Empty Tomb 2

 The more a person considers what Jesus said, the more convinced that He was not talking half truths. His message doesn’t sit well with those who want to ride the fence, or who add their own agenda to His message. Either I’m all in or I’m not. Either I’m fully committed, surrendering to Him in all aspects, or I’m living for something else. His radical message is for anyone and everyone, regardless of our human boundaries. 

“Few people seem to realize that the resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone to a worldview that provides the perspective to all of life.” - Josh McDowell

61 lessons

 61 life lessons I wish I knew years ago:

   

1 lost money can be found; lost time is lost forever 

2 to learn, unlearn, relearn and then change yourself is a superpower  

3 you are not your job 

4 networking is about giving 

5 the best teacher is your last mistake 

6 good manners is as important as good education 

7 do not take your good health for granted 

8 be a better friend and value relationships  

9 if you are waiting for a title to lead, you are not ready to lead 

10 a work sponsor is more important than a mentor 

11 a good story is data with a soul  

12 stop worrying about what others think of you 

13 if you want an easier life, work on harder problems 

14 best teachers are life long students 

15 imposter syndrome is real, and a good thing 

16 fight against a sense of entitlement 

17 half the battle is showing up 

18 love and cherish your parents by giving them your time 

19 success is not accidental 

20 the best views are there for those who love the climb 

21 lucky people work harder 

22 takers may end up with more, but givers sleep better at night 

23 memorizing is not learning 

24 it is okay to look back, just don’t stare 

25 knowing is not acting - I can > IQ

26 straight roads do not make great drivers 

27 good listeners hear the unsaid (listen with your eyes)

28 be the person that you want to follow 

29 do not limit your contribution to a job description 30 take care of your parents - the best gift that you can give yourself  

31 customer service is not a department 

32 in the long run, the optimists create the future  

33 never ruin an apology with excuses 

34 salary is for expenses. equity is wealth - do not rent your time. 

35 do not take a caring boss, joyful work or steady income for granted 

36 as you get older, you love your parents more 

37 challenge assumptions, starting with your own 

38 we learn more from disagreements 

39 best gift you can give yourself is quality time with parents 

40 the older you get the less you care about what others think of you 

41 be a good person but do not waste time trying to prove it  

42 be comfortable with saying ‘I don’t know’ - there are no experts of tomorrow  

43 being self-aware is a key to learning and growth; know yourself 

44 first, invest in yourself, then help others win 

45 if the answer is no, do not say maybe or yes  

46 Don’t just translate, write something new and original; write for yourself - writing improves your thinking 

47 It’s more important to do the right thing than to win an argument 

48 do not buy your children what you never had, teach them what you never knew  

49 begin with the end in mind 

50 to make progress on your to-do list, you must also keep a to-don’t list 

51 leave everything and everyone better than you found them  

52 be kind and polite to everyone

53 Here’s how luck finds you: 

—Work harder than expected  

—Stay teachable 

—Give without expecting a get 

—Read and write more 

—Show up on time 

—Focus on your customers 

—Develop good manners 

—Be humble 

—Be kind and generous 

—Surround yourself with smarter people

54 The bosses we remember: 

—provided us a safe space to grow 

—opened career doors 

—defended us when we needed it 

—recognized and rewarded us 

—developed us as leaders 

—inspired us to stretch higher 

—led by example 

—told us our work mattered 

—forgave us when we made mistakes  

55 The older you get, the more quiet you become. Life humbles you so deeply as you age. You realize how much nonsense you’ve wasted time on.

56 Hire based on high rate of learning and good judgment

57 straight lines do not make great drivers

58 stand in the middle of the road for too long and you may get hit from both sides - be decisive 

59 if you do not know the answer, it is okay to say 'I don't know, but I will find out'

60 do not follow or admire mean people - be the person that you would want to follow

61 the decisions you made 5-10 years ago shaped where you are today; decisions you make now will shape where you’ll be in 5-10 years

Bible 63

 Our culture seems to be ramping up political opinions as the main authority. But Americans tend to dislike submitting to an authority figure. Nicky’s insight into the humble but strong authority of Scripture and God as the ruler of the universe makes today’s political chatter seem trivial. The more we get a grasp of who God is in our lives, the more meaning and purpose we have for each day. The fact that God intervened in history as a perfect man, demonstrating how we should live, changes everything. Everything we do today should reflect His intervention. 

Who is Jesus

 

Jesus’ First Invitation: See Who I Am

ByDoug Holliday

Share:

“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.

John 1:39 NLT

‬‬““Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.”

John 1:46 NLT

Come and see.

A simple invitation.

Take a look. Check it out. Seek the truth. Seek out Jesus. See who He is.

Andrew, John, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael were following John the Baptist. What had he challenged them to do?

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:29 NLT

Look! The Lamb of God! Open your eyes. See Him. See the truth about Him. See who He is.

“As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!””

John 1:36 NLT

‬‬Look! The Lamb of God! See Him. Seek Him.

What was the truth that was revealed to them about Jesus, by both John the Baptist and Jesus Himself?

1. Jesus is the Lamb of God.

2. Jesus takes away sin (He’s the Savior).

3. Jesus is the Chosen One of God.

“I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God. ””

John 1:34 NLT

‬‬4. Jesus is Lord.

“John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’””

John 1:23 NLT

5. Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.

“Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ” ).”

John 1:41 NLT

6. Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy.

“Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.””

John 1:45 NLT

7. Jesus is a Rabbi.

8. Jesus is the Son of God.

9. Jesus is the King of Israel.

“Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!””

John 1:49 NLT

10. Jesus is the Son of Man.

“Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth. ””

John 1:51 NLT

The Apostle John begins his Gospel by declaring other truths about Jesus. I wonder if Jesus had revealed these truths to John and Andrew in their “Come and See” conversation that day?

1. Jesus is the Word.

2. Jesus is God.

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1:1 NLT

3. Jesus is Creator.

“God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.”

John 1:3 NLT

4. Jesus is the Light.

5. Jesus is the Life.

“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.”

John 1:4 NLT

6. Jesus is the God-man.

7. Jesus is Love.

8. Jesus is Faithful.

9. Jesus is Full of God’s Glory.

“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

John 1:14 NLT

10. Jesus is the Unique One, God’s One and Only Son.

“No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”

John 1:18 NLT

Wow! That’s at least twenty truths in John 1 revealed about the identity of Jesus for those who are willing to “Come and See!”

This blogpost originally appeared at: Jesus’ First Invitation: See Who I Am. – Sonlife and is based on Knowing Him / A 50 Day Study in the Life of Christ / Day 8

---

Resources

For further materials and training for discipleship, check out our new Disciple Making Culture 10 Minute E-Book

The hole in our heart

 We have a God shaped vacuum in our heart Eccl 3:11

Psalm 139

When the Bible says you were made in God’s image, it means you possess a desire to know and adore him and that he has gifted you with your personality, interests, and abilities to radiate his beauty in the world.

1 Cor 2:9

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.  --Isaiah 64:4

Soul is the essence of your being that brings together the beautiful mystery of who you are: your physical body, desires, thoughts, emotions, hopes, and passions. According to Dallas Willard, “The soul is that aspect of your whole being that correlates, integrates, and enlivens everything going on in the various dimensions of the self. It is the life-center of the human being.”5

Our truest self is screaming for air, desperate to break through the surface of a shallow, hurried life and breathe deeply of God himself. To exhale failure and inhale grace. To come alive again.

Flourishing - what is it 3 John 2

God’s purpose for your life isn’t necessarily to make you wealthy, give you a bigger house, or make you TikTok-famous. His dream is that you become someone who reflects the image and beauty of his Son. Sometimes you’ll hear people pray, “Make me like Jesus.” But don’t be surprised when the answer to that prayer resembles betrayal, pain, and crucifixion. The path to a resurrected, reborn self is forged in the shadow of the cross.

Romans 8:28

All things work for the good are gritty, raw, desperate words that speak to us with auspicious hope; despite every secret sorrow, tragedy, hostile person, stab in the back, unmet longing, season of grief, and disappointment, he desires to shape your soul to make you more Jesusy—forgiving, gracious, loving, contagious, joyful, and alive. As Jurgen Moltmann, one of the more astute theological minds of the last century, affirmed: “God weeps with us so that we may one day laugh with him.”13

Questions to ask

What would you do if you weren’t afraid

What crossroads are you at

If you does tonight what regrets would you have

What do you want to celebrate a year from now

How do you want to be different 5 years from now

Can you be yourself where you are at

When was a time you had to make a major change in your life

What has worked well in your life 

What are you most confident about

Which of your 5 senses is the strongest

How have you handled the times you have been most lonely

As you have aged, what has become clear to you 

Each person is a mystery and it takes questions to draw out the mystery. 

Isaiah 43:19

Behold, I am doing a new thing;

        now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

    I will make a way in the wilderness

        and rivers in the desert.

Proverbs 20:5

The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water,

        but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Loneliness leads to meanness

Peggy Noonan- people are proud of their bitterness

Victim hood turns into Villainy 

Root cause is a moral problem. Our symptoms of meanness, social media declining church attendance, political division racism 

The following is a quote from Oswald Chambers - I thought of you and your growth in Christ as I read it:

“All God's revelations are sealed to us until they are opened to us by obedience. You will never get them open by philosophy or thinking. Immediately you obey, a flash of light comes. Let God's truth work in you by soaking in it, not by worrying into it. Obey God in the thing He is at present showing you, and instantly the next thing is opened up. We read tomes on the work of the Holy Spirit when... five minutes of drastic obedience would make things clear as a sunbeam. We say, "I suppose I shall understand these things some day." You can understand them now: it is not study that does it, but obedience. The tiniest fragment of obedience, and heaven opens up and the profoundest truths of God are yours straight away. God will never reveal more truth about Himself till you obey what you know already. Beware of being wise and prudent.”

Davis Brooks - we perceive the world not as it is but as it is for us. 

David Powlison

“Contraconditional” love > "Unconditional" love

David Powlison:

---------

When you look closely, God’s love is very different from “unconditional positive regard,” the seedbed of contemporary notions of unconditional love.

God does not accept me just as I am;

He loves me despite how I am;

He loves me just as Jesus is;

He loves me enough to devote my life to renewing me in the image of Jesus.

This love is much, much, much better than unconditional! Perhaps we could call it “contraconditional” love.

Contrary to the conditions for knowing God’s blessing, He has blessed me because His Son fulfilled the conditions.

Contrary to my due, He loves me.

And now I can begin to change, not to earn love but because of love.

. . . You need something better than unconditional love.

You need the crown of thorns.

You need the touch of life to the dead son of the widow of Nain.

You need the promise to the repentant thief.

You need to know, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

You need forgiveness.

You need a Vinedresser, a Shepherd, a Father, a Savior.

You need to become like the one who loves you.

You need the better love of Jesus.

wtsbooks.com/products/gods-…

A Picnic in the Wilderness

 Michael Sprague

PICNIC IN THE WILDERNESS?

Isaiah 43:19

    [19] Behold, I am doing a new thing;

        now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

    I will make a way in the wilderness

        and rivers in the desert.

If you ever run into someone who claims to have mastered the Bible—run away from him or her as fast as you can. You can never hit its depths. I love stumbling on new truths and found a nugget of gold today. Psalm 78:19 asks, “Can God spread a table in the desert?” Can God? Can He provide a picnic in the wilderness? Yes, Yes and Amen!

I love going to Israel and seeing the people and the land and learning the ancient ways. I am learning to study the Bible through a middle eastern lens rather than just my Western lens. One difference between these two lenses is the way the Hebrews look at the “Wilderness”.  In their understanding, “Wilderness” is where God does some of His best work.

If you are curious about that concept, ponder the following examples:

1. Exodus- People prepared for 40 years for the Promised Land.

2. Burning Bush- Moses launched from the wilderness.

3. Mt. Carmel- Elijah ran to the wilderness and heard the small voice.

4. Jesus- After 40 days in wilderness he starts his public ministry.

5. Arabia- in this 3 year wilderness time, Saul becomes Paul.

In the “Wilderness”, we in the Western World often ask, “How much longer? and How can I get out of this and get out of it now?” In the Middle Eastern lens the question is, “God, what are you teaching me in my ‘Wilderness’”?” In tough times, I am learning to ask:

1. What do I need to lament?

2. What can I celebrate in the pain?

3. Who is God? What is He like?

4. What is God doing/forming in me?

We do not have to go looking for a “wilderness”. Sooner or later it comes to us. I was supposed to fly to Israel today. October 7 changed all that. Our team was going to spend a little time in the wilderness. In Israel, you often cannot go around the wilderness, you have to go through it. The same is true with the wildernesses of life. 

I ask you this today - Can God spread a table in the “wilderness”? Let’s remember the answer is YES!

The Living God is amazing.

Empty Tomb 1

 How can you and I take our celebration of the empty tomb seriously?  What difference will this Easter make in our hearts?  Will our reverence and awe of what happened make a difference in someone’s life?  How would our church gatherings be different if an awe fell upon our preparation?  How would our culture be different?  Let’s pray that the empty tomb will transform us in deep ways. 

“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that He said; if He didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what He said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like His teaching but whether or not He rose from the dead.” - Tim Keller