Paul's Humility

Yesterday, the pastor preached on Luke 7:36-50.  Through this story he began to talk about the self righteousness and pride of Simon in the story.  He also talked about the attitude and a humility that a true follower of Jesus should possess.  He used Paul as an example:

Here are three different verses Paul wrote through his letters.  We are familiar with most of them, but I am going to put the date of which each of these verses were written.  

"I am the least of all the apostles." I Corinthians 15:9  (55 AD)

"I am the very least of all the saints." Ephesians 3:8  (60 AD)

"I am the chief of all sinners." 1 Timothy 1:15     (63 AD)

This was pretty remarkable to me.  Keep in mind as these letters are written by Paul, he is having more and more influence in the early church.  He is beginning to have the respect of every believer in many provinces.  And yet he does not have an ego that is growing as his ministry grows.  As each year progresses in his ministry, he is more and more aware of his humanity.  Paul boasts, but he boasts in the Lord, not himself.

I think these three verses give us great insight into spiritual maturity as well.  Ministry, life, and relationship with God are not a journey walked by self-reliance.  Spiritual maturity happens as we depend on God more fully.  As Paul became more aware of his actual state, the power of the risen Lord was displayed through him magnificently.  

In II Corinthians 10:5 it says, "We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God."

I think this is a statement that is true for nonbelievers and believers alike.  Pride, self-righteousness, self-reliance are all examples of proud obstacles that keep us from knowing God.  

What proud obstacles in your life are keeping you from knowing God more intimately?

How do you view yourself and others? Do you see yourself as better than most?

Are you ok with others knowing you as the self-proclaimed chief of all sinners?

The way we see ourselves changes how much we rely on God.  And how much we rely on God will allow more opportunities for God to be glorified through us.  

Chuch (Southern for Church)

Today, Elise and I went to church at First Alliance which is located in Lexington, Kentucky.  This was our fourth time to attend this church, and Elise and I recently decided this will be our church home while we are in Kentucky!  We have already made some really great connections with many people there, and we hope to get involved in the college and young adult ministry and help some individuals who desire to start an international bible study.  First Alliance church is also a church which is very big on equipping and sending missionaries, which is a great fit for us as well.


The sermon was over Luke 7: 36-50.  The pastor is very gifted speaker.  He is very insightful, encourages reflection, and very poetic with his words.  In the story he preached on, we find Jesus invited to dinner at a man named Simon's house.  When Jesus takes his place at the table, a woman who is a notorious sinner (probably prostitute) begins to wet and wipe Jesus's feet.  Simon saw this, and judged Jesus and the woman for what was happening in his home.  Jesus then tells a parable about two men who each have a debt.  One debt was greater than the other, but each debt was cancelled.  Jesus asked Simon,  "Who loved him more?"  Simon correctly answered, "The one with the greater debt."
Jesus then pointed out several things Simon had not done that were cultural practices which honored guests in homes.  The kiss of peace, the washing of feet, and the anointing of a guest's head with oil.  And yet, the woman did.

After lunch, we were hosted by a married couple our age named Joel and Jenny.  We had an incredible time.  We really got along great with them.  It is really exciting to see God shaping community around us.  Some of it you can see coming, and other parts are totally unexpected.  I love eating with people, and I am looking forward to eating with them again many times.

Construction

Moving to a new town can be very adventurous. You have the opportunity to form new relationships, find new hobbies, and many times find a new job.  For the past month and a half, I have been working for a guy named Ray doing construction jobs in the city of Wilmore and surrounding Kentucky countryside.  Work hours have been far from consistent, and I often find out when I will work 15 minutes before I need to be there.  I'm learning God is faithful and our Provider even when circumstances may seem otherwise.

I chose to work in construction for two reasons. 1) It was the first job I found.  And 2) Elise and I want to be missionaries.  Many of you know me.  Especially the 25+ roommates I've had live with me through my college years. With a track record like that, I wonder how Elise makes it with me.  Anyways, I don't think one of my friends, family members, or former roommates would use the adjective "handyman" to ever describe my list of attributes. Yet, here I am in a job that requires a variety of skills to complete each and every task.  Most days that I work, I suck. I'm learning.  I hope these "handy" skills that I am learning will be of good use when we are in another country for longterm.

So far, my favorite thing about working in construction is not the skills I have learned, but the people I have come to know.  I have worked for two different contractors in the last 6 weeks.   One of my bosses is a former Asbury Seminary Grad from 2004 who has already taken a break from the ministry.  My other boss had a bad car accident that prevents him from continuing his electrician profession.  There is some pretty deep hurt and pain that comes up casually in conversations as we work hours on hours with each other.  I pray God will continue to be present in these conversations.  I think there is work he wants to do.

Father's Day Reflections

Today, I spent Father's day 1177 miles away from my dad.  In the last two weeks, I have moved from Lubbock, Texas to the town of Wilmore, Kentucky.  Father's day was the first holiday or special occasion which reminded me of all the valuable relationships I left many miles away.  I miss them all.  But today, I was comforted as a reflected on some precious memories of my daddy that I would like to share.

I remember when I was 5 years old having a guys night "in" with my dad.  The girls probably went shopping or something, so my dad and I had the house all to ourselves.  What did the boys choose to do? Turn the living room into a wrestle-mania center with one catch: you could only wear underwear.  The look on Mom and Haley's face when they arrived home told of us how silly we were.

In that same year, my mom and I found a snake in a tree one summer afternoon as we were playing catch in the front yard.  I don't recall my reaction, but I know my mom freaked out.  She phoned my dad, and he rushed home a friend from the La Tech Wesley. They began to throw every ball in the house at a snake on a branch some 40 feet in the air.  My job was to collect all the misfires and bring them back.  Some 40 minutes later the snake was knocked out of the tree, and I was having the funnest afternoon of my childhood.

I remember when I was in fifth grade.  I was a sports fanatic.  Not only did I watch Sportscenter 3 times a day, I also played every sport I could.  That summer I was pitching for my baseball team in Lubbock, TX.   My friends called me "El Duke" because I had the most out-of-control leg kick in the history of baseball.  It was ugly.  But that day I was pitching the game of my life.  I had struck out 10 batters, and only allowed a few hits.  It was the last inning, and we were down by one run.  I was on third base when the pitcher from the other team through a wild pitch.  I dashed for home, but the ball beat me there.  Then I made a slide where I slid under the tag to touch home plate before the ball touched me.  What a play, except that the ump screamed OUT!  I remember crying all the way back to the dugout (I was that kid).  My dad's reaction?  He was CLIMBING the fence arguing the call with the ump.  He may have been out-of-control or crazy, but my dad fought for me.

My dad is also a pastor.  I have been blessed by all the conversations I have shared with my dad whether in a one-on-one, family, or group setting.  But my dad's sermons have shaped me into who I am.  He taught me more than just right and wrong, he taught me what it meant for Jesus to be Lord.  His sermons taught me what it means to be a man, what it means to be forgiven, what it means to be humble, and what it means to be dependent on him.  It's pretty unique to have my dad be my pastor, but I am beyond blessed to have been shaped by the Holy Spirit speaking through his words.

Today I carry my dad with me.  I love to be silly. I love to be fun.  I will fight for those I love.  And I love Jesus.

I also LOVE my dad.

June 1st- Moving Day

Moving is a very surreal thing.  It is a weird feeling to finally do the thing you have been awaiting and preparing for over the last 3 months.  We woke up this morning in Fort Walton, Florida to pack up the car and say our goodbyes.  Yes, I am 25 years old.  And yes, evidently I still cry when I say goodbye to my family.  I have learned I cry because I care.

We got on the road close to 9am to undertake an 11 hour drive with our final destination being Wilmore, Kentucky.  I was awake for all 11 hours.  However, Elise was only awake for 5 hours of the journey.  To her credit, she is a really cute sleeper.  We stopped for lunch in Montgomery, Alabama at a soul food restraint called Isaiah’s.  We loved it.  Our waiter unleashed a chorus of Hallelujahs when we told him we were currently moving to Seminary. 

For dinner we got to see THE Grant Terry, better known by me as Gripples.  (Great Nipples) Grant is my best friend and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee.  This was our first time to Nashville, so he took us to his favorite restraint and a brief tour of the town.  The restaurant and the city lived up to the hype.  It was really cool to get to see a glimpse of Grant’s life too.  We will now  be 3 hours away from each other instead of the 22 hours that had separated us the last three years.  We already have plans to see the Titans next football season.

Driving can be boring, but it is especially boring when you have a radio antenna that will not pick up any stations.  Luckily, we found my old cd case that had the music I used to listen to almost 8 years ago. It was a CD, not a cassett tape(I am not that old).  The CD’s we enjoyed the most were anything by Dashboard Confessional.  Elise had not heard of most of there older stuff.  I realized this was a part of me that Elise did not yet know.  This was crazy to me.

You see, when I was a senior in high school, I LOVED Dashboard Confessional.  A friend burned me a CD that had 22 acoustical songs of emo mushy gushy romance goodness.  I think that CD stayed in my CD player for a whole year.  I didn’t get tired of it.  Wow. I’m totally an emo for typing these last three sentences.

Anyways, there is a point to this.  It was so much fun to continue to show Elise a side of me she didn’t know.  And not only did she like getting to know other parts about me, she also liked Dashboard! Well, believe it or not Elise fell asleep in an hour, and I was left alone to drive and go into deep self-reflection.  (MORE EMO) As I reflected on what I use to like, my old favorite things, and my past, I was reminded over and over again of his grace for me.  There were many things in my life that as I reflected on them, I realized how God was at work for the first time.  Jesus really is everywhere.  It is only by his grace I am who I am today.  It is only by his grace I am where I am today.  As I reflect on my past, I am reflecting on His Grace. 

Yes, it’s fun for Elise to get to know a little more about me, but it was overwhelming for me to see a little bit more of His Grace at work in my life.