First impressions are tricky – she was a sharp, attentive, well-spoken young adult standing by herself in the center of our “lobby.” I introduced myself, and as we shook hands, her hand came away shaking. Then, I saw her – really saw her. She’s thinking, “I’m terrified to be in a strange place, with all new people, in a religious environment where she had no clue what to expect!” Everyone looked like they knew where they were going, what they were doing, who they were looking for, except her. I could see she felt alone. She knew what she was looking for, she just wasn’t sure that we had it.

Put yourself in her shoes – new place, new people, strange spiritual environment. What does she need? She needs a friend – someone who will invite her into their life, sit with her, ask her questions, tell her she’s in the right place, show her what to do to feel at home in our tribe, give her personal info, invite her to coffee later (as a married man, I’m not doing the last one, but I can introduce her to someone who will – haha).

She was looking for people who had authentic spiritual expressions of the Jesus Christ of the Bible. You see, she grew Catholic and found spirituality, and lost the Church in the process. She has a hunch that Jesus could be the center of her spirituality, but she needs to find people who know Him that way. And so she found us, but she’s not sure yet that we’re the right people. And she’s scared that we’re weird – which we are, but we’re just the right kind of weird for her – haha. So many people just like her will file into our doors this Sunday, Christmas Eve at all Gatherings. They need to find Jesus through us – will we be the authentic friendly people who will invite them into our lives?

–>This is my charge to you as your Lead Pastor – Come to the Christmas Eve Gatherings. Look for people who are disconnected. Invite them into your life. You have the opportunity to be Jesus to someone this Sunday – how exciting! See you there!

“A child, a child, shivers in the cold, let us bring Him silver & gold.” In the words of comedian Tim Hawkins, “How ‘bout a blanket, how ‘bout some soup … the child’s shiverin’ in the cold!” (Watch the whole bit here). So as I recorded a video in shorts & a t-shirt in the middle of a blizzard (Watch that here) I was thinking, “AAAAHHHHHH, I’M SO COLD.” But now I think, what’s worse than cold? Cold with no hope of warmth I guess.

As a believer you have hope for warmth! Sounds good as you look outside right now doesn’t it – haha. How does warmth for your soul sound? Well, Paul tells Timothy how to get there . . .

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Tim. 1:6 NIV)

 Wait, wait, wait – so warmth in my soul in not just the comfortable, feel good laziness of not having any more troubles? Nope, that’s for dead people (RIP, you know). You’re not dead yet, but you still have hope for warmth. Hope for flame in your soul rests in powerful supernatural gifts of God. That is exactly what Paul is referring to here, and it’s echoed in Luke 3:16 and Acts 2:3. There is no other spiritual or emotional warmth mentioned in the Scripture. God wants to warm you up, in fact, He wants to light you on fire!

I could tell so many stories from this past week of God doing this thru me and others, but what are you waiting for – make your own stories. In fact, if you’re reading this I commission you, in Jesus name, to see God do something supernatural in your life today!!!

“Uggghhh – are we there yet? How much longer till we get there? Pppfffffttt.” You can feel your blood pressure rise just reading that aggression. My stock response is typically, “We’re going to get there about quarter ta — quarter to never.” Haha – that always fires ‘em up! Parents intuitively know those are the wrong questions – yet so many of us still get stuck in those questions about life issues. When am I going to finish school? Get that raise? Get that other job? When is winter going to be over (too soon – haha)? When is my vacation coming? I can’t wait till the weekend, etc. Truth . . .

I believe your journey is better than your destination, and here’s why . . .

1. Journeys are moving. Everyone loves to be where they’re going until they get there. Let’s get to the heart of this – we love comfort, we love shelter, but deep down, most of all we want to be moved. We need the excitement of knowing that there’s more. We need the excitement of knowing that this world isn’t everything there is. God has more beauty and amazement for us than we can imagine. Your journey is emotionally moving and that’s how you know you’re alive! With God there’s always forward movement.
2. We are built to look forward. Your eyes, nose and mouth look forward, toes and elbow joints point forward. Legitimate has to be made to go backward. God’s deepest desire is that we would constantly be growing in Him, constantly moving toward Him. We’re constantly looking somewhere, we need to make the powerful daily choice to look forward toward God.
3. The way to heaven is a journey. “Enter by the narrow gate … For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life” Matt 7:13-14. Jesus invites us to journey to Him – then He walks right with us (1 Pet 2:21). If you’re not moving, you’re not with Him – a disciple is a follower, a learner.

One of our values as a church and something we talk about often as a staff is that we are a culture of improvement = We haven’t arrived, but we’re constantly getting better personally and as an organization. The Bible calls personal improvement sanctification (1 Thes 4:3, 1 Cor 1:2, 6:11) = the process of becoming more and more like God. Enjoy the journey with Jesus, that’s when Your Journey is Awesome!!!

You have people who look up to you for many reasons – What? Me, really? Yep you – haha. There are kids who see you as big, students who see you as cool, other adults who see you as someone who keeps going. No way – yes way – they see you whether you’re aware of it or not.

Big eyes are just that – big. The boss, the board room, the socially “important” people, the family leaders, the celebrities – they’re all big eyes. We see those eyes as important. We see their opinions as meaningful and in reality sometimes they are.

But here’s what matters . . .

1. Have little eyes for yourself. Self-reflection is good – but give it a break sometimes. Don’t view yourself more highly or more often than you ought to. “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment,” (Rom. 12:3 NIV)
2. There are big eyes watching you . . . sometimes. Is it possible that those big eyes watch us less than we think? The “important” people care less about us than we want to admit. I’m not suggesting that we ignore these people’s view – just that we place priority on the little eyes. “Isn’t it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind.” (James 2:5 MSG)
3. If you focus on honoring the little eyes of people who look to you for help your life will have more impact. These little eyes will give you influence. They will mimic your life. You have the opportunity to live in front of them in a way that’s worth mimicking. “Set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Tim. 4:12 NIV)
4. Focusing on little eyes makes us more like God. God focuses on those little eyes – enough said J. “[The LORD] crowns the humble in victory.” Psalm 149:4

These little eyes view you’re your actions, your words and your attitudes daily. They’re not looking for perfect, they are looking for purpose – do you live life on purpose? Do you follow through on commitments? Do you love people like someone who’s growing in their faith? Does God make a difference in your day? Focus on the little eyes today.

At the MSU museum tonight . . .

A little boy near us: Look at those dinosaur bones!!!

Jemma (puzzled): Who killed the dinosaur?

Me: (laughing to hard to respond) . . .

I love my little girl so much. My 5 year old Jemma tends to be the first one to find the other angle, the fresh perspective. One of my goals is to constantly and more quickly see the fresh perspective. When others see an undiagnosed illness, I want to see an opportunity for God to do what only He can. When my country sees communist China, I challenge you to see 200 million underground believers and a church that’s exploding despite persecution. When you see a neighbor who is cranky, what if you saw a beautiful person for whom Jesus died.

Seeing a fresh perspective means that I won’t stop changing the channel on my perspective until I land on something that thinks like God. It means that when I get to God’s perspective I won’t change the channel no matter what flashy new thing comes into view. For instance, when people you love get sick, change the channel from fear and doubt as many times as it takes to land on faith again and again. Then stay there. Hold the ground. See God’s desire to heal, or God’s desire to restore, or the good that God can do through that annoying person, or the beauty that’s possible when that broken relationship gets restored.

Someone killed that dinosaur Jemma. You are so brilliant. You can still see that dinosaur alive, can’t you? Maybe it wasn’t as terrifying as it sounds in our stories, maybe it would have made a nice pet. What’s the fresh perspective you need to see today?

“One more hour without food,” I said to myself. It felt like an eternity – it had been 30 hours … without … food. I felt like a martyr, a saint, a spiritual giant – all for the people who have no food and die of starvation all over the world … Wait a second – I really am a spoiled, fat, American – Jesus fasted for 40 days – 40 DAYS! I’d never missed a meal in my life, but in these moments of famine (it was the self imposed 30 Hour Famine to raise money for hungry kids around the world), I felt like I was going to die, or hit someone, or both – I wasn’t sure which was more likely. Then, after the next eternity (or 1 hour), I ate, a lot, and then I puked, a little.

And then it was over – the fast, the hunger pains, the desire to hit someone, and some of the spiritual sensitivity that had come with it. One thing did linger – the realization that spiritual health and physical health are not the same thing. Fasting physically, though bad for your body, can tune your spirit in a beautiful way. I had heard things from God in that time that I’ll never forget, and the awareness of the plight of the world’s hungry rings in my spirit to this day.

I would recommend fasting regularly to tune your spirit to God’s, and I would also recommend taking to heart these lifelong observations about spiritual health . . .

• Spiritual health begins when you go about the simple yet constant task of tuning your spiritual ear to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
• Spiritual health takes root when you embrace God’s habits of thought that transform your mind.
• Spiritual health multiples upgrades in you when God’s deepest desires are yours, and they line up with your daily rhythm of thoughts, words and actions. (Romans 8:5)

Christian philosopher Dallas Willard recognized, “Habits eat willpower for breakfast.” So no matter what you’re eating for breakfast – begin to train your habits of thought to God’s voice – and health will find you, even if you’re puking J.

Cry? Pray? Send money? Comment on Facebook? Think sad thoughts so you don’t feel guilty for your lack of emotions? Deaden your senses so you no longer feel? What should you do? Another week, another national tragedy.

Our humanity calls us to care. Being like God, calls us to love people even when we don’t know them. But what is our realistic ability to invest in these situations? I’ve seen people go into depressive spirals over a tragedy in which they knew no one. I’ve watched others invest themselves so thoroughly in the national or Christian news cycle that an addiction to worry becomes their default thought rhythm.

What to do? . . .

1. Don’t blame God – He is not the author of tragedy. The thief comes to steal kill and destroy, Jesus came to bring fullness of life (John 10:10).
2. Do care – you’re not called to be a robot with no emotions. You’re allowed to let people, even those you don’t know, into your heart.
3. Don’t carry it – you don’t have the capacity to carry all of these tragedies. Lay the burden down before God and let Him give you the light load. Specifically ask, “God, should I invest further emotions in this?” . . .
   • If yes, then ask, “God, what do you want me to do about it?” He will never tell you to invest in something without a payoff. Even if He says yes, He’s not giving you the whole load, trust me, you’re not big enough. Take His lighter load.
   • If no, then ask, “God, what is your lighter load for me to carry?” (Matt. 11:29-30) Most likely the answer is, “Care about your family, your neighbor, your friend (Someone you know & influence).” Don’t try to throw hatchets at the moon – invest in your personal mission.
4. Own your zone – God has people in your territory that need to be loved – embrace mildly uncomfortable moments to know their name, learn their dreams, and invest in their story. People whose lives will be changed by your prayers, who’s emotions will be held together because you’re there, who need to hear about Jesus from your story, people who will experience upgrades in your words of blessing. Use these kinds of events as fuel to own your zone (“stand your ground” – Eph 6:13). That is your calling. You don’t have the capacity to own every zone, and you will certainly miss yours if you try.

“Because Jesus loves you and He knows everything about you. He wants you to know that your best you is yet to come!” I found myself saying to a stranger.

Rewind to 23 minutes earlier – she didn’t want to give her name and was seriously on edge, but still felt like she NEEDED to talk to a pastor. So we sat down in the conference room and she poured out a snapshot of her story. 15 minutes into the conversation the story was on repeat and we had gone through a box of tissues (I was slightly lost in the details of the story to be perfectly honest).

Then I got a sensation in the back right side of my head – like it lit up – not in pain but like a highlight – then it happened again and again. So I asked God – does she have migraine’s? No. Then the impression hit – she’s right brained – a creative type. I cut her off – oops – “You’re creative aren’t you?” (Pause) “(slowly)yee-aahh”. “Yeah God showed me you’re creative and that’s a skill set that will help you to find a job that will provide for the needs you’re talking about.” “But I need technical skills…(the objections continued)” at the same time she got out her piece of paper and began writing and doodling creatively – haha!

I found myself interrupting again with another personal piece of knowledge that only God would have known. This time she stopped – I had her attention for the first time in the conversation. So I began to speak about the way that God views her. That no matter where she is or what she’s doing – He’s always there for her. She’s going to make it – then it came, “Because Jesus loves you and He knows everything about you. He wants you to know that your best you is yet to come!”

“I really needed to hear that.” Smiling – joy in her tone for the first time in the conversation. Jesus had broken through her distance, confusion and distrust. She even gave us her name after that and was smiley and cordial. Jesus was ready to do even more amazing in and through her!

This is why God said to eagerly desire spiritual manifestations especially to prophecy (1 Cor 14:1). The payoff is eternal. Say this right now, “God, what do you want to tell me about my day.” Look, listen – what do you see or hear? Don’t worry if you don’t understand it yet. Write it down and imagine that it’s a tiny piece of a giant mosaic picture – let God fill out the blanks around it – it’s gonna be fun!