What an embarrassing moment that was! Not too long ago, I was trying to get out the door to a store. I walked up to the door, admittedly not paying attention to what was in front of me. I grabbed the handle and pushed the door. It didn’t open, so I pushed a little harder. Then I jiggled the handle.
Wouldn’t you know it…the door was a pull door! I was so embarrassed that I can’t even put it into words. My face turned red. I played it off as if it was no big deal, but that didn’t change the fact that I missed the big red sign right in front of me that said PULL. Continue reading
Knowledge is a great thing! We strive for deeper knowledge at every turn. From a very early age we seek to grow through learning. We learn from our parents as they talk us through new tasks. We learn as we watch people do things we’ve never attempted. We learn from teachers, pastors, grandparents, and so many other grown-ups in our lives. Our society is driven by the idea of gaining knowledge. We ask our young people what their plans are after high school. We apply pressure to our young adults when we ask what they want to “do with the rest of the lives.” It’s all about more and more knowledge! 
On Friday night last week, I had the wonderful privilege of meeting 35 people who took to the streets of Columbus on their bicycles as part of a SpokeFolk tour 2016. They ride around 40-50 miles a day and stay in churches, schools, and just about anyplace that will allow them to overnight. They don’t require a whole lot of amenities as they “shower” in the garden hose on the back lawn! They sleep on the floor in whatever space is available. They are great! 
Have you ever done the trust fall? You know the fall where you face away from someone and then fall backward trusting that they’ll be there to catch you? If you’ve ever done this you know that it is way harder than you think at first. I remember doing this one time and thinking that I’d be able to do this with no problem. I knew the guys behind me, and I was confident that they’d catch me. But when it came down to actually falling blindly into their arms, I just couldn’t do it. 
Have you ever seen one of those Where’s Waldo books? The premise of the is to find a character on each page. The character is Waldo. He’s dressed in a red and white striped shirt and blue jeans with a stocking cap. Some of the pages are quite easy to find this little man hiding among the green trees. But other pages are almost impossible! I remember a page in a Where’s Waldo book from my childhood that had Waldo in his red and white striped outfit marching with thousands of others in a crowded city. These thousands of others were also wearing red and white stripes and playing instruments. Needless today that one took quite a while to find but I remember the great sense of accomplishment when I was actually able to see Waldo! 
A cornerstone is a key part of any building structure. It’s said that the building rests on that particular stone to gain its maximum strength. If this is true, the cornerstone is critical. You don’t want a cornerstone made out of a soft material. You don’t want a cornerstone for your building made from a material that is ever-changing. You want a cornerstone that is solid, planted firmly, and never moving. 
It’s easy at times in our lives to be discouraged but there’s a great reason for hope in this life. There are all kinds of statistics that cause great fear in the lives of the people of the church. In North America roughly 4000 churches close each and every year, while only 1000 new ones start. That’s a crazy statistic that appears as if the church is failing miserably in the world today. 
About a year ago we introduced the concept of Christian Neighboring to the congregation I serve. It was a lot of fun, and we were able to make impact in people’s lives as a result. The goal of Christian Neighboring is not to add numbers to the local church. As a matter of fact we don’t really talk all that much about church attendance or membership. The focus is on Jesus and knowing him. 
This morning we’re less than two weeks away from Easter. Over the next fourteen days we’ll journey with Jesus through some of the most difficult times in his earthly life. He’ll be accepted, then rejected and betrayed. He’ll be accused, tried in a bogus trial, beaten, mocked, ridiculed, forced to carry his own instrument of torture, then killed. He’ll be buried, and when it seems as if all help is lost be raised. 
The goal of a disciple is to clothe themselves in the very thoughts, words, and actions of the person they desire to follow. In the case of the person who calls themselves a Christian, that person is Jesus. There’s no secret about it. The follower of Jesus wants to clothe themselves in the things of Jesus. We want to have Jesus’ patience. We want to love the way he loved. We want to find joy in the everyday things the way he did. But exactly how does that happen?