy, but my soul longed for something more. To the world, my motorcycle offered me a source of joy, when in reality it was driving me further away from the people that love me the most. So when I decided to sell my bike, to the world, I was giving up something I loved for something less. Paul, in Philippians 3 addresses this very situation:
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
This verse is what I cling to when my heart longs to be on two wheels again. Though I still struggle with the thought of owning a bike, I can honestly stand before you today and say that nothing compares to knowing Christ. This last year, my joy was dependent on how many miles I was able to ride, or how good the ride was. Now, my joy is rooted in God, which in Psalms 16:11 we are told that in the presence of God is the fullness of joy, at HIS right hand are pleasures for ever more.
Friends, I shared with you about a seemingly harmless passion turned idol, a mass exodus of friends, and my return to him. Please listen to what I’m about to say. We need each other. We are called to be contributing members of the body of Christ. I hope that my story that I just shared is the last of its kind for the singles here at this Church. When my closest friends left what left with it was the daily encouragement and spurring one another on to good deeds. Hebrews 3:13 commands us to “exhort one another every day, as long as its called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Friends, encouragement doesn’t come natural for most people, so we must determine that we will encourage one another daily. Did you hear the promise that came along with that command? That ‘none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin!!!!!’ My story may have been different if I would have had a faithful friend point out the blind spots in my own heart. I stand before you all today, and I plead with you to make this a practice in your life. Not out of duty, but out of love, and out of recognition that this isn’t our home, that we are sojourners, strangers in a strange land. We have been promised an inheritance that will be not destroyed. With our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, let us run this race together, encouraging and uplifting each other along the way, that we may persevere to the end.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Run the Race with Perseverance
This is the video of Derek Redmond finishing his race despite pulling his hamstring. It still brings tears to my eyes.
WORTHY IS THE LAMB
All nations cry out
All of the people shout,
With one voice,
the saints sing.
As they join in the chorus,
Praise sounds from east to west.
Shouts of worthy…
Glory…
Honor and Praise
fills the skies.
The deafening roar grows more intense,
As worship of the Holy God goes on.
From eternity past,
to eternity future,
His name is worthy to be praised.
The roar is silenced with a wave of awe,
As the sacrificial lamb stands beside the throne.
His wounds still showing,
But his body not broken
The wounds send out an eternal declaration:
It is finished!!
The battle is over!
The victory is ours!
To sing of such a sweet salvation,
And be with him there
Shouts of worthy once again fill the air,
Another deafening roar…
Worthy is the Lamb
All of the people shout,
With one voice,
the saints sing.
As they join in the chorus,
Praise sounds from east to west.
Shouts of worthy…
Glory…
Honor and Praise
fills the skies.
The deafening roar grows more intense,
As worship of the Holy God goes on.
From eternity past,
to eternity future,
His name is worthy to be praised.
The roar is silenced with a wave of awe,
As the sacrificial lamb stands beside the throne.
His wounds still showing,
But his body not broken
The wounds send out an eternal declaration:
It is finished!!
The battle is over!
The victory is ours!
To sing of such a sweet salvation,
And be with him there
Shouts of worthy once again fill the air,
Another deafening roar…
Worthy is the Lamb
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Time
Tick… tock
Tick…tock
Seconds turn to minutes
Minutes to hours,
Hours to days,
Days to months,
Months to years,
Years to a lifetime.
And it’s all gone too quick.
Our life is like a vapor,
Here today,
but gone tomorrow.
Time goes by,
Never to return again.
You can’t stop it,
Buy it,
Return it,
Or redeem it.
You can only live it.
Yesterday will never return,
tomorrow will never be today.
All you have is right now.
Stuck in this endless cycle,
Wanting to get out.
Every day is the same:
Thinking about yesterday,
Looking forward to tomorrow,
Wondering what I should do today.
Tick… tock
Tick……tock
Tick………tock
Tick………….
The clock stops…
Eternity begins
Tick…tock
Seconds turn to minutes
Minutes to hours,
Hours to days,
Days to months,
Months to years,
Years to a lifetime.
And it’s all gone too quick.
Our life is like a vapor,
Here today,
but gone tomorrow.
Time goes by,
Never to return again.
You can’t stop it,
Buy it,
Return it,
Or redeem it.
You can only live it.
Yesterday will never return,
tomorrow will never be today.
All you have is right now.
Stuck in this endless cycle,
Wanting to get out.
Every day is the same:
Thinking about yesterday,
Looking forward to tomorrow,
Wondering what I should do today.
Tick… tock
Tick……tock
Tick………tock
Tick………….
The clock stops…
Eternity begins
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
A Race Well Run (a speech I gave last year)
As I share with you today about “A race well run,” I hope to inspire you to persevere no matter the odds that are against you. To do that, we are going to need to look at two things: A moment not soon forgotten in Sports History and the life of my brother, Gregory Dean Hannan.
THE MOMENT as described by ESPN
The stadium is packed with 65,000 fans, bracing themselves for one of sport's greatest and most exciting spectacles. The 400 meters. The race begins and Derek Redmond breaks from the pack and quickly seizes the lead. "Keep it up, keep it up," his father Jim says to himself, watching from the top the Olympic Stadium.
Down the backstretch, only 175 meters away from finishing, Redmond is a shoo-in to make the finals. Suddenly, he hears a pop in his right hamstring. He pulls up lame, as if he had been shot.
As the medical crew arrives with a stretcher, Redmond tells them, "No, there's no way I'm getting on that stretcher. I'm going to finish my race."
Then, in a moment that will live forever in the minds of millions, Redmond lifts himself to his feet, ever so slowly, and starts hobbling down the track. Suddenly, everyone realizes that Redmond isn't dropping out of the race by hobbling off to the side of the track. No, he is actually continuing on one leg. He's going to attempt to hobble his way to the finish line.
Slowly, the crowd, in total disbelief, rises and begins to roar. The roar gets louder and louder. One painful step at a time, each one a little slower and more painful than the one before, his face twisted with pain and tears, Redmond limps onward, and the crowd, many in tears, cheer him on.
Finally, with Derek refusing to surrender and painfully limping along the track, Jim reaches his son at the final curve, about 120 meters from the finish, and wraps his arm around his waist.
Together, arm in arm, father and son, with 65,000 people cheering, clapping and crying, finish the race, just as they vowed they would. Redmond heard the cheers, but he said "I wasn't doing it for the crowd. I was doing it for me. Whether people thought I was an idiot or a hero, I wanted to finish the race. I'm the one who has to live with it."
Derek Redmond ran his race well that day. Despite all odds being against him, he finished the race he started. He could have given up, and nobody would have blamed him. Instead, he pressed on towards the goal he had set before himself.
Each one of us is running our own race. The race of life. This race is different from the Olympic race though, because there is no defined finish line. Like the Olympians each of us has a different race to run: some may only run the 50 meter, some the 100 meter, still others the 400 meter and some may well run a marathon. No matter the length of the race, the important thing is that we finish well.
My brother, Gregory Dean Hannan, also ran his race well. Though it was a short race, 5 short years, he ran well, and finished even stronger. To better understand this race, some background information is required.
Greg was born on November 7, 1984, two months before his scheduled due date. Little is still known to this day about what exactly causes Cerebral Palsy even though it was first diagnosed in 1860 by a British Surgeon. Some possible causes are a shortage of air to the brain at birth, birth trauma, and premature birth. Greg was a preemie and it was thought that he had a shortage of air to the brain at birth. He would later be diagnosed with CP, specifically ‘spastic’ CP which deals with the motor skills. During his life, he wouldn’t be able to walk without the aid of braces. He also wouldn’t be able to form a whole word, let alone a complete sentence. His eating was limited to us spoon feeding him the food we had to grind up so he could swallow it.
Despite the odds being stacked against him, Greg was the most cheerful human being I have ever met. He couldn’t talk, but his eyes told the story. They spoke of courage, endurance, boldness, love and pure joy. To this day, I have never looked into someone’s eyes and felt the sincere love like I did from my brother. Like Derek Redmond the runner, Greg had every reason to give up. He had every reason to not be happy. After all, he was completely dependent on other people for the basics of life.
One of my fondest memories of my brother is when I would leave the house to go somewhere. Without fail, he would scoot himself over to the coat closet and pick out a coat for me to wear. I was too young to understand the magnitude of this action at the time, but looking back, I stand here amazed. Despite his less than desirable circumstances, he took his focus off of himself and instead shared his love with others.
There are two other memories I want to share with you that absolutely amaze me. My father, when he would tuck Greg in at night, would take his bear from him, saying “my bear.” Greg would take it back from him. This was a nightly ritual. Well, the night my brother would have his grandmal seizure, my dad was doing the game with the bear. Instead of Greg keeping the bear, that night, he gave it back to my father.
If that’s not amazing enough, just days before my brother passed away, my father was sitting in the hospital room with my brother. As my father sat there, Greg sat up, despite being hooked up to many machines and said to my dad, “thank you,” just as plain as I said it to you. Remember, he never really said an intelligible word his whole life. Once again, Greg would defy all odds. He finished his race well.
Why do I share these stories with you today? Is it because they are feel good stories? Is it simply to fulfill the requirements of this speech? Folks, as I look around the room, I see people who are more than just co-workers. No, I see friends and loved ones. Why do I share these stories with you today: To inspire you to persevere through life despite your circumstances. These two guys had everything stacked against them. Derek Redmond pulled a hamstring. You can’t possibly run with that injury. But he didn’t stop; he wouldn’t let this set him back. He pushed through. Greg couldn’t talk, couldn’t walk, and couldn’t really do much without the aid of someone. Yet he didn’t let any of that stop him. He loved people like no one I have met to this day. He had such an impact on people that at his Memorial Service there were over 500 people. It was standing room only. That doesn’t come from a life marked by giving up. It comes from the days when you hurt the most, but love others even more. It comes from pushing through personal pain to possibly bring joy to someone else.
What then does this mean to us here in this room? We probably won’t be on the Olympic stage like Derek Redmond and may not face the same challenges that Greg did. One thing that is for sure though, each one of us will be faced with trials. Whether it’s in your marriage, family, or workplace, we will all be presented with the opportunity to make a decision: to give up and quit, or press on despite the odds not being in our favor. I charge you next time you are faced with that situation to think of Derek and my brother Greg. They didn’t give up, they pushed through. Let their stories inspire you to run your race well.
THE MOMENT as described by ESPN
The stadium is packed with 65,000 fans, bracing themselves for one of sport's greatest and most exciting spectacles. The 400 meters. The race begins and Derek Redmond breaks from the pack and quickly seizes the lead. "Keep it up, keep it up," his father Jim says to himself, watching from the top the Olympic Stadium.
Down the backstretch, only 175 meters away from finishing, Redmond is a shoo-in to make the finals. Suddenly, he hears a pop in his right hamstring. He pulls up lame, as if he had been shot.
As the medical crew arrives with a stretcher, Redmond tells them, "No, there's no way I'm getting on that stretcher. I'm going to finish my race."
Then, in a moment that will live forever in the minds of millions, Redmond lifts himself to his feet, ever so slowly, and starts hobbling down the track. Suddenly, everyone realizes that Redmond isn't dropping out of the race by hobbling off to the side of the track. No, he is actually continuing on one leg. He's going to attempt to hobble his way to the finish line.
Slowly, the crowd, in total disbelief, rises and begins to roar. The roar gets louder and louder. One painful step at a time, each one a little slower and more painful than the one before, his face twisted with pain and tears, Redmond limps onward, and the crowd, many in tears, cheer him on.
Finally, with Derek refusing to surrender and painfully limping along the track, Jim reaches his son at the final curve, about 120 meters from the finish, and wraps his arm around his waist.
Together, arm in arm, father and son, with 65,000 people cheering, clapping and crying, finish the race, just as they vowed they would. Redmond heard the cheers, but he said "I wasn't doing it for the crowd. I was doing it for me. Whether people thought I was an idiot or a hero, I wanted to finish the race. I'm the one who has to live with it."
Derek Redmond ran his race well that day. Despite all odds being against him, he finished the race he started. He could have given up, and nobody would have blamed him. Instead, he pressed on towards the goal he had set before himself.
Each one of us is running our own race. The race of life. This race is different from the Olympic race though, because there is no defined finish line. Like the Olympians each of us has a different race to run: some may only run the 50 meter, some the 100 meter, still others the 400 meter and some may well run a marathon. No matter the length of the race, the important thing is that we finish well.
My brother, Gregory Dean Hannan, also ran his race well. Though it was a short race, 5 short years, he ran well, and finished even stronger. To better understand this race, some background information is required.
Greg was born on November 7, 1984, two months before his scheduled due date. Little is still known to this day about what exactly causes Cerebral Palsy even though it was first diagnosed in 1860 by a British Surgeon. Some possible causes are a shortage of air to the brain at birth, birth trauma, and premature birth. Greg was a preemie and it was thought that he had a shortage of air to the brain at birth. He would later be diagnosed with CP, specifically ‘spastic’ CP which deals with the motor skills. During his life, he wouldn’t be able to walk without the aid of braces. He also wouldn’t be able to form a whole word, let alone a complete sentence. His eating was limited to us spoon feeding him the food we had to grind up so he could swallow it.
Despite the odds being stacked against him, Greg was the most cheerful human being I have ever met. He couldn’t talk, but his eyes told the story. They spoke of courage, endurance, boldness, love and pure joy. To this day, I have never looked into someone’s eyes and felt the sincere love like I did from my brother. Like Derek Redmond the runner, Greg had every reason to give up. He had every reason to not be happy. After all, he was completely dependent on other people for the basics of life.
One of my fondest memories of my brother is when I would leave the house to go somewhere. Without fail, he would scoot himself over to the coat closet and pick out a coat for me to wear. I was too young to understand the magnitude of this action at the time, but looking back, I stand here amazed. Despite his less than desirable circumstances, he took his focus off of himself and instead shared his love with others.
There are two other memories I want to share with you that absolutely amaze me. My father, when he would tuck Greg in at night, would take his bear from him, saying “my bear.” Greg would take it back from him. This was a nightly ritual. Well, the night my brother would have his grandmal seizure, my dad was doing the game with the bear. Instead of Greg keeping the bear, that night, he gave it back to my father.
If that’s not amazing enough, just days before my brother passed away, my father was sitting in the hospital room with my brother. As my father sat there, Greg sat up, despite being hooked up to many machines and said to my dad, “thank you,” just as plain as I said it to you. Remember, he never really said an intelligible word his whole life. Once again, Greg would defy all odds. He finished his race well.
Why do I share these stories with you today? Is it because they are feel good stories? Is it simply to fulfill the requirements of this speech? Folks, as I look around the room, I see people who are more than just co-workers. No, I see friends and loved ones. Why do I share these stories with you today: To inspire you to persevere through life despite your circumstances. These two guys had everything stacked against them. Derek Redmond pulled a hamstring. You can’t possibly run with that injury. But he didn’t stop; he wouldn’t let this set him back. He pushed through. Greg couldn’t talk, couldn’t walk, and couldn’t really do much without the aid of someone. Yet he didn’t let any of that stop him. He loved people like no one I have met to this day. He had such an impact on people that at his Memorial Service there were over 500 people. It was standing room only. That doesn’t come from a life marked by giving up. It comes from the days when you hurt the most, but love others even more. It comes from pushing through personal pain to possibly bring joy to someone else.
What then does this mean to us here in this room? We probably won’t be on the Olympic stage like Derek Redmond and may not face the same challenges that Greg did. One thing that is for sure though, each one of us will be faced with trials. Whether it’s in your marriage, family, or workplace, we will all be presented with the opportunity to make a decision: to give up and quit, or press on despite the odds not being in our favor. I charge you next time you are faced with that situation to think of Derek and my brother Greg. They didn’t give up, they pushed through. Let their stories inspire you to run your race well.
"I wish it could..."
It’s a phenomenon. A break from the ordinary. An interruption in the daily process of life. It’s longed for all year, yet seemingly only savored for a couple fleeting moments. For a brief moment in time, we are given a glimpse of things that could be. Why is it that the Christmas season is so radically different from every other time of the year? How is it that during this time we can forgive offenses, at least temporarily, for the sake of family and friends? How do we put aside personal differences to come together and celebrate this joyous time of the year? Why can’t this last all year long? I wish it could…
Friends, today we are going to explore this very thought of Christmas lasting all year long. To do this, we will look at a couple things. The first thing we’ll do is reminisce about some of our Christmas memories. Then we’ll contrast Christmas to other times of the year. Finally, we are going to learn about the “kairos.”
As the alarm sounds, you groggily hit it, hoping it’s just a dream. After the 5th time of hitting the snooze button, you drag yourself out of bed, stumbling to the kitchen. Instead of sizzling bacon and simmering sausage, dad is reading the newspaper, gnawing on a piece of toast. You manage a groggy, somewhat intelligible ‘hello’ as you make your way for the coffee pot. Gotta have coffee… need coffee. The worries of the day aren’t far away, in fact, they intensify with every sip from the coffee cup. And oh yeah, that argument you had last night, starts to simmer as the caffeine hits your bloodstream.
Now flip the calendar a couple pages, and see what it looks like waking up on Christmas morning.
Let’s walk through the winter wonderland of your memories, as we explore the memories of Christmas past. When you think of Christmas, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? I want you all to do a favor for me: think back to some of your favorite Christmas’s. You suddenly awake and rush out of bed with more excitement than usual. You even got up before the alarm had a chance to wake you up. Can you feel the excitement as you make your way towards the kitchen? The aroma of sizzling bacon and simmering sausage hits your senses causing a wide smile to make its way across your face. Mmmmm… just like normal, dad is cooking a big meal. You make your way to the room with the Christmas tree to see the gifts hedging the tree. The perfectly wrapped presents lie in wait for the recipients to tear through the paper. Your thoughts quickly turn to the gifts that you bought for your family. I wonder if they’ll like it. I hope they do, I spent hours trying to figure out what to get them. I can’t wait to see the smile on their faces.
As your mind is filled with a myriad of thoughts, a Christmas carol begins to play in the background. Ahhh….isn’t that soothing. Something about the music just takes the cares of the world away. The stress at work seems miles away. The argument you had with your spouse or sibling seems like a distant memory. It doesn’t matter now. It’s Christmas. All those minor offenses are thrown by the wayside for the joy of the season. The emotions of bitterness and anger are replaced with joy and love. The only thing that matters now is enjoying the beauty of the day. It’ going to be a day of peace and tranquility like none other. I wish it could be Christmas all year long. I wish it could….
Remember what I said earlier? Christmas, it’s a phenomenon, a break from the ordinary, an interruption in the daily process of life. Why is that? Why is Christmas so radically different from the hustle and bustle of daily life? .
Do you see the stark difference between the two days? Why the big difference? Why is a morning in June so much different that a morning in December? I submit to you that it is because of your focus during that time. During Christmas, your joy is found in serving other people. You purposefully set your mind on pleasing other folks. Think about the regular morning in June which I’m sure we all can somewhat relate to. Your focus generally isn’t on other people. First it’s on waking up, whether it’s through the tasty Java, or my preferred measure of Coca Cola. Then, your focus generally shifts to what you need to get done that day at home and at work. You can’t be excited about the gifts you bought for your family, because you probably didn’t buy any because there wasn’t an occasion. The difference is our focus. For that short, ‘magical’ time, we intentionally shift our gaze from ourselves, to our loved ones. Don’t you wish it could be Christmas all year long?
I wish it could, and I think it can. To understand how we can accomplish this, I must teach you a new Greek word. Kairos, according to Wikipedia online, is a “passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved.” Let me repeat that. Kairos is a “passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved.” We have that passing instant this Christmas season, but we must take it by force if success will be achieved. If the difference between Christmas and other days is our focus, then let’s forcefully change what we focus on. I have three suggestions to make this possible.
1) Before you go to bed, leave a note for your spouse and/or siblings that tells them how much you love and appreciate them.
2) As you drink your morning coffee, instead of thinking about the worries of the day, think of one person at work that you can encourage or do something special for that day.
3) Use the same intentional focus and passion that you have at Christmas time to get a gift or do something special for someone for no particular rhyme or reason.
I truly wish it could be Christmas all year long. We’ve looked at the differences in a regular day, and how Christmas day goes. We even had a little Greek lesson where we found out the ‘Kairos’ is now, but we must take it by force. Friends, I truly believe the opportune time is now. We can change our families, cities, and world, but it must start with us. So I charge you: take it by force. Change your focus all year, so what we wish COULD be, CAN be all year long.
Friends, today we are going to explore this very thought of Christmas lasting all year long. To do this, we will look at a couple things. The first thing we’ll do is reminisce about some of our Christmas memories. Then we’ll contrast Christmas to other times of the year. Finally, we are going to learn about the “kairos.”
As the alarm sounds, you groggily hit it, hoping it’s just a dream. After the 5th time of hitting the snooze button, you drag yourself out of bed, stumbling to the kitchen. Instead of sizzling bacon and simmering sausage, dad is reading the newspaper, gnawing on a piece of toast. You manage a groggy, somewhat intelligible ‘hello’ as you make your way for the coffee pot. Gotta have coffee… need coffee. The worries of the day aren’t far away, in fact, they intensify with every sip from the coffee cup. And oh yeah, that argument you had last night, starts to simmer as the caffeine hits your bloodstream.
Now flip the calendar a couple pages, and see what it looks like waking up on Christmas morning.
Let’s walk through the winter wonderland of your memories, as we explore the memories of Christmas past. When you think of Christmas, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? I want you all to do a favor for me: think back to some of your favorite Christmas’s. You suddenly awake and rush out of bed with more excitement than usual. You even got up before the alarm had a chance to wake you up. Can you feel the excitement as you make your way towards the kitchen? The aroma of sizzling bacon and simmering sausage hits your senses causing a wide smile to make its way across your face. Mmmmm… just like normal, dad is cooking a big meal. You make your way to the room with the Christmas tree to see the gifts hedging the tree. The perfectly wrapped presents lie in wait for the recipients to tear through the paper. Your thoughts quickly turn to the gifts that you bought for your family. I wonder if they’ll like it. I hope they do, I spent hours trying to figure out what to get them. I can’t wait to see the smile on their faces.
As your mind is filled with a myriad of thoughts, a Christmas carol begins to play in the background. Ahhh….isn’t that soothing. Something about the music just takes the cares of the world away. The stress at work seems miles away. The argument you had with your spouse or sibling seems like a distant memory. It doesn’t matter now. It’s Christmas. All those minor offenses are thrown by the wayside for the joy of the season. The emotions of bitterness and anger are replaced with joy and love. The only thing that matters now is enjoying the beauty of the day. It’ going to be a day of peace and tranquility like none other. I wish it could be Christmas all year long. I wish it could….
Remember what I said earlier? Christmas, it’s a phenomenon, a break from the ordinary, an interruption in the daily process of life. Why is that? Why is Christmas so radically different from the hustle and bustle of daily life? .
Do you see the stark difference between the two days? Why the big difference? Why is a morning in June so much different that a morning in December? I submit to you that it is because of your focus during that time. During Christmas, your joy is found in serving other people. You purposefully set your mind on pleasing other folks. Think about the regular morning in June which I’m sure we all can somewhat relate to. Your focus generally isn’t on other people. First it’s on waking up, whether it’s through the tasty Java, or my preferred measure of Coca Cola. Then, your focus generally shifts to what you need to get done that day at home and at work. You can’t be excited about the gifts you bought for your family, because you probably didn’t buy any because there wasn’t an occasion. The difference is our focus. For that short, ‘magical’ time, we intentionally shift our gaze from ourselves, to our loved ones. Don’t you wish it could be Christmas all year long?
I wish it could, and I think it can. To understand how we can accomplish this, I must teach you a new Greek word. Kairos, according to Wikipedia online, is a “passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved.” Let me repeat that. Kairos is a “passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved.” We have that passing instant this Christmas season, but we must take it by force if success will be achieved. If the difference between Christmas and other days is our focus, then let’s forcefully change what we focus on. I have three suggestions to make this possible.
1) Before you go to bed, leave a note for your spouse and/or siblings that tells them how much you love and appreciate them.
2) As you drink your morning coffee, instead of thinking about the worries of the day, think of one person at work that you can encourage or do something special for that day.
3) Use the same intentional focus and passion that you have at Christmas time to get a gift or do something special for someone for no particular rhyme or reason.
I truly wish it could be Christmas all year long. We’ve looked at the differences in a regular day, and how Christmas day goes. We even had a little Greek lesson where we found out the ‘Kairos’ is now, but we must take it by force. Friends, I truly believe the opportune time is now. We can change our families, cities, and world, but it must start with us. So I charge you: take it by force. Change your focus all year, so what we wish COULD be, CAN be all year long.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Rubbish
"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
Philippians 3:7-11
Could Paul have said it any clearer? I'm not sure it could be stated any more emphatically without using expletives. Paul considered 'all things' rubbish in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ. What would that look like in todays society? What would Paul look like? What would his life consist of in the Western Hemisphere that we call America.
We must work to not filter 'all things' being rubbish through our preconditioned filters of western living. We can easily point to our cars, tv, internet, computers, golf clubs, etc and say yeah, I could count them as rubbish. But what about your money? What about your house? What about the very things that you couldn't imagine living without? What about the ease of living and security that comes with living in America? Paul emphatically states he counts it ALL as rubbish. There is absolutely no room for anything to pass through that filter, especially when juxtaposed to the knowing of Jesus Christ.
It is only when we truly experience God the father, son and Holy Spirit that we will be able to truly say with Paul that we can count it all as rubbish. Sure, you might be able to sustain that for a season apart from him, but that will soon give way. Only by dieing to our self daily and picking up his yoke will we able to stand with Paul and consider all things rubbish.
"Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalms 73:25-26
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