derrickhurst.org

living for eternity today

Tag: God (Page 1 of 3)

Cracks in Concrete

January 9, 2024 / / 2 Comments

The church I pastor has a group that meets a couple times a month called Bible and Brew. We meet in a local pub, have a beverage of choice, share life stories, and talk about faith. Every time we get together I’m reminded how important this type of group really is, and it has nothing to do with the beverages!

This particular night one of the guys started us with the question, What does God want from us. Now that’s kind of a loaded question. And I’ll admit, it took every fiber of my being to not go all pastor on the group and try to answer the question. You see that’s the joy of this group. Generally the questions have no real answers, at least nothing that would be always right in every situation. Kind of like what does God want from us, there are hundreds of answers that all could apply perfectly.

As the discussion unfolded however, there was a theme that was starting to come into picture a little more clearly. In a world that is divided, how are we supposed to live. We talked about how political structures divide. We talked about how media has a tendency to sensualize everything only polarizing the divided landscape around us. What does God want from us?

It’s a pretty cool thought actually. When the world around us is divided and broken, how is the church supposed to act? The kind of obvious answer that came out of things was to not be divided. But how does that work?

We looked at passages like Hebrews 10 where the writer says do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing. Ok so one way we stay undivided is to be together. The more together we experience, the less chance of cracks to come into our lives.

One image we sat on for a bit was the image of concrete. I have a concrete driveway. And as great as a concrete driveway is, there are some issues with concrete. One thing is pretty much certain. Concrete cracks. You’re pretty much not going to stop it from happening. They can put control joints in, you know those fancy lines in sidewalks and cuts in larger slabs. Those are intended not to prevent concrete from cracking but to stop cracks when they happen.

I made a bit of a mistake this year and didn’t fill the cracks in my driveway before winter. If you’re not aware, the little cracks in concrete, if left untreated, will eventually fill with water and in freezing temperatures as the water expands so will the crack. A tiny crack in concrete, if not taken care of immediately can result in some serious damage.

Ok back to the discussion of what does God want from us. I think if we look all over the place in the Bible, we’ll see a very common theme. Unity is kind of a big deal to Jesus. In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer from John 17, Jesus says that they may be one as we are one. Oneness must be a huge thing. Jesus was kind of wrapping up his entire ministry and he did it by praying for unity in the body of Christ. What does God want from us?

If Jesus prayed for the church to be unified, then I’m pretty sure that’s what God wants from us and for us today. Our discussion was all over the map about unity, not uniformity but unity. We’re not all supposed to be the same or think the same but our purpose and identity is supposed to be tied to the same thing – the gospel. We used illustrations of tractor pulls and locomotives, teams of horses and mathematics lessons.

The long and short was that division isn’t math that God does. He’s not about dividing people. One of the first sermons I preached at the church I now serve was about a wedge. The principle of a wedge is that just the tiniest point of the wedge is all that’s needed to weaken the overall integrity of something. And just like that concrete sidewalk, if a crack is left unattended it can be devastating.

So what is it that unites us? Our common confession is the key. The thing that unites us isn’t a can’t we all just get along mindset, it’s not the sport team we cheer to victory, it’s not the political systems with which we align ourselves. The thing that unites us is the gospel. When the gospel isn’t the focus, when our attention shifts from the power and importance of the gospel, we run a strong risk of cracks popping up in the concrete of our lives.

What does God want? If the answer is unity, then we have to also admit that just like in concrete cracks happen in our daily lives as well. So what do we do when cracks show up? Well, we patch them. Seal them. Watch them closely over time. The same is true for all of us around the table that night. When disunity comes into play in our lives, we need to patch it with the gospel. We need to come back to who we are and what we’re called to be.

If the one thing God wants for us is unity, then we can be certain that coming to him is the best place to find that unity when a crack is discovered. Maybe it’s time to take a closer look at the driveway and patch up some of those cracks so that we may be one just as God is one.

Don’t Just Do It

July 20, 2023 / / 0 Comments

The old slogan for the Nike company was Just Do It. It was a phrase that embodied the spirit of sports. The idea behind this slogan was that you don’t have to be great at something to start it. Just do it and by doing it you’ll learn more about yourself and the sport you’re trying to learn. It was a great idea for sports, but in life I think it falls short. It leaves something to be desired when we just do something.

The church body within which I’m a pastor has a teaching on vocation. The idea of a vocation is more than just a job. It’s not just the trash collectors and lawyers and power line repair crews. Vocation is the stations you find yourself in through your life. Things like mom or dad, husband or wife are also parts of this vocational idea. So it pretty much sums up everything we do in life.

I’ve heard a lot of people talk about this idea of vocation with the idea of do everything you do to the best of your ability. Now this is a good practice to be sure! After all who wants to be mediocre in life? But just doing something good isn’t the point of life.

So then we deepen things a little bit by teaching that we’re supposed to do everything for the glory of God. We say things like do everything as if you were doing it for God. The idea is that when we make God the audience of all we do we’re bringing him glory by using our gifts, talents and abilities.

And again just like doing your best at everything you do this is a good practice as well. Seeing God as the one who gets the glory for what you do is a great way to stay humble and keep you from being too terribly arrogant. But I think we can take one more step to really make our actions even more meaningful and intentional.

Don’t just do things for the glory of God also do everything for the mission of God.

You see when we do things for the glory of God we make him an observer. It’s like we put him in the auditorium of our life and have him watch us. When we do things merely for his glory we make him a silent bystander which is not the role he should be playing as I see it.

If we do everything for his glory and to achieve the mission of God, then we start to put things in a more healthy alignment scenario. The point of doing things for God’s glory and according to his mission is that not only are we doing things with God in mind but we’re also doing them for the purpose that he established.

Could you imagine what life would look like for you if in your daily routine as a mom, dad, son, daughter, student, teacher, trash collector, banker, lawyer, retiree, whatever the role if you did that function for the purpose of bringing a greater love for Jesus into that arena of your life?

If we stopped just doing it and started doing it with purpose and intention with the goal of loving people in real and tangible ways in the name of Jesus, we’d be less stressed people! We could find a happiness that was contagious. We could live in a peaceful scenario that we could only dream of otherwise.

So today, whatever your vocation – stop just doing it and start doing it for God’s glory and to achieve His mission. You’ll thank me for it later.

The Balancing Act

June 7, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Ever have two seemingly opposing ideas that you knew were both true but didn’t seem to match up? On a simple scale it’s like trying to balance my desire to be healthy with my love for pizza, tacos and chocolate cookies. It’s really hard to keep those two thoughts in a way that seems to honor both. It’s like there’s an unhealthy tension that exists that is almost insurmountable. We will call that the balancing act.

More life altering than the tension between dieting and a love for tacos and cookies, there is a key concept in Christianity that deals with something we call the sovereignty of God. This is the idea that God is infinite, always and everywhere. He is over all things, in all things and works through all things. This is actually a really big deal that I might have to tackle in a later post by itself. But for now try to imagine everything in the world under one microscope. Imagine a being that is able to see all things around the world in one picture at the same time. That’s a pretty significantly spectacular or in this case sovereign being.

Now match that up with the idea that the same being with all that power and size is so personal that he knows your thoughts, cares, worries and fears. He wants to hear about your day and provide for you in ways that no one else can. This is the balancing act we find ourselves in with the God of the Bible.

The Bible paints the picture that God is eternal and forever and all powerful and, well sovereign. But it also gives us the demonstration that God is personal and individual and very intimate. Such a cool balancing act that we get to work with as we navigate the truth of who God really is.

Sovereignty and intimacy are two ends of the spectrum of the identity of God.

Words like creator and redeemer and advocate for humanity are concepts that speak to this idea of sovereignty. He’s called Lord of lords and King of kings. He’s referred to as everlasting and eternal. All of this speaks to the vastness of God’s power and presence in the world.

As we embrace the sovereignty of God, we are humbled and left in awe. This is a power we can hardly fathom. The reality of this size and magnitude is something so vast it’s nearly beyond comprehension.

Then as we turn the coin of God’s character over, we see words like love and Father, adoption and child of God. This leaves us even more awestruck and dumbfounded than before! How can a God who’s so massive be so in to me? How can a God who’s infinite be so intimate? How can a God who is so powerful also be so personal?

This is the paradox in which we live. This is the balancing act we much wrestle with as followers of Jesus today. God truly is sovereign in every way while also remaining intimate and personal in every way. And it’s all because he loves us. When we can accept this reality about God, we’ll be able to better understand all he’s done for us. But for now, it’s a balancing act.

A Lutheran Psalm?

November 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Now there really isn’t such a thing and that’s something of which I am fully aware. But if a Lutheran were around in the Old Testament, I’m pretty sure this is something they would have written.

Psalm 46 is pretty well known for many reasons. It has some very familiar parts to it. From the refuge and strength section to the ever famous be still and know that I am God line, this psalm is packed with some pretty powerful hidden gems!

As we start looking at this psalm, we need to start with the stage notes for this psalm. That’s what I call the details given in the heading of a psalm. It starts with some details that help us understand what this psalm is all about. Here are the details: For the choirmaster to the sons of Korah according to the alamoth, a song. So the first and last parts are simple to understand. I mean a song for the choirmaster is pretty self explanatory. But what about this whole sons of Korah and alamoth bit?

If you do a little bible exercise, you’ll see that the sons of Korah were responsible for the music in the temple. It’s like they were the temple musicians or what we today call the praise team. Don’t shoot the messenger here just read the books of Chronicles and you’ll see for yourself. Then there’s this whole alamoth thing.

Here’s where we learn a little bit about how to understand the Bible. It’s something called principles of interpretation. In this case the best rule of thumb is to let the verses we do understand help us with the ones we can’t. So again back in the books of Chronicles there is a reference to the alamoth as being an instrument. Some scholars have said it was probably something stringed. The image I tend to get is of a very early version of a crude guitar of sorts. So there you have it. This psalm is a song that was used in worship by a group of people called the sons of Korah and played on a special instrument, just like our modern praise teams.

Now for the meat of the psalm. There are a couple key thoughts that we should look at. First there’s the idea of refuge and strength. This is super cool because the psalmist tells us of some pretty nasty circumstances. It seems as if he’s pretty much describing what we call tornados, earthquakes and hurricanes. In the face of these horrific catastrophic events, the psalmist says the he knows something that changes how we react to them. He won’t be afraid because he knows that God is always around. He’s right there in the middle of the tornado. He’s riding the waves of the hurricane. He’s holding the ground firm in the shakiness of the earthquake.

As the psalmist continues, we move from devastation to provision. The very things that should have brought fear and peril are now turned to strength and sustenance. Instead of things falling apart and the world crashing to bits, here we see God bringing rest and peace upon the earth. The powers of the world are warring with one another but all God does is open his mouth and the world melts into a situation of pure calm.

As the psalm, aka song for worship, comes to a close we’re reminded of this amazing phrase to be still. But I think we might have heard this phrase with less power than probably should be there. If we look at this verse within the context of the whole psalm, it’s less calming a baby with a quiet lullaby. Rather, this is a direct command to stop. Rest. Calm. Let God be God. It’s a powerful statement. It’s God taking the lead and telling us to sit down and back off. You can hear his voice raise and get stronger.

You see the psalm here is a reminder that God is always with us which means we don’t have to fear. But we still do. We let the world around us dictate how we live and what we think and how we act. So God has to stop us in our tracks. He raises his voice and tells us to knock it off and be still.

There you have it. A praise song from the Old Testament reminding us of God’s power and might and provision. And a strong reminder that God will put us in our place whenever needed to let him do his role as God.

I Miss Clouds

July 21, 2021 / / 0 Comments

I had the chance to drive to Cleveland today to attend a meeting. The drive was nothing spectacular by any means, but I did notice something while I was driving. There weren’t any clouds. Or if there were I couldn’t see them. And honestly I miss clouds. I know that sounds strange and I assure you that I never was the kind of guy to lay in the grass imagining that the clouds looked like unicorns or something like that. To me that’s nonsense! But there is something strangely comforting about clouds. 

You see clouds are reminders of so many wonderful things. They’re reminders that we’re cared for and loved. They serve as reminders of promises woven into the very fabric of our lives and so often we don’t even see it. 

On my drive north the clouds were buried behind the layer of hanging smoke that has blanketed much of the skyline recently. The wildfires burning in the west have caused this heavy shield preventing the fullness of the sun to shine through and putting a translucent layer beneath the clouds. 

While some may think this idea is a tad silly I find there to be something special about clouds. Seeing the white puffy clouds freely floating around the crisp blue sky is a bit comforting to me. Knowing that the clouds floating above me are in some form or fashion visible to people I care about who are not near me is a great reminder of how vastly connected we are in this world. Even when we’re far apart and wanting to distance ourselves from everyone in life, we can’t escape the reality that we all are connected no matter how far we run or how much distance is between us. 

In addition to this reality, clouds also serve a purpose in scripture. If you remember anything from the Old Testament, you might recall the presence of God being found in clouds. God went before the Israelite people in the form of clouds by day and his presence filled the temple in the form of a cloud. 

Maybe clouds don’t mean anything to you, but to me they’re great reminders about God’s presence in our lives and our connection to one another. Sometimes these reminders are found in the simplest things. 

Faithful God

May 24, 2021 / / 0 Comments

After a couple of weeks to wrestle with the reality that my twin sons are graduating high school and are moving in different directions with their futures I’m bringing back the Music Monday posts. This week we’re going to look at a song by the group I Am They. An interesting name for a group but we can discuss that perhaps in a different post. The song is titled Faithful God.

How true is that statement! I mean really, how true is it that God is faithful in every possible way? He not only created a world he knew we’d mess up, but he also sent his Son to save us knowing it would cost his life. You don’t get much more faithful than that.

We often have a hard time seeing his faithfulness because we are clouded by the things we want in life that don’t have. And if we’re totally honest those things are all things we could have if we worked harder or spent less. We settle for prayers and requests that are materialistic and not eternal. God doesn’t promise to be faithful in giving us a new car or a new job. But he is faithful in caring for us in the way that’s best for us.

Today I hope as you start a new week that God shows you his faithfulness. I hope you can see it in the sunrise or sunset. I hope you can see it in the smile on your children’s faces or the laughter of a loved one. I hope you can see it in the roof over your head, even if it’s not the roof you wanted. I hope you can see it by the people who care for you.

God is faithful and all we have to do is look with a little intentionality and we’ll see it.

Image of God

November 2, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This week I wanted to share this song with you. It’s a song about who we are and how we need to view one another. This song isn’t about which side of the aisle you sit, what color your skin is, what gender, nationality, or financial status. This song is really about everyone on this earth.

We’ve lost sight of something really important. We’re all made in the image of God. Whether you believe it or not, doesn’t really change the fact that we didn’t have life until God gave it to us. We often live this image well, but there are times when we falter and live out a broken image.

Today I ask you to pause and just look around. Look at how different we all are. But look at how similar we all are too. It’s easy to see the things that make us different. It’s easy to see the things that separate us and cause division. It takes work to focus on the things that unite us. We all need air to breathe and food to survive. We all walk by putting one foot in front of the other. We all need sleep to stay healthy and exercise to stay fit.

We don’t all eat the same things or sleep at the same times or workout the same way. But just because we do things differently doesn’t mean we’re any less made in the image of God. Take time today and look around you and value the image of God that is present in everyone around you – yep even those people who are way different than you!

A Toddler’s Plate

September 25, 2020 / / 0 Comments

If you’re not a parent and never raised little children this image might not resonate with you. But I remember as a young new parent with twin children trying to teach my boys to eat. Like every child I’ve ever encountered they had a tendency to take their food and throw some of it on the floor. Then they’d cry because they were hungry and didn’t have enough to eat. When dealing with children, we kind of laugh it off as if it’s no big deal, but what if an older person were to do that? I can’t imagine what would happen if I would have done that at 13 at the supper table with my parents!

Continue reading

Relationship Before Rule

September 22, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Growing up going to church taught me a lot. I went to Sunday worship and even bible class as a child. Then when I was old enough, I went through something called confirmation. This was when I learned the ins and outs of what the church I attended believed. We studied things like baptism and communion and prayer. But before all that we took time to study the famous 10 Commandments. In our most recent series in worship, we’ll be digging deeper into these very commandments to gain a better understanding. Let’s start here.

Continue reading

Whatever May Come

September 14, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Unconditional is a pretty powerful concept. But is it a reality? I mean seriously, just about everything in our lives is conditioned on something or someone else. We let our peace be conditioned on our surroundings. Our success is conditioned upon how hard we apply ourselves. We even let conditions creep their way into our love for those around us.

Continue reading
« Older posts

© 2024 derrickhurst.org

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑