I had a moment yesterday...

You know what I'm talking about?

One of those moments.

One where you know it's coming and you can't help it.  You're just trying to move from okay to "Oh, PLEASE not the ugly cry.  PLEASE."

Yep.  I had one.

I'm sitting in the baptistry getting ready to lead the church in baptizing three precious girls and one precious lady.  Frank, our worship pastor, rolled out the Gospel music standard Because He Lives.  We do that song on occasion because he and a friend have a great little bridge that goes with it.

It was the verse that got me though.

And then one day, I'll cross that river.
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives...

I got to thinking about the people who were out there singing that.  The lady who was facing death-defying surgery the next day.  The person who got a bad report from the oncologist.  And on and on.

That was my moment.

It happened not because the song is that touching.  It's a smidgeon on the old side stylistically for me.  But the lyrics rang so true as I thought about the people singing it.  I sat down on the baptistry steps and wept.  And then tried to pull myself together so that Pastor Blubber Face wouldn't be the reason the girls' baptism was memorable.

This story doesn't really have a point.  It's just worth telling because God touched me.  And I love the church for that reason.  It's the place God touches people.  Amen.

Sermon Notes on Ephesians 6.17-24

Here are the sermon notes from Sunday, 9.15.13.  You can find these notes in PDF and the sermon audio at sermons.heritagepark.org.  You can also download the audio via our podcast on iTunes.

Ephesians

Part 27 – Praying for Words

Ephesians 6.17-24

What?  “Prayer”

It is by prayer that we wield the sword of the Spirit

If we pray without the Word, we are rudderless

If we don’t pray but have the Word, we are religious

When?  “At All Times”

If you’re going to wield the sword, you must be a person of prayer

Prayer is conversation, not recitation

Prayer is dialogue, not monologue

Prayer:  talking with God about mutual concerns

How? “Alert”

Stay Alert that there is a war going on around us

Stay Alert with Perseverance

It’s through perseverance in prayer that our sense of its importance is sharpened

Whom? “All the Saints”

Prayer is inherently relational

Paul asks for prayer that his ministry would be effective

Paul makes sure they pray in an informed way

Together we become people who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible

Snakes are Scary: Third Grade Goals

Did you ever dream of this in third grade?  I didn't either...

Today, Church looks like...

Cheesecake.

No kidding.  This is church for me today.  Mmmmmmm...

Here's why.

One of our friends and fellow Heritage Parkers brought down dinner tonight.  I had a full day and night of staff meeting, other meeting, sermon work, letter writing, and paper chasing.  I rushed home to a 5:30 basketball practice for the team my son is on and I'm coaching.  This is after the curveballs of yesterday and the insanity that is life with four kids under 10.

I'm not complaining.  I'm simply saying church looks like cheesecake.

Our friend rolled up to our house, dropped the stuff off, stayed to chat, and then left.  I came home to a yummy meal and just polished off some cheesecake with fruit topping - which of course makes it healthy.

And I'm grateful to be a part of a church family who loves people practically and without prompting.  It's just who they are.

Curveballs...

I don't know about you, but I don't like curveballs.  At the batting cage, I can hit the straight ball - even in the fastest cage.  But don't give me a curveball.  Whiff.

Reminds me of that big guy on Major League.

As in life too, the curveball that comes (because they always do) leave me reeling, back on my heels, bailing out, and all sorts of other phrases.  Whiff.

But the one thing it does do.  It does make me dependent.  It does drive me to prayer.  It does change my perspective on God's bigness and my smallness.  It does make me trust rather than try.

Sound familiar to you too?

Do you value the Word?

Our student pastor, Kyle Jackson, preached a great sermon yesterday on the last three elements of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 (as a PSA, find it at sermons.heritagepark.org).  One of the things he kept emphasizing was how important the sword of the Spirit is in the spiritual battle.  It's the only offense-oriented weapon in the list.  Everything else is defensive in nature.  And though they protect, they don't win the fight.  The fight is won by the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

So here's the question I've sat with since the sermon yesterday:  do I value the Word of God like a fighter would his sword?

The follow-up this morning is this:  if I do prize it, what do I do to possess it? to make it my own?  What more do I need to do or discipline myself to do to make sure that it stays in my hand, sharp and ready, and in the fight?

Something to think about this morning.

Snakes are Scary: Bus Ministry Pstr with Fam Issues (and many more)

There's a lot wrong with this poster.  

1.  Church = parents' break from kids.  

2.  Text-Speak on a Poster

3.  Diapered kids can't come to church (?)

I'll quit there...

Funny Ad

I don't have anything of particular import to say today.  But this is sure funny.  An ad for LG...

On (that) road again...

For all who haven't seen the Queen's Facebook posts yet, we're on a unique road again:  the road to overseas adoption.  There are tons of questions to be answered, so let me try to do so briefly.

We've always thought there was another little girl out there for us.  We weren't sure from where or when, but were confident in her existence.  The Queen being in China stirred that faith afresh, so we're entering into the process.  We're using the same agency, AWAA, through whom we adopted our little Peanut.  And no, we have no idea how long it will take but are trusting God for mountains to move.  So if you hear rocks cracking...

Heck, you can pray along with us in our Mountain Relocation Project.

Our kids are excited.  I'm not sure they know what they're in for, but who is?  When we first started talking about it, the Bear said, "Mom, why are we even praying about this?  Let's go!"  And that from the most cautious one of the clan.

We believe in adoption.  We believe in powerful moves of God.  We believe in poignant pictures of the Gospel.  So we're stepping in to see what all God will do.  Thanks for your prayers.

Home. That feels pretty good to say.

We're home after a whirlwind trip to the big town of Columbus, Texas.  Yes, we vacation in the middle of nowhere.  Actually, it wasn't truly vacation.  I was preaching at a conference for a ministry we, as a family, love to give back to as many times as we can - Pine Cove.

It was a great time.  Ministry was sweet.  Some new friends.  Some good conversations.  Some connections made.  Some good times.  All in all a great Labor Day weekend.  So take all of what I'm about to say with this in mind:  we'd go back tomorrow without even thinking about it.

But I'm glad to be home:  Bunk bed or my bed?  Tiny bathroom for the 6 of us or multiple bathrooms?  Of course, I want the creature comforts of home.  And if you think I'm complaining a bit about the other, I'm not.  Mine are First World Problems.  But my bed feels better than a camp bed.

Being gone reminds me of how much I like being home.  It's true when I travel and preach.  It's true when I travel for my doctoral classes.  It's even true when I vacation.  Being gone reminds me of how much I like being home.

And if you ever have a heartache for something that you know is not right, if you ever have had your breath taken away by the phone-call-from-hell, if you ever have run into the brick wall of relational bitterness when you're doing everything you can to make it right, you know what Home feels like.

Nothing's broken in Heaven.  Nothing grows when it's not supposed to or doesn't grow when it should.  No relationships are unreconciled.  The only breath being taken away is by beauty.

The fact that we all know what that's like is proof in and of itself that this world is not our home.  But we have a place that is, one that is open to everyone who trusts Jesus.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...