Posts Tagged ‘the gospel’

The Gospel and My Waistline

// August 11th, 2009 // 6 Comments » // Christian Living

fatIt’s always bothered me that some preachers can rant about the evils of smoking while they are obese because after the ranting sermon they belly up to the buffet at the Golden Corral.  They condemn the splinter in their neighbor’s eye but fail to see the double chocolate milkshake in their own.  I think there are lots of reasons for this, but one big one is that gluttony is one sin that is still off limits in the south.  You can talk about a lot of things, even sex.  Just don’t mess with my dinner plate.

This has to change.

I’ve struggled with gluttony for years.  I say it that way intentionally.  It’s not a weight problem.  It’s not that my Momma didn’t teach me how to eat.  It’s not that I was spanked when I was little (or wasn’t spanked).  It’s not that I don’t know how to eat healthy.  I’m fat because I’m a sinner that would rather eat until I’m in pain than worship Jesus.  Would I really eat like a pig if I was “walking in the Spirit”?  Galatians 5:16-17 tells me I wouldn’t.  This means that I have to tell God to take 5 while I pig out.  He can come back when I’m done and ready to repent.

The difficult thing about gluttony is that, with this particular sin, you wear its effects around your waist for everyone to see.

So I’ve decided to do something about it, and not the normal something.  You know what I mean.  The “something” where you get up the nerve to go to the gym and eat carrots for a day.  And then quit.

I’m taking a different tack this time.  I’m asking the question, “If the gospel is the power of God, then can I apply the gospel even to how I eat?  Can I find a way to worship Jesus with the way I eat?”  I’ve started a group in our church where we are exploring this idea.  Instead of recipe tips, the scale, weight, and self-image being at the center of what we are doing we will put God, His glory, worship and the gospel at the center.  We will be asking the Holy Spirit to so deeply convict us of our sin and so overwhelm us with His glory that we begin to worship Him with fork in hand.

We’ve been meeting now for 2 weeks and so far it’s been powerful, at least for me.  It’s a powerful thing when a small group of people decide to really take the mask off and tackle the big issues of living for Jesus.

I’ll keep you posted.

Islam Will Not Be Pacified

// April 15th, 2009 // No Comments » // Random Thoughts, Video

What Do You Think?  Are Westerners Still Naive? While I don’t think we should be suprised by these comments, I find it disturbing that (in my perception) most of my neighbors and certainly much of our political system seems to think that Islam just needs to be pacified, coddled, and sweet-talked.  Does this guy sound like he wants to cuddle to you?

From the video’s description: “this is not a Jihadists from Iran but a professor from Kuwait – a country with every reason to be grateful to the USA for liberating it from the tyranny of Saddam Husseins invasion.”

Link to video

Bring on the comments!

Enter the Story: The Gospel

// April 12th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Christian Living

Following a powerful 1.5 hours of inspiration, I wrote the following article.  I delivered this, word for word, this morning for our Easter service.  I’ve never delivered a message in this way before.  It’s always much more free-flowing and less “theatrical”.  I almost never write down the exact words that I will say, only a skeleton of notes and triggers for my memory to keep me on track.  However, when I sat down to construct my sermon this week, I got really inspired to write it word for word.

This is probably the longest post ever done on this blog, but I hope you will take a few moments to read it anyway.  It just sort of poured out of me all at once.

Today I’m going to tell you a story.  It is the greatest story ever told.  Maybe you have heard it before, maybe you haven’t.  Maybe you think you know this story, but you have only heard a poor retelling of it where the wonder and mystery of its storyline has been replaced with pragmatism, stiff religion, hypocrisy.  Or perhaps you have heard this story many, many times and you’ve allowed familiarity to breed contempt.

The story I am going to tell you this morning has been unfolding since before the dawn of time.  It is not only the centerpiece of mankind’s history, it is the driving force behind every event, every triumph, every defeat, every tragedy.  It is the impetus behind the rise and fall of every world leader and every nation on the planet.  It is the common thread that runs through every seemingly coincidental and serendipitous event in history.

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