Our Last Summer Gathering is this Wednesday at 7pm. If possible read Crazy Love chapter 10 before coming. We’ll bring it all together as we consider what the challenge has been and how we respond to this. We’ll also have hotdogs and grilled chicken and play a game of blind taste test with coke (soda pop).
This week we finish our summer study on Francis Chan’s Crazy Love. As it comes to an end my prayers have gone up for our students to live beyond concern for themselves. There is no doubt living in Johnson County conditions us to be about us where the gospel changes us to be about God first “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’” (Mark 12:30 ESV). And also to be about loving others. “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31 ESV).
And we know this and think, I certainly want to be the person who is sold out to Christ someday. Why not today, right where you are? I guess we have stuff to do, errands to be run, homework to be completed, movies to see and simply an overwhelming list of stuff that unfortunately has priority over the one that matters. I know this because everyday is a batter between my list of priorities (TV, Soccer, Bicycles, Reading News, Shopping, etc) and God’s list of priorities (love God, love others).
The quote at the top of this post comes from the last chapter of Crazy Love and kinda puts things into perspective on how we live a life that is all about the Glory of God. The question isn’t what should I do someday for the cause of the gospel, but what might I do today for glory of God? Dream big, but live out the gospel today and then wake up tomorrow and live for the glory of God again. I am praying for our families and our students and invite you to pray for Laura and I as we fight the good fight, as we pursue a life lived in the gospel of grace each and every day.
This morning I’m thinking about the resurrection. I’ve been studying the raising of Lazarus from the dead and how this points to the resurrection of Jesus after His death on the cross and then to the resurrection of all people. The saints alone to eternal life with God. What a great doctrine we learn from Scripture. Even greater yet will be the reality of that day. Above is a photo of Beckham with my grandmother who died shortly after that photo was taken.
When she was ill with pancreatic cancer I asked her questions of who Jesus is to her. I knew she had grown up in the church, I knew she was a faithful member of the United Methodist Church in town, but I wasn’t interested in where she had spent her time so much as where she had placed her faith.
Grandma knows Christ today better than any of you who are reading this and as I ponder the resurrection this morning I look forward to that day when we will meet again with unveiled understanding of Jesus Christ. When we will worship in eternity and whatever else that entails. In our family worship we have a day set aside to pray for family and friends and even Beckham prays for many of you to love God more than anything else. More than career, more than stuff, more than family, more than life itself.
Aristotle, the Greek Philosopher once said, “Death is a dreadful thing, for it is the end.” What a sad existence it is for those who remain apart from God through Christ. Sadder yet is Aristotle learning how wrong he was. I am thankful this morning for the grace to know the precious doctrine of the resurrection.
During our relay race we asked Ubuntu to record with the flip camera. I only discovered the results yesterday. He does some great documentary work explaining what is going on along the way from the perspective of someone who has no idea what is going on. Check it out.
Don’t forget we’ve got Summer Gathering for 9th – 12th grade Wednesday night at Redeemer’s Youth Room from 7 to 9 pm. Read Crazy Love chapter 9 before you arrive. We’ll play some basketball and eat fun frozen treats afterwards.
This Tuesday August 3rd Dessert & Bible is at the Hough home from 7:00 to 8:15 pm. Students going into 6th, 7th and 8th grade are invited for this time of study and fellowship. Our address is 14012 S Wyandotte Dr. Olathe, KS 66062. If you get lost give us a call at 913-439-9319. Bring your Bible.
