But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you. As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me– the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return.

2 Timothy 4:5-8

These are Paul’s words to his young compatriot Timothy – words of challenge and focus for the future and words also of victory, true victory of the soul in Jesus Christ.

We’ve talked a lot over the past 7 weeks about struggles in life – both temptations and trials that we must endure.  We’ve worked within the imagery of life as a race and eternity as a prize to be won.  But I’m here to share the greatest of hope today and it is this – we have already won.  We are victorious today in Jesus Christ.  Our eternity to come – the kingdom of God promised to us is already ours, and the beauty is that it is not some far distant reward but also a real and present reality of our life in Jesus Christ today.  When we take that step from selfishness to selflessness, from sinfulness to sinless-ness, from our own form of self-made righteousness bound to our actions, as though life were weighed on some cosmic scale that measures our good intentions against our not so good actions – when we turn away from this selfish ambition to be our own god and realize that our only hope is in the grace of Jesus Christ, a grace granted to us the moment we put our faith in, and act on that faith, – put our faith in the death of Jesus as the sacrifice for the sinful, selfish nature of our lives and the life received in His overcoming death on Easter morning – when we begin to live our lives not for ourselves but for God, we – have – victory. Continue reading →

Last week, I mentioned that our passage from Isaiah 40 was one of my favorites. Today, let me tell you the story of why –

I’ve mentioned before that my father passed away of cancer when I was 15. It was colon cancer and it was a lengthy fight that brought my dad, who was once a linebacker for a semi-pro football team, to a mere shell of a man – nothing more than skin and bones. In addition to the obvious physical deteriation, the cancer and the drugs to treat it took a strong mental toll, making him often very angry and sometimes violent. It was an anguishing time and one that was tough physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I had times of anger and doubt with God and often, though I went to church, I didn’t really feel a passion for worship. I did continue to go to church and to participate as I could in the student ministry. One side note to parents out there – encourage your kids to be involved in our children’s and student ministries, even if it seems at times you need to force them to go. I am the man of God I am today because of them and, if it were completely up to me, I may not have been as active when I needed Christ the most. Anyway, I remember one morning, I don’t really remember the full of the lesson, but I do remember us reading this scripture:

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31 Continue reading →

You gotta love family feuds, right? Poor Penny is caught up in a tough battle with her brother and her husband over just what to do to save the farm. Ever get into one of those, ahem… discussions with your family? Maybe over a prized heirloom or how to handle an aging parent or who should or should not be invited to a wedding? I’m sure no one HERE can relate. Surely none of US has been in a difficult family situation where the blood bond of family turns into a blood bath of an argument that pits brother against sister or parent against child. I mean I’VE never had any trouble with my family… had to make sure to say that in case any of them listen to the sermon on the internet later this week.

“This isn’t about the past.” Penny says near the end of the clip. “This is about life being ahead of you and you run for it. You never know how far you can go unless you run.” What a great, inspiring line! The uncertainty of the future, that thing that so often freezes us from action and turns us inward in life, that same uncertainty can be a wealth of blessing and excitement if we are just willing to run.

Isaiah had these inspiring words for those of us, all of us, facing the struggles of life: Continue reading →

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

1 Timothy 6:6-10

These were the words of Paul to his young protégé Timothy – a warning of the dangers that pursuit of gold and riches can destroy lives. It’s an important warning, not only for Timothy but for ourselves. Is money itself evil? No. Is the use of money evil? No. But allowing that desire for money to bring an opportunity to sin – that is the temptation that Paul warns about. And the end result of following that temptation is a life of ruin and destruction. Continue reading →