Weekly Once-Over (12.12.2013):

The Anticipation of Restoration: Christmas has been hijacked. What was meant to be a celebration of God's rescue of this world has become a frantic few weeks of stress, tension, consumerism and for many, deep depression and hurt. Even for Christians, there is a disconnect between what we say Christmas is about and what our lives show it to be about. We need to remember the story of a normal night in a nothing town when everything changed, when the long-awaited, desperately needed King was born.

3 Tips for Sharing Jesus With Others This Christmas: Even as our culture drifts away from Christendom, Christmas is still the most likely time of the year for non-Christians to consider matters of faith. Here are a few tips to help you step out of your comfort zone and talk to non-Christians in your world about Jesus.

Everlasting Joy Is Coming: Where do we find the strength to go on when our weakness and sin seems to drag us down? Listen for some good news.

The Dude's Guide To Christmas: We all want Christmas to be special, just like a scene from a movie. We want snow to be falling on Christmas Eve and we want to wake up to a warm, cozy house overflowing with gifts. More than that, we want our families to feel loved and cared for. We want what Clark Griswold wanted: for our families to grow closer over Christmas. Some of us try to force the Christmas spirit on our families, like our boy Clark. Others of us secretly hate Christmas as evidenced by our lack of passion and planning for it. Many of us are in the middle. We want Christmas to be meaningful, but we aren’t quite sure how to make that happen. Perhaps these suggestions will help you as you try to be the true and better Clark Griswold.

What To Do When You Don't 'Feel' God: These seasons of darkness are not only common, but are necessary for our maturity as followers of Jesus.

Help The Family of Slain Teacher Ronnie Smith: Buy His Excellent Book: Last week, the evangelical world was rocked by the death of Ronnie Smith, formerly a teaching pastor at the Austin Stone Community Church, who moved with his family to Libya to teach at the International School of Benghazi. On Thursday morning, gunmen shot and killed him as he was jogging near the U.S. consulate...

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Although I never met Ronnie, although he was not famous, although we lived thousands of miles apart, he had a significant impact on my life and my faith, and I felt compelled to write a few words about him.  Back in 2010 I saw a video of a sermon preached by a young man from an Acts 29 church in Texas.  It was not your typical sermon, but was rather a series of 47 portions of scripture put together, memorized and recited before the church by a man named Ronnie Smith.  Something about watching this 28 minute video moved me deeply.  I saw in what Ronnie had done, something genuinely beautiful.  And when you experience something you believe to be genuinely beautiful, you cannot help but to share it with others.

And so, I committed myself to memorizing this work, which Ronnie called “The History of Redemption”.  I must have watched this video 50 or 60 times.  And I must have talked about it so much, that pastor Rob eventually asked me to write a weekly blog post on each of these 47 sections of scripture for our church.  And so, over the course of 2011, that is what I did.  I invested countless hours in reading, listening to, memorizing and writing, all catalyzed by what Ronnie had done.  He was a young man, about my age, and I knew nothing else about him, except that he was a faithful servant of Christ who was a part of a church in Texas.  

Last week, Ronnie was murdered in Benghazi, Libya.  He was living there with his wife and young son, and was working as a chemistry teacher at the international school, and he was shot dead while jogging.  I believe that God called Ronnie and his wife to move to Benghazi, one of the most violent and broken cities on this planet, because He (God) loves those people.  And Ronnie and his wife went because they had been filled with a hope that extends into eternity and they desired to share this hope with those who have no hope.  Although I never met Ronnie, and I still know very little about him, I am quite sure that he understood they very real possibility of facing death in a place such as this.  And still he went, to love and to serve the people of Libya and to love and serve his God and Savior.  Ronnie paid the ultimate price for his obedience to Christ, and I am confident that in the moments following his death, he heard the voice of God Himself gently whispering in his ear, “well done, good and faithful servant”.

Although today we are saddened and grieve the loss of Ronnie, his life was not wasted.  And today, be sure of this, that Ronnie is not sad.  

I praise God for Ronnie’s life.  His was a life lived with absolute direction and purpose for the glory of God.   And as we have brothers and sisters in our church preparing to move to the Middle East, motivated by the same love that motivated Ronnie, this is a painful reminder to me, to not only encourage them and support them and pray for their fruitfulness, but also to pray for their safety, to pray daily, to pray without ceasing.  It is also a reminder to me that ultimately our hope is not in the length of our days or what we accomplish, but in a God who can and will use our lives to bring glory to Himself.  For He can use all things for good for those who love him and are called according to His purpose.  Ronnie’s life was a testimony to his love for God, and now our prayer is that God would use his death as a catalyst for the forwarding of the Gospel and the hope to which we cling.  This is a worthy cause.  There is no greater cause.  

Below is the video of Ronnie preaching “The History of Redemption”:

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” - Psalm 116:15

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Weekly Once-Over (12.5.2013)

5 Reasons To Open Your Blinds: There is a small, seemingly insignificant way we as the family of God can start to be missional in our own communities. It starts with opening our blinds.

5 Tips for Business Men On Mission: I’ve owned three businesses in the last few years. I’ve also held a high level executive positions that have had me on the road on a very regular basis. I know from experience that it can be harder to live on mission in everyday life when you are in a different city or country every week on business. Or when you have to run to Costco in the middle of your missional community gathering to grab milk for your coffee shop because they ran out. I’d like to share a few things with you that were helpful to me when I was on the road and/or very busy at work. Remember, these only apply if you are not working too much or neglecting your relationship with Jesus and your family.

5 Things to Teach Your Children This Christmas: Take advantage of this time of year to teach your children about the Christ-child. Spend time in the word, showing them the promised Messiah and how that promise was fulfilled in the baby born in Bethlehem. Help them see that Jesus is the greatest gift they could ever receive and the greatest gift they could share with others.

The Beauty of Motherhood: Matt Bieler, creator of a killer RG3 Adidas commercial (“What Light Can Do”), just released a short (2:38) film on stay-at-home motherhood. It’s not didactic. It’s aesthetic and expressive. It’s breathtaking. The video fits this season perfectly. In celebrating the Incarnation, we also give thanks to God for Mary, the mother of Christ. Short films like this remind us of beautiful, how godlike, motherhood is. Thank you, Lord, for devoted moms, who sacrifice themselves day in and day out for their children. They are not highly valued by modern society; they are highly, highly valued in your kingdom. 

The Ivey Adoption Story: Aaron and Jamie Ivey are united with their adopted son, Amos, after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010. Follow their journey as they get the news that their son can finally come home.

Early Post of Weekly Once-Over (11.27.2013) - Have a save Thanksgiving

Thankful For The Gift or the Giver?: If the foundation of our thankfulness is that we get God, then you and I will give thanks always for everything, because we're always getting God. However, if the foundation of our thankfulness is the gift, and not the giver, then our gratitude will ebb and flow based on how much of our true treasure we are getting.

A Table Of Forgetful Remembrance: On some level, every gathering of family around a table is a shadow of this idea of remembrance, a time when we recall our collective history, making days like Thanksgiving ones we anticipate with a mix of joy and dread, depending on who will pull up a chair to the feast. Why? Because our collective history is often dotted with land mines—difficult personalities, past hurts, broken relationships.

Proud People Don't Give Thanks: Desiring God put together a 10 minute clip of a sermon by John Piper he did nearly 30 years ago. This is definitely worth listening to.

Giving Thanks In Hitler's Reich: The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. 

The First Thanksgiving: McKenzie concludes with the observation that, unlike the Pilgrims, we are too comfortable in this world. American Christians today rarely hunger for heaven. The Pilgrims, despite any of their faults, help us remember that we must “set [our] minds on things above” (Col. 3:2) and “lay up treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20).

Sabbath Rest and the Moral Limits of Consumption: Each year it seems like the Christmas season starts a little earlier. I'm not talking about the four weeks of Advent or the Christmas season that begins on December 24. The church calendar and the liturgical year remain the same. It is, rather, the Christmas shopping season that seems to be pushed forward bit by bit with each passing year.

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Advent, A Season of Joyful Longing

I know what your thinking. Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet and there is already a blog post about Advent. Well Advent starts this year on December 1st and we wanted to give you some extra time to prepare something during Advent with your family or even if your single. These resources are truly helpful to get ready for the upcoming Christmas Season. Dads, these resources are especially for you, this time of year is about making memories with your family, taking the lead and planning out something like this and what a great opportunity to start during Advent.

If you don't know what Advent, it is a season of adoring Jesus. It is a season of preparation for that special day when we mark Immanuel’s arrival — the coming of our eternal God in frail, human flesh. Advent is a way of lengthening the joy of Christmas. This wonderful season expresses our joy of Jesus' arrival and our desire for him to one day come again. Advent starts this year on December 1st and ends on December 25th so we are giving you a few days to prepare.

Below are a few helpful resources and devotional's for anyone who wants help getting ready for Advent.

Blogs and Devotionals 

An Advent Story: So, here’s the thing, forget everything you thought you knew about Advent candles and the local live nativity play and reading Luke 2 at your kids… Wait. Rewind. Don’t forget that stuff, it’s actually important, too. But it’s equally important that we engage with what scripture is saying about the meaning of Christ’s expectation and appearance to us. If we simply focus on the history of Christmas, we are inviting the same host of problems that attended the Pharisees—myopically pouring over dusty scrolls, refusing to see the living God right there in front of them.

Free Gospel-Centered Advent eBook: Advent is the season where we prepare our hearts for worshiping on Christmas Day as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. We have developed a printable ebook to help you lead your family in preparing for this special day.

How Will You Make This Advent Special?: We’re now only five days from Advent, which begins this Sunday, December 1. Just a few minutes of forethought today could go a long way in making this year special for your family, or spiritually significant for you personally.

Behold the Lamb of God: An Advent Narrative Book: Via Justin Taylor from The Gospel Coalition. "If you are looking for an Advent devotional this year, I would recommend Russ Ramsey’s new Behold the Lamb of God: An Advent Narrative (foreword by Andrew Peterson). Russ is a gifted writer and thinker, and he currently serves as a minister of preaching and pastoral care at Midtown Fellowship, a PCA church in downtown Nashville."

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Guest Blogger: Blog Written By Michael Finley 

Recently, Redeemer held our first Turkey Bowl. It was a fantastic and fun time hangin’ out, playing football, and eating too many hamburgers and hotdogs, for the purpose of meeting people who may not normally come to a church gathering. Everyone got to be on a team, and everyone got to play.

One of the awesome things about being a Christian is that when God saved you, he drafted you onto his team and put you into the game. Every believer is called to care, individually and corporately, for those around us by having an outward, missionary focus in our lives (Matt. 28:18-20). 

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Crossing Paths

The point of being missional is to be obedient to Jesus imperative "make disciples" and to see people meet Jesus. Recently, I was reading through the fifth chapter of Luke and noticed two things about mission. The first was from the healing of the paralytic (v. 17-26). In that situation men brought their friend to the place where Jesus was teaching in order to meet him and be healed. This example shows how as Christians we often invite people to interrupt their own life patterns and get into Jesus' path in order to meet Him and to be healed. For us today, an example of this approach may be inviting someone to church or a bible study. The person invited goes outside their regular path of life to come into an environment where Jesus is glorified and proclaimed. Many people have met Jesus this way.

However, it seems in this day and age where church-going is not as esteemed as it once was, this approach to mission is not as effective as it was fifty years ago. People do not necessarily believe that there is healing for their circumstances in a church. This is where the second example is so telling. After healing the paralytic Jesus went from there to the tax booth where Levi was working (v.27). Levi was not one to ever set foot into a religious meeting, he was a sinner of sinners and an outcast of his people. What is helpful when reading this is Jesus didn't wait for Levi to come to him but interjected himself into his path of life, revealing Levi's ultimate need for healing; his need for a savior.

As ambassadors for Christ and witnesses to his grace we can look at these passages and see Jesus' heart for sinners and his desire to save. We can also see two ways that people meet him: They get in his path or he gets in theirs. Today, God reveals his grace in numerous ways but more commonly he uses us, we as ambassadors bring people into Jesus' path or we bring Jesus into theirs.

Generally, Christians seem to have more difficulty telling people about Jesus than asking someone to go to church with them. Telling people about Jesus can seem intimidating and awkward, but it doesn't have to be. It's not like cold- clocking someone with the gospel, but rather engaging into their lives with them with gospel intentionality. This means spending time them, loving them, and helping them. All while waiting and trusting that God will provide an opportunity to share the good news of Christ.

Crossing Paths In Practical Ways

This all starts with meeting non-Christians. Entering into the paths of non-Christians seems to be a major barrier, but it shouldn't be. In no way extensive, I would like to share some very practical ways to make the initial step of crossing into their paths.

1. "Free Food" - this seems to be the universal invitation that few turn down. My family recently moved to Bellingham and decided to invite our new neighbors over for dinner. We told the neighborhood we are cooking some good food and not to bring anything except yourself. 30 people showed up, 26 who do not know Jesus. We have continued to do these dinners and from them we now have a Gospel Community Group and two Discipleship Groups. We did not have to be weird or force anything. Through natural conversations God gave us opportunities to talk about Jesus and Redeemer Church.
2. "The Meet Seats" - When you are out in public there are certain seats in public places such as coffee shops provide good opportunities to meet people. At a local coffee shop I frequent for studies, I purposely sit in one of four seats that awkwardly face each other. Almost every time I have sat at one of these seats I have met and engaged with someone new. Not so long ago the conversation naturally presented a significant opportunity to share Jesus.
3. "Pub Hubs" - Another spot I found to be a great meeting spot was local restaurants and pubs. In these establishments community is already being promoted by having big family style seating where strangers regularly sit together. The difficult part of engaging is removed.  So sit at one of these tables instead of by yourself. On a date recently with my wife, we met two sets of folks at a table like this and two of them, broke art students, are now planning on joining us for a dinner and game night. Like I said everyone likes free food especially broke artists.
4. "Party Like Levi" - When Jesus saved Levi, Levi threw a party and invited all his buddies who didn't know Jesus. The bible says he threw a great banquet. In other words, he didn't hold back; his party was off the hook! Good food, good drink, good tunes, I mean a good party. And why wouldn't he? He just met Jesus! There are many reasons we throw parties: birthday parties, graduation parties, candle parties, costume parties, and holiday parties. Those are all good reasons to party, but not as good knowing Jesus. There is no good reason why non-Christians shouldn't be invited to those with you. My wife and I use every party we throw as a way to meet people who don't know Jesus and cross our paths. It brings people together for a common reason, to celebrate, and into your life. We invite coworkers, neighbors, family, church family, and people we meet at coffee shops and restaurants. Sure they might say no but we have found more times than not, they say yes.

The translation for the great commission can be read "as you go, make disciples". This means as you go about doing life, entertainment, relaxation, shopping, or getting a cup of coffee remember you are on mission and an ambassador for a God who pursues and saves. Some may not accept an invitation to come to church but many will accept an invite to your dinner table.

 As you pursue others, remember You are not alone; Jesus is with you always. It's not awkward, it's loving. It's not weird, it's obedient. If you are willing God will provide opportunities for people in your life to respond to Jesus' call, "Follow me."

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