The Church

I am currently reading "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan. It is about how the church has been neglecting the Holy Spirit. It is a very challenging book. What I want to do for this post is put an excerpt from the book up. It is something that I think everybody needs to wrestle with an examine themselves to see how they are working in the body of Christ.

"Did God lead you to where you are? A lot of people in my church and in my travels tell me, "I believe that God has called me to Simi Valley." Or Wichita. Or New York. Or Greenville. Or wherever. That very well may be the case. But it could also be a cop-out because you like where you live. You have a good job. The school district  is safe and has high ratings. Your family lives close by ( or perhaps far away, depending on your relationship with them). It makes sense that you are "called to be there, right?


And maybe you are called to where you live. But if you say you are called to be in the place that you are, a few questions need to be considered. For example, how would you be missed if you left this place? What would change? Basically, what difference does your presence here make? Or, as my youth pastor once asked me, what would your church (and the worldwide church) look like if everyone was as committed as you are? If everyone gave and served and prayed exactly like you, would the church be healthy and empowered? Or would it be weak and listless?


My purpose in posing the questions is not to convince you to "go into the ministry." I'm not about recruiting pastors or missionaries. My purpose in these questions is to get you to take 1 Corinthians 12 seriously, to believe that you have been given a manifestation of the Spirit and that your church, the worldwide body of Christ, and the world are crippled without your involvement. I write this because I love the church and want you to trust that you are more than just real estate brokers, salesclerks, restaurant servers, baristas, teachers... etc, you are vital members of the body of Christ. Ask yourself, Do I believe the church needs me like a body needs a mouth?


It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But it's absolutely vital to grasp that He didn't call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace. His purposes are not random or arbitrary. If you are still alive on this planet, it's because He has something for you to do. He places us on this earth for purposes that He orchestrated long before we were born (Eph. 2:8-10). Do you believe you exist not for your own pleasure but to help people know the love of Jesus and to come fully alive in Him? If so, then that will shape how you live your life in the place where you are." - Excerpt from  Forgotten God by Francis Chan.


I see so many people come to church right before the service starts, sit through the service as if it were a show to watch, and then leave immediately afterwards. This is NOT how we should be viewing the church. We need to be active in the body. 1 Corinthians 12 25-27 "So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." I would encourage you to read all of 1 Corinthians 12 because it is about using spiritual gifts in the body. I pray that God will give me and others a greater love for the body of Christ.

 Do you believe the church needs you like a body needs a mouth?

The Fire

A friend showed me this video a few months ago and I thought it is worth sharing with everyone. I would like to hear some feedback with your thoughts on it.

Song of the Week

Week two of the Christmas song of the week. This week it goes to Casting Crowns.  Casting Crowns has been one of my favorite artists for years. Their songs inspire Christians to examine their faith and rise up to be the body of Christ.  I picked "While You Were Sleeping" as the song of the week. Here are the lyrics.



Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night




In 2 Peter 3:10-12 it says " But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming."  Let us live everyday looking forward to Christ's return. As Christmas is about two weeks away let us be reminded of His coming and look for His return. I pray that we will not be found "sleeping" when Christ returns. 

Song of the Week

It is the Christmas season so for this week's pick I wanted a Christmas song. I have heard many people over the last few weeks say how much they don't like Christmas music. I must admit that at times I get rather tired of hearing the "Classic" Christmas songs played over and over again. However, I never get tired of songs like "Silent Night" or "O Holy Night." The reason for this is that these songs have their focus on the true reason for Christmas. It is easy to get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas. I wanted a song that would focus directly on what that night meant over 2000 years ago. I picked "Christ is Come" by Big Daddy Weave. It is one of my favorite Christmas songs. As you read the lyrics be reminded of how amazing Christ's coming was.

The word of the prophets, centuries old
The birth of Messiah, has been long foretold
That unto you now unto you

Christ is come, let all creation sing
God's own Son, oh hail the newborn King
The word made flesh, now dwells among us 
Christ is come

Those born in darkness have seen a great light
The Redeemer of our hearts has been born this night
Now unto you unto you

Christ is come, let all creation sing
God's own Son, oh hail the newborn King
The word made flesh, now dwells among us 
Christ is come

Prince of Peace, Yeshua, Messiah, the Son of Man
Holy One, King of kings, Lord of lords, the Great I Am
Comforter, Counselor, Author and Finisher
Divine Truth Revealer, Deliverer, Healer
You are God, Jesus You are God

Christ is come, let all creation sing
God's own Son, oh hail the newborn King
The word made flesh, now dwells among us 
Christ is come
Christ is come




Christ is come!! Celebrate this Christmas season.

The Point of Your Life is to Point to Christ

At the beginning of the summer I read the book “Crazy love.” I was greatly challenged at the time and I saw ways that I needed to improve in my Christian walk. Over Thanksgiving break I reread the book, and I was able to see how I have grown since I first read it, and how far I still have to go.  One part of the book is called “Profile of the Lukewarm.” Francis Chan in that chapter describes behaviors of lukewarm Christians. These people are just trying to doing the bare minimum. If we really love God why aren’t we giving Him our all? Later on in the book there is a section called “Profile of the Obsessed.” As Christians we should be Christ obsessed in everything that we do. Not just on Sunday mornings or at a Bible study during the week, in EVERYTHING that we do. What I want to do for my next set of blogs is post one of the “Profiles of the Lukewarm” and one of the “Profiles of the Obsessed.” I pray that this will challenge you and me to shape our lives around God and give Him everything. Let us hold nothing back.

“Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church… as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?”

We all know that we should give. Many Christians give their 10 percent, and leave it at that. That is easy to do. Would you be willing, like the widow in Luke 21, to give your only remaining money to the Lord? Do you have enough faith to trust God completely in the area of finances?

“People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly, without censure.”

If we are obsessed then we will always look for ways to give. Everything we have is a gift from God and we are to use it for His glory. Francis Chan writes later in the book “God doesn’t call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through.” Stop worrying about having enough money to live on. God will always provide enough for us. It might not look like the comfy American dream, but it will be sufficient. A friend of mine recently said, “Give until it hurts.” Let that be our attitude every day, and especially as we approach the Christmas season. I want to challenge everyone to look for a way this month to give in a way that you normally don’t. Don’t let it be easy for you to do. Give until you have to give up something else. It may be hard to do, but I believe that it will draw us closer to God as we put our trust in Him. 

Thanksgiving.

In a few days millions of Americans will gather around a table for what we call “Thanksgiving.” The day is full of food, football, family, and friends.  Many families have the tradition of having everyone tell what they are thankful for. This is a great time to think back on the blessings that God has given us over the past year.  I know that God has blessed me greatly this year. I want to challenge everyone that when we say what we are thankful for at the dinner table, that we think about how we can use those blessings God has given us to bless others.  We live in a land of prosperity. The day after thanksgiving people get up at wee hours of the morning to go shopping. They stand for hours waiting for a store to open in hope of finding a great deal. Do we say one day that we are thankful that God provided enough for us this year, and then the next day go and spend a ton of money on more “toys” for us? We should be thankful for having enough to live on in this tough economy, but we should be looking for ways to give the money that we have. Are we thankful for our friends and families? Are we willing to give up more of our time to serve and be a blessing to them?  Are we genuinely thankful for what Christ did for us on the cross? Would we give up everything if He called us to do so? If we are really thankful for the blessings in our lives then the thankfulness will flow out into how we live our lives.  Be thankful, not just on Thursday, but every day of your life.  

Colossians 2:6-7

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Build one another up

I enjoyed having a guest writer so much, that I decided to ask another friend if she would write a post. She sent me back a post that is very good and practical. We all need to be reminded how much impact we can have with our words. Be challenged.

Words, they seem so innocent and harmless. Yet they are one of the most powerful things in this universe. They have the ability to tear down and to build up. There’s an old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This is anything but true. For some, words can be far more painful then physical abuse. Most people do not realize what kind of impact saying something hurtful can have. People may not remember exactly what you say to them, but they will always remember how it made them feel.

Ephesians 4: 29 says “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.” We as humans have the ability to control our words. We get to choose whether or not we want to use our tongues to be a blessing or a curse. You should be using your words to build people up and show them they are worth something. Even little things like, acknowledging people, calling them by their names, asking them how they are doing and really meaning it can make such a difference. Don’t be afraid to compliment people. It’s only awkward if you make it awkward. Think about how it makes you feel when you’re having a bad day and someone says something that shows you that they really care. Even something as simple as asking you if you are okay means so much.  The bible says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11  Now I’m not just talking about people you know. Acknowledge people wherever you go. At the checkout line in the grocery store, people you walk past on the sidewalk. Don’t be afraid to give a smile and a cheerful greeting. Who knows, you might just make their day.

There was a girl that I used to go shopping with all the time. She was more often then not very rude to the people who worked at the stores. If they were not meeting her every need she would get upset. When I confronted her about it, she told me “Well that’s what they’re paid for.” So many Christians think that way nowadays. This is not the right mindset. Our mindset should be, “ as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” ~ Luke 6:31 Even if the person is getting paid, it doesn’t give you an excuse to not treat them like Jesus. They are still people that Jesus loves and we need to love them too. So you decide, it’s your choice. Are you going to shine the light of Jesus with your tongue?

Naomi Joy Geiger

Song of the Week

Before a few months ago I didn't listen to much rap. The reason being that most rap is full of cuss words and immoral topics. However, Christian rap is on the rise with artists like Tedashii, Trip Lee, and Lecrae. After I became aware of these artists I started listening to some of their songs. I was amazed at how good the lyrics were.  This week's pick is "Send Me" by Lecrae. Even if you don't like this style of music I would ask that you still read through the lyrics. They convey a message that I believe many people in the American church need to hear.

Send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
lemme go lemme go!

i seen it with my own two,
there's no way i can show you
a perfectly poverty stricken people with no view.
And i bet you can't believe this,
they never heard of Jesus.
Heard young butler, lil wayne, and young jeezy.

No one's signing up to go on missions this summa.
Rather sit at home and watch exibit pimp in a humma
while a nine year old is shot down.
No one's screaming 'stop now!'
no bridge illustrations for criminals who on lock down.

People deep in africa
looking for an answer bra'.
In china man,
they're dieing man,
until they know who died for sins.
So look what grace did.
Not for us to stay here
inside our comfort zones
at home in mama's basement.

Get out on the grind y'all.
Ain't no better time doll.
I know y'all read the great commission.
Let me just remind y'all:
make disciples of the nations.
Teach'm to obey the Lord.
Have to lead someone to Christ before i face the Lord.

Send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
lemme go lemme go!

hey! After, 1,000 years in the west and the churches
get'n bigger daily without understand'n worship. (say what?)
Some regenerate but a lot ain't saved.
You walk outside and be surprised cuz the block ain't changed.
And the numbers they be get'n me.
Something just ain't hit'n them.
America ain't christian they practice'n the ritual.
That's why we should be mission though.
Hey, what you think i'm spit'n for?
The united states is die'n
and in the east is looking pitiful.

Some places if they catch you
they'll arrest you.
They'll serve you,
but they still need the word too.
The gospel should be heard too.
We claim we ain't ashamed,
but we ain't hit the block up.
Were in our christian bubble,
while our brotha's get'n locked up.
Lord i wanna stock up,
pack a bag and walk up
in a country where my faith may get me shot up
anywhere i go, whether my city or far abroad,
i just wanna show' Christ the risen holy God.

Send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
lemme go lemme go!

I know they're die'n in the streets over in the middle east.
Some kids sink in piece
others hold'n up a piece.
If the violence doesn't cease,
then at least the deceased
might know Jesus as their savior as their bodies hit the streets.
And i know this is a graphic view.
And i pray that it's attack'n you.
Track'n you to act and do
what you see in the back illusion.
Mathew twenty-four and fourteen.
We should read it twice
before we think that life is just a battle
see we free in Christ!
Look dawg! Life is more than church work and football!
What if you were dead and seen that Christians overlooked y'all!
This is why we leave the couch
and leave the comforts of our house
to show a die'n world a god they'll probably never read about.

The great commission says make disciples of all nations.
Have we even made them in our own nation?
Come on Christians!
Missions exist because worship doesn't.
People don't worship the god who made them.
We're ambassadors.
Let's go!

Send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
lemme go lemme go!


We only have so long on this earth. Are we using each day to further the kingdom of God? Are we just practicing a ritual? I pray that God would give us all the attitude of "Lemme go!" Instead of that attitude that I see in a lot of people who don't want to sacrifice their time and their money to spread the gospel.

 "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Mission exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever."

Song of the Week

I remember when I was kid singing the song "This little light of mine." The main theme of that song is letting our lights shine to the world no matter what. Just because it is a kid's song doesn't mean it's message isn't important.  Addison Road has taken the theme of that song and brought a brand new version of "This Little Light of Mine." Here are the lyrics.

There's a little flame inside a soul
Some shine bright
Some shine small
The rains will come
And the waters rise
But don't you ever lose your light

In this life you will know
Love and pain
Joy and sorrow
So when it hurts
When times get hard
Don't forget who's child you are

This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm Gonna let it shine
Gonna let it shine

May you live each day
With no regret
Make the most of every chance you get
And your eyes get wide
When you look at the stars
With the same sense of wonder as a child's heart

With the ones you love
Treasure the time
And for those who are gone
Keep the memories alive

Hold on to your dreams
Don't ever let go
There's a fire inside you
Burning with hope

This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
Gonna let it shine

There will be days when you wanna give up
When clouds settle in
But after the rain comes the sun
Don't you ever forget
Don't forget
Don't, don't forget

One day there will be no more pain
And we will finally see Jesus' face
So until then I'm gonna try
To brave the dark
And let my little light shine

This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
Gonna let it shine
There's a little light inside us all.

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.


Shine your light.

A letter

I saw this letter today that I think is worth reading. I do not know the writer personally, but I would like to meet him.  It is a great letter, and he makes many excellent points.

Dear young Christian fellows,
     There is something I feel that I need to take up with you. Let me start by saying that I am privileged to know a good number of you that continue to inspire me to follow Christ and serve those around me. I really am blessed to count myself among you. However, there is an issue I feel I should call out. Actually, there are several that should be called out. Please note that I am not writing this to claim that I am better than the rest of you, because that is certainly not the case, but I am writing this in hopes that some of you will take this to heart and be one step closer to being the men that God has called you to be.

     The first is that I have noticed a distinct lack of leadership and responsibility. I find this very troubling. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not exactly a heroic leader myself, but where in the world have the leaders gone? Apathy has taken hold of far too many of you. I tell you, if this country has fallen to secular humanism, it is not soley because of the fine-sounding arguments and indoctrination coming from academia, it is because the Christian men have been apathetic, or worse, compromising. I have heard far more than enough griping about the shape America is in, and I have seen far too little action. Let us do something.

     Men of God are called to be active in every area of life. This includes politics, community service, evangelism, ministry, school, work, and every other part. We are called to be Christ’s representatives every day, not just on ‘church days.’ Get up and do something. You are not too young. You are not too weak. You are not too stupid. You have no excuse. God can work through you. I contend that God is not glorified when you complain about the way the world is and do nothing about it. Stop waiting for other people to do things for you. I do not care to hear about the circumstances that you think exempt you from taking action. There are no exceptions.

     The next issue I’d like to rant about is that far too many of you ignore Paul’s command to treat “younger women as sisters, with all purity” (1 Timothy 5:2). In all honesty I am disgusted by the amount of objectification and flirtatiousness I have seen. This needs to stop. I have seen far too many of you that view young women as potential dates instead of daughters of God. This is a selfish mindset because it looks out for your own interests, instead of treating girls with the respect they deserve. Take an honest look at your intentions. When you are speaking to a girl are you secretly, or even subconsciously, trying to win her affections to make yourself feel good, or trying to win a date, or are you honestly seeking her own benefit, encouragement, and edification?

     I tell you, God is not honoured when you try to win the hearts of his daughters as sport. If that is your goal, you are not only acting selfish, but also insecure and cowardly. If you feel the need to find your self-worth in the number of girls that like you; that is because you do not understand that God has called you to be a man that emulates Christ; a man that is bold enough to love one woman, and to be content with her love; a man that is secure in his identity as a son of God, and not needing to find affirmation from other people. Brothers, take an honest, objective, look at your heart. God has so much more in store for you than popularity.

     Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” When you try to win a girl’s heart for the sake of feeling good about yourself you are acting out of selfish ambition and vain conceit. Stop looking out for your own interests. Stop treating girls like a list of dating options. Start looking our for the interests of others. Treat them as sisters, and daughters of God, as they deserve to be treated. God values them more than you understand and I suggest that you value them as well. Act chivalrously towards them. Open doors, speak courteously (there is a strong difference between a compliment for the sake of encouragement and a compliment for the sake of flirtatiousness), cut out the dirty jokes, guard your eyes, guard your words, stand up for them, respect them (not just the one you want to date).

     The world is against you on this. Our culture has made vanity and disrespect expectations of us. But do not let that stop you. Just because you are expected to be that way does not mean that you have to be. Christ gives us the power to overcome the world and that includes our culture (1 John 5:5). Stand up and change the expectation. Do not submit to the expectations of the culture; but aim to set the standard.

     My last point is similar to the first one: stop making excuses and take responsibility. To quote Aaron Stern, pastor of theMILL: “Boys make excuses, men take responsibility.” Be a man. Own up to your failures and take responsibility for your actions. If a problem is your fault, do not rest until you have done everything in your power to fix it. If a problem is not your fault, do not pass it off to some one else when you can do something about it.The problems may not be your fault, but that should not stop you from dealing with them. Stop trying to justify your lifestyle and be a leader by taking responsibility and doing something.

     Forgo your pride and accept correction. When some one points out a problem you need to fix stop being defensive and trying to explain why it is not your fault. When you attempt to rid yourself of the blame by justifying yourself, you are most likely acting out of pride. Be humble and do something about the issue. Stop being cowardly. Instead of focusing on why you are not to blame, focus on how you can emulate Christ better, and do it.

     If you actually read this, and took it to heart, I owe you a handshake. Now stop being boys and start being men. Stop being apathetic and start being leaders. Stop making excuses and start taking responsibility. Keep striving to be the men of God that God has called you to be. I will be striving right along side you.

 Your brother in Christ,
_Jonathon Thigpen.

Living the safe life?

I read two books recently that have been very challenging me. They are "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan and "Radical" by David Platt. In future posts I hope to go into some of the ideas that are brought up in the books.  To give you a taste of what they are about I have added a video by Francis Chan.



Are you living the safe life?

Song of the Week.

This week's pick is a new song by Chris and Conrad.  Chris and Conrad came onto the music scene with the song "Lead me to Cross." It is a great song that is touching many people.  Their new song titled "Let it out" has started playing on the radio. When I first heard it I knew that it was a song that is worth listening to. It conveys a great message.  Here are the lyrics

How long can you keep building
Those walls around your heart?
And how long can you keep running
From who you really are?

Don't you know that he knows you
Sees everything you've done
So tell why you keep trying
To fool everyone?

Do you wanna feel true redemption?
And do you wanna be free?

Let it out
Let it out
Everything you've worked so hard to hide
Let it out
Let it out
Leave it at the cross where Jesus died
Take off your mask
Find peace at last
Cause He loves you more than you could ever know
Let it out

The weary and the broken
Be everything that's true
Admit how much you need healing
Let Him bring it all to you

Do you wanna have true salvation?
Do you wanna have peace?

Let it out
Let it out
Everything you've worked so hard to hide
Let it out
Let it out
Leave it at the cross where Jesus died
Take off your mask
Find peace at last
Cause He loves you more than you could ever know

Trade it all for love and freedom
Oooo Let it out
Trade it all for saving grace
Let the past go
Cause you can't know
It never will define you
Everything has made you
Nothings gonna be the same

Let it out
Let it out
Everything you've worked so hard to hide
Let it out
Let it out
Leave it at the cross where Jesus died
Take off your mask
Find peace at last
Cause He loves you more than you could ever know

When we are going through a hard time we don't want other people to see what is going on. Maybe it is some sort of sin we are dealing with. We want everyone to see the person that is perfectly fine from the outside. However, it is the things that we want to hide the most that we need to expose.  I am not saying that we tell everybody what our struggles are, but there needs to be trusted individuals in our lives that we have freedom to talk to.  It can be extremely hard to open up the darkest parts of our lives to someone, but it is essential for the healing process to begin. Don't hide anymore, let it out.

Song of the Week

In search of the song of the week I decided to look at one of my favorite songs by David Crowder Band.  David Crowder Band has had many different hits on the radio.  Their recent song "How He Loves" is being heard all over the radio and in many churches.  They are also known for songs like "Wholly Yours" and "Everything Glorious." These songs have powerful words, and they convey a great message. I could have picked one of these as my song of the week, but I wanted something that is not as well known.  The song I picked from David Crowder Band is called "Obsession." Here are the lyrics:

What can I do with my obsession
With the things I cannot see
Is there madness in my being
Is it the wind that moves the trees?
Sometimes You're further than the moon
Sometimes You're closer than my skin
And You surround me like a winter fog
You've come and burned me with a kiss

And my heart burns for You
And my heart burns...Yeah
For you

And I'm so filthy with my sin
And carry pride like a disease
You know I'm stubborn, Lord, and I'm longing to be close
You burn me deeper than I know
And I feel lonely without hope
And I feel desperate without vision
You wrap around me like a winter coat
You come and free me like a bird

And my heart burns for You, You O Lord
And my heart... Oh it burns for you, For you
And my heart... Oh it burns for you, You O Lord

What is your obsession?  Is that one sin that you can't seem to give up? Is it something in your life that has become more important to you than serving God? If  it is one of those things we must get rid of it. Sins like these turn our focus off of God and towards something of this world. Our obsession should be Jesus and bringing glory to His name. Become obsessed.

Song of the Week

This week's pick is "What do I know of Holy" by Addison Road.  Here are the lyrics:

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?


What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life "its" name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

 

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

 

This is a very powerful song, and it draws us to examine ourselves. Verse two really speaks to me. How many times do we get caught up in giving generic answers about who God is?  Do we take the time to find out who He really is?  Let us discover how beautiful and amazing the God we serve is.

Trials

I love going backpacking. Whenever I go backpacking I always seem to come back refreshed and closer to God. I was able to go this past weekend and spend a few days in the wilderness. God had a lot of things to teach me on the trip, and I am going to share one of them with you. Our group had been out for two days. On the second day we had done a lot of hiking, and we had a few intense situations that we ran into. That night we are sitting around the campfire exhausted from the day. I kept looking at this mountain across the lake. I really wanted to climb it, but I didn’t think I would have enough time before we would have to hike out the next day. Finally a friend’s dad and I decided we would try hiking it the next morning before we left. We got up at 5:30 and started our climb. Our legs were extremely sore from the previous day and it was a steep climb. I kept telling myself that it would be worth it when I reached the top. Finally we made it to the top. God’s creation stretched out before us. The sun was just rising over the top of one of the peaks. It was one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. As we were hiking back down and on the drive home I kept thinking about James 1:2-4. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” When I was hiking that mountain I was so excited to see what was at the top. I knew the pain would be worth it. What if I looked at the hard times in my life the same way? James says to consider it pure joy when we face trials. It is hard when we have trials, but we know that the end goal is worth it. Peter tells us the same thing in 1 Peter 1:6-7 “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Hard times will come in life, but when they come let us be ready to climb the mountain and see what God has in store for us. I know it will be worth the climb.