Category: Lent

One of the newest blessings that has come to my wife and my life is the ability to minister to some college students at Southwestern University. It is a great opportunity for Amy and I to open up our home and give a home cooked meal to some of the college students at Southwestern University, but it is also a chance for us to do some ministry with these students.

For some this would be seem to be not a big deal at all.

And if we are not careful and don’t look closely at what this truly is we would miss it as well.

I am reminded of Matthew 25 when Jesus says that when we show caring for the least of these we show caring to Jesus himself. Now, in this passage you will see that Jesus refers to people that are in prison, sick, or hungry. I would urge us to think that its everyone that we come in contact with that Jesus is referring to.

Because of this simple act of making tacos and playing games we show that we care for their lives and for what is going on in their lives. Because of this we bringing light into the darkness or in this photo’s case we bring day into night.

So, what are some simple ways that we can show Christ’s caring?

 

Today I had the honor and privilege of teaching a workshop at First United Methodist Church in Georgetow, TX entitled, “Facebook 101: Being a 21st Century Disciple.” It was an amazing experience of fellow brother and sisters in Christ coming together and learning about what Facebook is and why it matters to how we connect with the world, and largely how we can use this technology to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Some of you will come to this blog, methodork.com from a post that I have put on Facebook. We live in a very fast-paced world where everything is happens at light speed. As disciples I believe a large part of all of our call is to connect to world and to God. I believe that we are the bridge that connects people to God, and Jesus living within us helps us to bridge this gap. It is only by His love and grace that we are able to make this happen, it’s not about us, it’s completely and utterly about Jesus’ love and grace that bridges this gap.

Facebook is a tool that helps us to do that.

Just like any other tool in this world it can be used for good or not so good, but we as Disciples when we committed to follow Christ, committed to be His servants of connecting. We committed to using this tool and everything in our lives for His glory alone. Facebook is just one way to do this, but it is clear from the Great Commission that we have a job to do.

So, I challenge you today. How are you connecting? Is it for your glory or for Jesus’ glory? How can we differently use Facebook and all social media for that matter as a tool that we use to point the world to Christ?

Almighty God,

Help us to recognize the calling that you have placed on all our lives to point the world to your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to use the tools in our lives to share of the Love and Grace of Jesus Christ. In your Son’s Holy and Precious name we pray.

Amen.

Day 18: Leaving

(“The Simple Truth Bible: Daily Devotions for Students, page 3)

Day 19: Thirst

Both of these pictures for me lead to same end, leaving what God has done and thirsting for more and more of His awesome swagger! God says to the Israelites in the book of Isaiah very confidently that they have seen nothing yet, there is this swagger about God that makes me smile, but not a swagger like we would think or even expect.

God loves us.

To the most massive possible level, so massive that the word massive dwarfs in comparison to the how big it truly is.

Think of the most massive thing that you can.

For me its the surpassing galaxies that God created. The millions and millions of galaxies in our universe that He made. My mind cannot comprehend the size of this PART of creation. It’s just a part of it.

Amazing.

So, today know that today blessings are

New.

Fresh.

Alive.

And tomorrow it will start again.

So we leave and we thirst for more.

(Community Prayer Garden at St. Philip’s United Methodist Church)

There are times when I really enjoy sitting in the Prayer Garden here at St. Philips, where I serve as Director of Student Ministries. It is so peaceful to in creation. Another one of my favorite pictures is one that I took early one sunday morning and it captures creation as well.

God help us to take a moment everyday and just recognize how masterful your creation is. 

Over and over God says through His word that we are the crown of His creation.

The Crown.

Think about that for a moment.

Lately God has been impressing upon me that creation is an ongoing process. God is continually actively participating in creation. Flowers continue to bloom, grass continues to grow, but I really think its more than that. When Christ died for our sins on the cross we all died with him and we ceased to live but Christ lived within us. He created in us new life and everyday that we wake up and enjoy life we are being created in that new image and new life that is in Jesus Christ.

This is where it gets really cool.

God invites us into a creation partnership.

God comes alongside us and as we actively live in his grace and represent him as His disciples we are creating and planting the seeds of the new life in Jesus Christ in people lives with the help of our Lord and Savior that weaves it all together.

God is so cool.

Thanks be to God.