Our family went on a cruise during Christmas break. It was a first for Amy and the boys so there was a lot for them to experience. There’s the whole big boat thing. The being out in the middle of the ocean thing. The barrage of entertainment thing. And of course, the soaking up the rays on a Caribbean beach while it was freezing back home thing. But guess what Blake and Jeb’s favorite part of the entire cruise was? Yep! The food. And especially the dinner thing!

Our first evening at dinner, we were introduced to our wait staff and the menu was placed in front of us. Our waitress began by asking Blake and Jeb what they would have for an appetizer. They straightaway responded, “No, thank you.” Clearly, appetizers are not a usual part of our eating out experience unless it’s the free chips and hot sauce or the complimentary bread. So, the waitress had to explain to them that they could order as much food as they wanted. It was all inclusive and everything had already been paid for. Well, that’s all they needed to hear. By the end of the cruise, they were ordering 2 or 3 appetizers with each meal, steak and shrimp for every main course and on the last evening, the wait staff brought them two desserts without even asking!

That’s exactly what God wants for us in our prayer life. We often by-pass the appetizers, skimp on the main course and forego dessert. We tend to settle for a bologna sandwich when God wants us to feast on steak and shrimp! It’s all inclusive. Jesus paid for it all.  As the writer of Hebrews says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus”.  (Hebrews 10:19 – New Living Translation)

So, dig in. Take your prayer life deeper. Move on from the bologna sandwich. Put down the chips and salsa and enjoy the steak and shrimp!

 

 

 

 

 

Unless you’ve been married 73 years or more, Valentine’s Day will be a first today. The romantic holiday shares the day with Ash Wednesday – the start of the season of Lent, the 40-day period that leads to Easter.  It’s the first time the two have shared the same date since 1945. In another quirk this year, Easter also happens to share the date with April Fool’s Day. Go figure!

It’s quite an awkward pairing don’t you think? Valentine’s Day is all about romantic love, opulent dinners, decadent chocolates, beautiful flowers and mushy poetry. Ash Wednesday, on the other hand, insists on shameful repentance, remorseful prayer, pure simplicity, sacrificial fasting and the imposition of ashes.

The two actually have more in common than we might think. Valentine’s Day is all about love, but so is the beginning of Lent. Valentines Day’s is an opportunity to shower the one we love with gifts. Ash Wednesday is about remembering God’s sacrificial love for us. The only reason we are capable of showing any kind of love to one another is that Christ first showed love to us.

You see, our faith is nothing more than our longing for God, and His for us. But like any romance, it too has to be nurtured and nourished if it is to prosper and grow. And it’s what the faithful observance of Lent, with its prayer and fasting, helps us to do. Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day have a lot in common after all, for the goal of both is to renew our passion for the one we love.

So, have some ash with your chocolate today! Celebrate Valentine’s Day the way you always have. Do some crafts with your children. Buy flowers for your sweetheart. Send a box of chocolates to your mom. Then go to church and hear about a love that dwarfs any kind of love you’ve ever known. Receive the ashes and be reminded of how helpless you are without that love and how deeply you need it.

Here’s an idea: Show up at your favorite restaurant, get you name put on the wait list, come celebrate Ash Wednesday with us at Aldersgate, and by the time the service is over, your table will be ready!

Happy Valentines Ash Wednesday Day!

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been riding the bench.

Jeb injured his shoulder in practice before school even started. He had surgery and has been sidelined his entire freshmen year. He’s been riding the bench and Amy and I have been right there with him. Oh, we’ve showed up and watched his team play. But we haven’t had much investment in it. We’ve clapped, cheered and hoped for the best but haven’t been all-in.

Last week, Jeb got released to play and he moved from the sideline to the court. And Amy and I moved from the bench to the game as well. Watching his team play is no more a laidback experience but more like a nail-biting fest. Our investment in the game has soared like the stock market on a good day.

Watching Jeb’s team play while he was sitting on the bench and watching when he’s on the court are two very distinct experiences. What’s the difference? There’s skin in the game.

Life is a lot different when there is skin in the game.

Being part of the church is the same way. We can get really good at riding the bench. Just showing up and going through the motions. Or watching online while we clap, cheer and hope for the best without any real investment in the Body of Christ. But God calls us to so much more. He calls us to be all-in! To have some skin in the game.

I’ve been riding the bench. My experience with Jeb’s team has taught me that there are too many places where I need some skin in the game. Where I need to take the next step. Places I need to move deeper in my walk with Christ.

How about you? Have you been spending too much time on the bench? Where do you need to get some skin in the game? What’s the next step for you? Where do you need to go deeper?

Ryan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you watched a bodybuilding contest lately? Have you been a participant in a bodybuilding competition recently? Probably not. But surely, you’ve seen a bodybuilder or at least a picture of one. A scantily clad, oiled up, tanned figure showing off bulging biceps and thighs the size of tree trunks that make them look like comic book superheroes who can crush even the vilest of villains?

We tend to equate those with big muscles with being strong and powerful. But are they really? Do bodybuilders really use those things? New research has found that – at a cellular level – the large, defined muscles seen on bodybuilders don’t fare well against those of power athletes (such as weight lifters or sprinters) or even those who don’t train at all.

Christians can be like bodybuilders. All show and no power. We can flex our muscles, but have no power in our life. Paul tells us that Christ followers have the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20), that the kingdom of God is not about talk but about power (1 Corinthians 4:20) and that we can have the form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). If we profess to be Christ followers, yet live our lives without tapping into God’s power, we are merely imposters! All show and no power.

So how do we plug into the power that is available to us?

1. Ask

You don’t have because you don’t ask (James 4:2). Where do you need to tap into God’s power? Where do you need to see His strength at work? Ask for it!

2. Seek

Any appliance in your home needs to be plugged into the power outlet to work. If you want power, you must stay plugged into the source. Chase after God with everything you’ve got (Psalm 105:4). Spend time reading the Bible. Pray and listen for God to speak. Get connected to community through church and a small group. Seek God!

3. Give

If God answered everything you’ve been praying for today would it change anyone’s life but yours? There’s a principle that runs through Scripture: give away what you have and it will be given back to you (Luke 6:38). You can stand in the gap for others who need God’s power in their life. Ask God for it. Seek God on their behalf. Give it away!

So go ahead. Don’t just flex. Use the power that God had made available to you!

 

 

 

Has a song on the radio, in a store, or on your playlist recently caught you off guard and brought back a tidal wave of memories? You haven’t heard the song in years but you are suddenly overcome by flashbacks of people, places and strong emotions linked to a different time and place?

I’m an 80’s kid. If you missed it, I’m sorry because it was the best decade of music ever! Name almost any song from the 80’s and I can associate a memory with it.

Higher Love…a summer day spent at Texas Water Rampage

Welcome to the Jungle…dragging main (it’s a small-town thing)

I’ve Had the Time of my Life… “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

Never Say Goodbye…Junior Prom

Look Away…high school break-up

I Can’t Get Close Enough…high school connection (she’s now my wife!)

Blame it on the Rain…fake news…ha!

The connection that music has to people, seasons, and locations throughout our lifespan is a universal phenomenon. Imagine a playlist that can not only conjure up memories but bring hope to any situation or circumstance in life. It’s possible. Here are part of the lyrics:

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope…

Lamentations 3:21

When stuck in the hard times of life, the overwhelming circumstances, and hopeless situations play this soundtrack in your mind:

1. Call to mind previous hard times of life

Remember other times in your life that have been difficult seasons, trying circumstances and daunting situations.

2. Call to mind how God has been faithful during those times

Remember how God was present in those situations even though you couldn’t see it at the time. Looking back, realize how God was good to you during those times.

3. Call to mind how God has blessed you

Think about all the ways God has provided for you. Make a list of the things you have to be thankful for.

Put that playlist on repeat and see if it doesn’t bring you some hope!

 

 

 

Over the past few years, I’ve tried to move beyond the litany of New Year’s resolutions. Instead of making a list, I’ve asked God to give me one word for the upcoming year. One word that I can study. One word that will perk my ears every time it appears. One word that will lead me closer to Christ. Previous years’ words include present, power and abide. Each word has drawn me deeper into Scripture, closer to God, and helped me grow in my faith.

My word for 2018? RESTORE. I’m praying for a return of my health, a rebuilding of relationships, a reestablishment of promises, and a good reconditioning in several areas of my life.  In short, restoration. Can’t wait to see what God does!

I hope you’ve been listening for your word in 2018. Once you get it, here are some ways to incorporate your word into your daily life:

• Begin each day inviting God to speak to you about your one word.
• Post your one word in places you see often. A sticky note on your bathroom mirror or desk, your cell phone or computer background. Use each time you see it as a reminder to pray for transformation in your heart and life.
• Study your one word. Use an online tool like biblegateway.com to find how your word is used in the Bible. Discover how the Bible uses your word and what it reveals about it.
• Share your word with others and invite them to identify their one word. Pray for each other to grow in this area of your lives.
• Keep a journal and record the times you encounter your one word through interactions, conversations and readings.
• Share what you’re learning with others.

I’d love to know what your one word is for 2018. Snap a picture of your word on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and tag me or Aldersgate Church. My hope and prayer is that this upcoming year God will use your one word to make you more like Christ.

 

 

Welcome to 2018! The beginning of a new year provides an opportunity for reflection and goal setting. It’s a season to both look back and press forward. If you’re like most people, your January begins with a litany of shortcomings to be perfected commonly known as “New Year’s Resolutions.” All of which are typically off your radar by February.

Over the past few years, I’ve tried to move beyond this cycle. Instead of making the list of resolutions, I’ve asked God to give me one word for the upcoming year. One word that I can study. One word that will perk my ears every time it appears. One word that will lead me closer to Christ. Previous years’ words include power and abide. Each word has drawn me deeper into Scripture, closer to others, and helped me grow in my faith.

As I write this post, I’ve yet to hear clearly what my one word is for 2018. I could create a word or two but I want to make sure it’s not my word but God’s word for me. I’m not anxious about it. I know it will come in time. Probably when I’m least expecting it.

And this year, I’m inviting you to ask God for your one word. The word He wants to use to transform you and help you grow in Christ. May this one word awaken you to the work that God will be doing in and through you during the upcoming year.

Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
 It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?

Isaiah 43:18-19 (The Message)

 

Let’s venture back to a simpler time when telephones hung on the wall, encyclopedias took up space on book shelves and movies were rented from the local Blockbuster. Some of you have absolutely no idea what an encyclopedia is, have never been in a Blockbuster store and can’t imagine a phone that hung on the wall. But there was a time when you couldn’t download movies on your phone in an instant. It hung on the wall, remember? Instead you had to rent the movie from a video store such as Blockbuster.  It came on a Video-Home System (VHS) tape and was played on a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR). Each VHS tape would have a little sticker on it that reminded the user to rewind the tape prior to returning it to the store. The Blockbuster employee would scold you and even charge you extra on your next rental for not rewinding the VHS tape.

Now, let’s venture back to a time in more recent history – 2017. Now is an opportune time to do a year in review. So, please be kind and rewind.  If you journal or keep a diary, take the time to read back through your entries on the year. Browse through the pictures you have stored on your phone that no longer hangs on the wall. Pull up your calendar and scroll through the year’s events. Or spend some time mentally scrolling through the year’s experiences. What where the highs? The lows? What lessons were learned? What do you wish to repeat in 2018? What do you hope to avoid in 2018? Where did you see God at work in your life in 2017? How do you look for Him to continue that work in 2018?

…the God who started this great work in you will keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish… Philippians 1:6 (The Message)

Happy New Year!

We talk a lot about hope.

We hope the weather will be good for the big outdoor event we’ve planned. We hope our favorite team will win the Super Bowl—or at least make it to the big game! We hope we get just what we want for Christmas.

But for many of us, hope lacks a sense of certainty. It is more like a wish—something that we want to happen but have no way of knowing that it ultimately will. So, we keep our fingers crossed and “hope” that everything will go the way we want it to. The reality is that often life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped it would. It’s often disappointing. We get discouraged. We can live in despair. We lose hope. We become hopeless.

This was the world Jesus was born into. Isaiah writes that the light that was coming into the world came to a people shrouded in darkness (9:1-7). The people of God were under the oppressive rule of Rome. The nation of Israel was fracturing. The word of God had not been heard for four centuries. And a virgin birth was not a celebrated event in ancient Israel. The people were disappointed. They were living in despair. They had lost hope. Yet, into darkness, true Hope was born. John phrases it this way: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

Where do you need hope? Not a fingers-crossed wish that you harbor in your heart, but rather a confident, courageous optimism that is rooted in the certainty of God’s Word? Rejoice that Jesus came to give you something better than the disappointments of life on planet earth. You sing about it, so believe it!

The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder brinks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees

(O Holy Night)

 Pin your hopes on Jesus this Christmas – fall on your knees – you won’t be disappointed!

 

 

Love. Seems to be a bit elusive these days. Yes, even during the Christmas season. Irritated shoppers. Kid’s squawking in Santa’s lap. The office Scrooge. Heated family exchanges. Holiday traveling. Where’s the Christmas love?

The entire message of Christmas is that of love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son…” (John 3:16, emphasis mine). Christmas isn’t just about a cute little 8-pound, 6-ounce baby being born in a manger on a silent night in a little town of Bethlehem! Christmas reminds us of the Son of God, who for the love of you and I left his Father’s side to make a way for us to know and experience relationship with him. Christmas is a love story. A story of giving.

Are we reflecting that love story? Take some time this Christmas and ponder how you are sharing the Christmas love. Turn off all the noise. Sit in the quiet. Be still. Take some time to read the Bible. Pray. Think…

• Where can I give of my time? Where can I serve? Who needs me to volunteer? How can I help? Who do I need to sit with?
• Where can I give of my resources? Who do I need to give a gift to? Where do I need to be generous? How can I share of the blessings God has given to me?
• Where can I give of talent? Who needs what I can do? How can I help? Where can I lend a hand?
• Where can I give forgiveness? Where do I need to lay down my weapons? Who do I need to embrace? What do I need to surrender?
• Where can I give the message of Christmas? Who can I invite to church with me? Who can I share the story of St. Nicholas with? How can I share the Christmas story?

Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.                                                  2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (The Message)