It’s easy to preach on staying full with Jesus, keeping connected with Jesus. Harder to stay towards the F in real life. I know that the biggest impact we’ll have as leaders is not with what we say but how we live.
Having said that, the hard reality is our family is not exactly the shining model of balance right now. Our schedule has something on it Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night and all day Saturday. Throw in normal Sunday activities and our desire/need for a life group – yeah…I’m an idiot.
None of the stuff we are doing is bad. It’s just…busy. The one thing that Amy and I know is valuable and is refueling we don’t have time for – a Life Group. I’m in the exact position that most of the church is in and I got there by my own decisions. So how do you get to there from here?
Saying no. It really isn’t any harder than that. Like – will all three of kids do spring soccer? No. But that is for moral reasons. No kid of mine is going to play that commie sport. (Go ahead, let the pro-soccer comments fly.) Are we doing any spring sports? No. What about other stuff? Don’t know.
Amy and I have always had seasons where we’re pinging the speedometer at 150 mph and then times when we’re not. It’s finding a rhythm that works, that keeps the needle towards the F, not the E. It’s also having the wisdom/discernment to know when the needle is getting close to E then having the ruthless courage to do (or not do ) something to get it back towards the F.
Personally – we’re doing good right now. Adrenaline rush of a new place, we’re protecting our Fridays – all that is good.
But I asked some hard questions of Western Hills yesterday. And they weren’t questions that I’ve got figured out already. What would my life look like if I lived it towards the F, not the E? What would it look like to be captivated by Jesus? Not the church or busyness but the person of Jesus? What would change in our world if we were captivated by him? What would change at Western Hills if our people served out of the overflow of this captivation? What would we have to say no to, say yes to if our primary focus was connecting with Jesus and letting him change us? Transformation…how does it happen?
Whatever captivates us, changes us.
Whatever captivates us, changes us…makes us more like we are captured by.
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You nailed me on this one. Valerie & I are always battling to fight off busyness, but I’m not sure it is for such a noble purpose as drawing close to the Lord. I needed this reminder. If that was my goal, I think I would be more likely to stay towards the “F’ even in times of busyness.
received
by shane barnard
you can only go so far, until the bottom falls out
all my singing, smiling, pleasure finds me, i’m all right
pretty melody, dedicated to God
to be called by one Almighty God and take it for granted
heard a rumor i guess, but i wanna know who told me so
told me serving You replaced me knowing You!
can i be received?
unclean oh Lord am i
find me in my shame
You are all I need
please don¹t pass me by
i call upon Your name
You whispered to Your child today
but i haven’t got a minute to listen
Your child is busy with the work of God and taking Him for granted
got a lot to do today, kingdom work’s the game i play
Lord my serving You replaced me knowing You
psalm 26:2-3
can i be received?
unclean oh Lord am i
find me in my shame
You are all I need
please don¹t pass me by
i call upon Your name
something i think we all struggle with. i’ve often wondered what my life would like if i “sold out” totally to Jesus like paul and peter et al did, so i sit down and start reading through the gospels in search of the Jesus of scripture and how i can be like Him. and then i get distracted by something else, usually a book about ministry or theology or something, and i forget the whole reason i sat down to read in the first place.
accountability i think could play a huge role in getting closer to Jesus and how we should live. the lone ranger approach to christianity in america has gone on long enough. that heresy should be ended, and soon. something we desire to have is a small group setting (life group) in which to get to know people (how scary) and let them know us (even scarier). we haven’t found that quite yet, but we’ve found people at wh that we could do that with.
during your sermon yesterday, the song “captivated” by watermark kept playing in my head. i desire to be that. unfortunately, sometimes i feel like the only way that can happen is if all i do is sit around and think about Jesus and pour myself over the word (monk-ism? how biblical is that?). but then i think about everything else i could be doing, should be doing, want to be doing. and how much sleep i could be catching up on and whether or not my bible would make a good pillow. but i know that isn’t the way. and so i find myself asking what the way is. what is the best way to seek after Jesus if all reading the bible does is put me to sleep (not because it’s boring, but because reading does that. and audio bibles are too expensive).
anyway…
captivate us
by watermark
Your face is beautiful
And Your eyes are like the stars
Your gentle hands have healing
There inside the scars
Your loving arms they draw me near
And Your smile it brings me peace
Draw me closer oh my Lord
Draw me closer Lord to Thee
(chorus)
Captivate us, Lord Jesus
Set our eyes on You
Devastate us with Your presence
Falling down
And rushing river, draw us nearer
Holy fountain consume us with You
Captivate us Lord Jesus, with You
Your voice is powerful
And Your words are radiant bright
In Your breath and shadow
I will come close and abide
You whisper love and life divine
And Your fellowship is free
Draw me closer O my Lord
Draw me closer Lord to Thee
(chorus)
Let everything be lost in the shadows
Of the light of Your face
Let every chain be broken from me
As I’m bound in Your grace
For Your yoke is easy, Your burden is light
You’re full of wisdom, power and might
And every eye will see You
(chorus)