DEC. 26 sermon---Back in the Box Jesus

JESUS CHRIST birth has once again been celebrated. Excitement has built over a period of weeks. Persons have been more expressive of love, joy, good will, and peace than at any time of the year.

You know, we did “A Faircloth Christmas”…and that was great and good for that family. Colby received many toys and clothing items, the parents received gas, Walmart, JCPenny and Visa gift cards. Many of you were amazed by the outpouring of love the youth and some of the church had over this event, which confuses me! Should this not have been a natural response? I mean, this family is part of this congregation, a part of our family and our community…should we not have immediately responded the way we did without question or objection? This act and acts like them should be AUTOMATIC if we call ourselves Christians!! Amen or did I step on too many toes?

But then again, for a lot of us, that was yesterday.

Once more Christmas has come and gone. Nothing is as over as Christmas, when it is over. I was listening to the country music station on the way down from high point and their aint nothing better than hearing Alabama sing “Christmas in Dixie.” But then later that night…regular music!! In the span of SIX hours, we threw Christmas out with all that wrapping paper and bows!!

Before Christmas, up goes expectations…and the day after, down comes the decorations. My wife permits me the pleasure in participating in re-decorating the house. I get to go around packing up the tree and nativity we put out for the celebration.

There goes Mary and Joseph followed by sheep and wise men.

The last figure to be put away is Jesus.

The moment inevitably comes when it is time: "Back in the box Jesus."
He too is packed and put away. Somehow that seems symbolical of what really happens. As soon as Christmas day is passed we put away Jesus and return to our daily lives.

There is a Peanuts cartoon in which Lucy says to Charlie Brown.

"'Tis the season of peace on earth good will toward men. I suppose we ought to be a little kinder to each other." The ever hopeful Charlie responds, "It's a shame we can't make it last all year." To which Lucy retorts, "What are you, some kind of religious fanatic?"

The letter to Titus has something great to say to us about what we have just celebrated and witnessed in Jesus being born in a poop-filled manger!

Titus 2:11-14

^11-14God's readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation's available for everyone! We're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is increasing our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

Did you know there were many birth and life stories that sound similar to the story of Jesus? Why did our story survive?

LOVE! LOVE is the most essential part of the faith!! It is one of our candles in the Advent Wreath! It is the essence behind the Christ candle!!

But unfortunately, many of us have forgotten that the Bible is Gods love letter to us!

Why do we put Jesus back into the box? Because we forget that this time of year helps us remember the beginning of a love story. It is about God, it is about us.

This love story has changed lives, and will continue to change lives if we take Jesus back out of the box and dive back into Gods love letter and love the people God loves the most, EVERYONE.

We have enjoyed giving and receiving gifts this Christmas. Now that the season is over, dare we quit giving, loving, sacrificing, living?

Are we going to put Jesus back in the box or let Him be the object of our worship to Whom we give ourselves?

LOVE is life's motivator

This posting is slightly modified from DAY 2 of The Love Dare:

For Christ's LOVE compels us....
-2 Corinthians 5:14 "Anger can fuel hatred in a man's heart until he feels like attacking his enemy. But love can spark kindness to his heart so he lays down his life for his friend. Selfishness can drive a woman to tighten her grip and hoard her resources. But love can inspire her to open her hands and give sacrificially. Love is the purest and most powerful motivator. It gives courage to a coward, seldom to a fool.
When love invades your heart, you are empowered to endure deeper pain, willingly pay a greater cost, and risk your reputation for the sake of another. Love causes a soldier to lay down his life for his country, a mother to pray relentlessly for her child, and a gracious God to send His only Son to die for our sins. LOVE is that powerful.
Paul the apostle endured beatings, intense persecution, and hardship throughout his life. He did it for one reason alone: "Christ's love" compelled him. If love began fueling your decisions, what would it drive you to do in your life??"



I did a sermon a while back, challenging the congregation to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and replace the word "love" with their name...example: Love is patient and kind; Gaddy is patient and kind.... does that match up? Is that reality? What about for you?

As we come to the time where we will celebrate the coming of our King Jesus, the ultimate example of love, let us continually ask God to make the practice of LOVE a reality in our lives!

Proverb 6

This set of verses are pretty awesome. You cannot come by this kind of wisdom these days!

A woman who sells her love

can be bought

for as little

as the price of a meal.

But making love

to another man's wife

will cost you everything.

²⁷If you carry burning coals,

you burn your clothes;

²⁸if you step on hot coals,

you burn your feet.

²⁹And if you go to bed

with another man's wife,

you pay the price.

³⁰We don't put up with thieves,

not even ^[b] with one who steals for something to eat.

³¹And thieves who get caught

must pay back

seven times what was stolen

and lose everything.

³²But if you go to bed

with another man's wife,

you will destroy yourself

by your own stupidity.

³³You will be beaten

and forever disgraced,

³⁴because a jealous husband

can be furious and merciless

when he takes revenge.

³⁵He won't let you pay him off,

no matter what you offer.

But as we think about this, we must remember this is Old Testament. Jesus brings a transformation to this...so though you may feel as if you have been stabbed in the back, beaten down and walked all over...do not be the one that doesnt allow someone to apologize...do not let verse 35 describe you, "He won't let you pay him off, no matter what you offer." We are about to experience a miracle, the coming of Jesus into our world....his life and teachings call us to transform everything we thought we know and how we should act. We are called to go from being "furious and merciless" to quick to forgive and go crazy in love!

Many of us consider this impossible, that some people are just impossible to forgive and love....but you are the one that can make it possible!

Until Next Time...

Times....because we all have them...

I cannot get over this song by Tenth Avenue North.....because I have been low like this person.....I have been down so entirely deep in a pit, that i felt God did not even know where I was or how to get back to me...much less love me again....take a look...




The love and grace of God knows no bounds and no end...whatever your questions, mistakes, sins, screw ups, lies, questions, doubts.....He is there (present tense)!!!
God's response in the song is:
"I hear You say,
"My love is over. It's underneath.
It's inside. It's in between.
The times you doubt Me, when you can't feel.
The times that you question, 'Is this for real? '
The times you're broken.
The times that you mend.
The times that you hate Me, and the times that you bend.
Well, My love is over, it's underneath.
It's inside, it's in between.
These times you're healing, and when your heart breaks.
The times that you feel like you're falling from grace.
The times you're hurting.
The times that you heal.
The times you go hungry, and are tempted to steal.
The times of confusion, in chaos and pain.
I'm there in your sorrow, under the weight of your shame.
I'm there through your heartache.
I'm there in the storm.
My love I will keep you, by My pow'r alone.
I don't care where you fall, where you have been.
I'll never forsake you, My love never ends.
It never ends."

This season, remember what Emmanuel really means: "GOD WITH US"...Present Tense...

Through the Fire and the Flames We Carry On...

Never thought I would name a message after a DragonForce song...but there is a first time for everything...



But how true it actually is...it is through the fire and the flames that we carry on. Last night, my youth had a bonfire since they had no school today. They had a blast and that was the goal...for the last half.

The first half was devoted to their souls and what God had to say. God was desiring for them to understand that He wanted to be the fire that not only burned inside of them passionately to change the world, but also He wanted to be the fire that purified and perfected them. The spark came from Malachi 3:2-3---
But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire...He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons and daughters of [Lees Chapel Youth] and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.
(P.S.---Zechariah 13:9 is another great verse)

They were given the opportunity to write down on paper something that was holding them back, something that had them stuck in a position that blocked them from giving God all they had in service and faith. Who knows what they may have put down...but they were challenged to throw it into the fire, to forever be burned away, turned to ash....symbolizing how Jesus scatters our sin as far as the east is from the west.

It was pretty awesome to see them take one piece or five pieces of paper. I now trust them with the follow through. These are things they have to let go of!! These are things that they have to release and let God burn out of their lives so they can become "sons and daughters" who bring offerings of righteousness to God. And I want this to be in every area of their lives...church, school, jobs, hang outs, and home! Because THEY CAN DO IT!!

What do you have holding you back that you need to let God burn away, so that you can carry on in service, love and passion for Him?

There's a hole, There's a hole...

A person texted me this: "How come people are never content with what they have? Waiting for something forever, then getting it, then moving right along. Is it the thrill that makes us crave more?"

It has been a long time since i have blogged, so i figured this would be a good time.

It has been said that all of us have a hole in all our hearts. If you have never felt emptiness in your soul at some point, you need to write a book and tell all of us how you do it. Because truth is, even as a pastor, I feel empty sometimes. Many times, especially with teenagers, we fill that hole with new clothes, new technology, new relationships, and sometimes even sex and drugs. I am willing to bet that many times, this is one cause of addictions whether to sex, porn, alcohol, drugs, etc.

So for example: you fill this hole with a relationship, then when the relationship is not enough, you move to more physical things such as sex, then when that is not enough, some people move to porn or cheat...see the downward spiral?

When we try to fill a circle shaped hole with a square peg...there a gaps, and we try to fill those gaps...

Lets cut to the chase...this hole in our hearts can only be filled by God through the death of Jesus Christ. Why fill our hearts with SO MANY temporary things, when you can fill your heart with the ONE eternal thing you actually need?

Two quotes come to mind:
"Search your heart several times a day, and if you find something that is disturbing your peace, remember to take the proper steps to restore the calm."
---Francis de Sales

"Holy fire burn away
My desire for anything
That is not of You and is of me
I want more of You
And less of me

Empty me, empty me,
and fill, won't you fill me
With You, with You"
---Empty Me by Jeremy Camp

I imagine that if we can fill that hole in our hearts with Jesus, and think about those two quotes daily....we may find the revival that some of us are praying for.

Until Next Time....

Step Up Your Game!

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
---James 4:13-14

Good fishermen will leave out early in the morning, when it is dark, calm and quiet outside. Fishermen don’t sleep in and they don’t waste time hitting the snooze button. They make the most out of all the time that is available in their day. Their wake up call might come so early, in fact, that they could get a glimpse of a morning fog.

Just like that momentary fog on the water, our time here on earth is evaporating. Are you spending your life putting off the things God wants you to do, thinking that there’s plenty of time? Or are you seizing every moment and making good use of every minute?

In the verses above, James is telling us that time has no guarantees. He’s challenging us to focus on what we can do today.

What are some of the things you have been procrastinating? Who has God placed on your heart? Who are you supposed to reach out to? Don’t delay. Life is too short and too uncertain. So take every opportunity you can to find and fulfill your God-given purpose here on earth.

SomeOne I Can Be Real With

If you merely pretend that you enjoy God or love Him, HE KNOWS! You cant fool Him, dont even try.

Instead, tell Him how you feel. Tell Him that He is not the most importantthing in this life to you, and that you are sorry for that. Tell Him that you have been shady, that you have chosen ___________ over Him time after time! Tell Him that you want Him to change you, that you long to genuinely enjoy Him. Tell Him that you want to experience true satisfaction and pleasure and joy in your relationship with Him. Tell Him you want to love Him more than anything on this earth. Tell Him you want to treasure the kingdom of Heaven soooo much that you would willingly sell everything in order to get it. Tell Him what you like about Him, what you appreciate, and what brings you joy!!

Jesus, I need to give myself up. I am not strong enough to love You and walk with You on my own. I cant do it, I need You. I need You deeply and desperately. I believe You are worth it, that You are better than anything else I could have in this life or the next. I want You. And when I dont, I want to want You. Be all in me. Take all of me. Have Your way with me.

---CrazyLove
By Francis Chan

So what about you??

Since I Have My Life Before Me

I’ll live my life to the fullest. I’ll be happy. I’ll brighten up. I will be more joyful than I have ever been. I will be kind to others. I will loosen up. I will tell others about Christ. I will go on adventures and change the world. I will be bold and not change who I really am. I will have no troubles but instead help others with their troubles.

You see, I’ll be one of those people who live to be history makers at a young age. Oh, I’ll have moments, good and bad, but I will wipe away the bad and only remember the good. In fact that’s all I remember, just good moments, nothing in between, just living my life to the fullest. I’ll be one of those people who go somewhere with a mission, an awesome plan, a world-changing plan, and nothing will hold me back. I’ll set an example for others, I will pray for direction.

I have my life before me. I will give others the joy I have and God will give me more joy. I will do everything God tells me to do. I will follow the footsteps of God. I will do my best!!!

~Brooke Bronkowski

During her freshman year of high school, Brooke was in a car accident while driving to the movies. Her life on earth ended when she was just 14 years old, but her impact did not. Nearly 1500 people attended her memorial service. People from her public high school read poems she had written about her love for God. Everyone spoke of her example and her joy.

I shared the [good news of Jesus] and invited those who wanted to know Jesus to come up and give their lives to Him. There must have been at least 200 students on their knees at the front of the church praying for salvation. Ushers gave a Bible to each of them. They were Bibles that Brooke had kept in her garage, hoping to give out to all her unsaved friends. In one day, Brooke led more people to the Lord than most ever will.

In her brief 14 years on earth, Brooke was faithful to Christ. Her short life was not wasted. The words from her essay seem prophetic: “You see, I’ll be one of those people who live to be history makers at a young age.”

---Francis Chan

CrazyLove: Overwhelmed By a Relentless God

Be patient...

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

James 5:7-8

Maybe you can relate to me in this: I want things to go my way. Not some of the time. Not most of the time; but all of the time.

I want to be in charge of my life. I want things to work out according to my plan, my agenda. And because of that, I can sometimes grow impatient with God’s timing. I try to get Him to follow my timeline.

But nothing is more futile than trying to control God.

God has a plan for each of us. And the Bible says that His plan is much better than our own.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

We may not agree; we may not even understand it. But when we are patient in following God’s plan, as James tells us, we will come to realize that God only wants the best for us and that His timeline is perfect.

Don’t grow impatient with God. Instead, trust in His plan, have patience and discover how truly valuable the crop is that God has in store for you.

Baptists Today Blogs: Headbanging for Jesus

So my professor, Dr. Cartledge, took his son to the Skillet concert at CU! His article is great! Though Skillet is not his cup of tea...he can see something that may be happening amidst all of this craziness! He is has become one of my favorite professors over this semester...his attendance to a Skillet show put him over the top!

Baptists Today Blogs: Headbanging for Jesus

WEIRD DREAM!!

So now it is time for everyone to think "This kid is WEIRD!!" I have to share my dream that I had.

So as you may know (or not) my gma was murdered recently. I went through a small time of depression (including sadness and anger). I went and saw my mentor and friend craig...and that helped a lot. Like i said in a previous post, i could finally see the silver lining and where God was at in all of this! But the best thing that helped me was this dream...

I had a dream where i was able to talk to my gma...it was so weird because it felt so real. But we talked. I asked her questions that i had, apologized for some guilt i had, she apologized for somethings too. Then i woke up....

I do this thing where i look up my dreams........the analysis of this dream:
To see your dead sibling, relative, or friend in your dream, indicates that you miss them and are trying to relive your old experiences you had with them. In trying to keep up with the pace of your daily waking life, you dreams may serve as your only outlet in coping and coming to terms with the loss of a loved one.


And thats what it did...it help me come to terms and answer questions. Pretty nifty!

So how do i relate this to God. God is big enough to do anything. There is a verse that says "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

I am one to think that God knows our needs...most people would agree with that statement. And so im pretty sure God knew that this evil thing that happened was killing me and affecting our relationship. So i feel God gave this to me because in my situation...this is what was good and perfect...it is what i needed most!

So you may have had a random situation happen....but look for God in the little things....because God is always working to turn your ugly mess into a hot mess (hot mess=awesome thing).

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

Lamentations 3:19-24

Lamentations 3:19-24
(Contemporary English Version)

¹⁹Just thinking of my troubles

and my lonely wandering

makes me miserable.

²⁰That's all I ever think about,

and I am depressed.

²¹But there's one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

²²The LORD's loyal love never fails!

If he had not been merciful,

we would have been destroyed.

²³The LORD can always be trusted

to show mercy each morning.

²⁴Deep in my heart I say,

"The LORD is all I need;

I can depend on him!"

Are you feeling like this? Have you felt like this?? We never read from Lamentations because it is so depressing, but this little section is the only glimmer of hope that these people have...and in the deepest darkness of our lives, its the only glimmer of hope that we have!

Until Next Time...

Critical...but for reason!

And so I am very critical of the ministry I do with youth. I dont want it to be cheesy or routine. Last nite was our TWLOHA concert and it went great! I had two youth in charge and they did great! I have gotten into this mode where i am giving responsibility to the youth and letting them take part in building this...making them ever mindful that though it is for us, it is also to glorify and honor God. ME LIKEY!!! It has taken some weight off my shoulders...

So they had a response time...they were called to write stories about their lives, almost like cardboard testimonies! But this was wayyy better! But here was the bigger point...I wanted everyone, guests and all to feel welcome.

A person who i never met before said she felt so welcome in our group last nite...

This makes my heart smile....and the heart of God smile!!
The sense of community at its best!
The youth are doing it through God's Holy Spirit!
ROLL YOUTH ROLL!

BYAHHHH!!!

Until Next Time....

When I look at the starsss....

So in class today, a woman preached on the stars that Abraham saw as God spoke to him and God promised Abraham children that would out number the stars. Just think about the image that Abraham saw...in the middle of a desert, in the pitch black dark of night! He looks up and he sees MILLIONS of sparkling dots in the sky, as if they are saying "I am one of your future grandkids." But then Abraham notices that as he counts, there are stars that keep appearing brand new, and others that are dying off. And so Abraham loses count, but how happy he must have been! Abraham went from a man whose wife was barren, to being promised that God would provide him a SON! And God kept his promise. But little did Abraham know that one of these grandkids would be the man who would be called "the Morning Star"...or as my friend Erik Hawks once wrote "the one star that would never fall!"

That man is Jesus. Yesterday during youth bible study, one of my youth, Caroline, asked me about the star glued to my office door. The star reads "there's one star that will never fall..." She did not understand. Jesus, being called THE LIGHT and MORNING STAR, is that star that we can always look for to guide us and light the way! He never fails, He never falls.

So may you, when you look at the stars again, think about God's promise to Abraham...and realize that God's promise continues, that He will provide for your needs...especially in Jesus Christ!

Silver Lining

So for the first time since 7th grade i received counseling. I am not one to open up about the deep sad and angry feelings that I may have. But after visiting a church service in Clayton, i realized that I was holding in some emotions that were doing some serious eating away at my soul...like Golden Corral buffet style. How do i know this? Well briefly:
---my spiritual side was hurting...less convo with God, less reading of the Bible, we are talking almost non-existent.
---my relational side was bad...i became very short tempered, lost passion for some things that i am VERY passionate about, and started withdrawing from my peeps (the human ones, i already ate the marshmellow ones).
Emily became worried (cuz she's a woman) and urged me to go see my buddy Craig. And it was a good experience. It was something I needed. God did work, son!

Its been six weeks since my gma's murder...and I am doing okay with it, but still not quite over it. I am wayyyy better than i was. The anger has calmed, the sadness has calmed, but I have my moments...but the fact that I have come this far gives me hope that I am getting back to the old Gaddy...and thats a good thing.

The challenge here is to find the silver lining. Romans 8:28 says: we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called. according to his purpose. Is this true? Can a murder, or divorce, or car accident really be something good?

Well, yea! Heck, why not? Think about it in the long run. Because of my gma's murder, I am better able to relate with other people's tragedies, understand some reasons behind addictions, and able to help people with their grief in future situations.

So where is the silver lining in your situation? How is God trying to make a good thing out of your tragedy? And are you letting him?

Until Next Time....

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Heart Exam

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.

2 Corinthians 13:5a

True faith in Christ is lived out by the things we do each and every day. And by our example, we can either push someone away from God, or bring them closer to knowing the life-changing truth of Jesus Christ.

Because of the eternal importance of our example, we have to regularly revisit what’s right and what’s wrong in our behavior. We have to make sure that our moral compass is dialed into the clear standards of God’s word, and not the murky gray version of right and wrong that the world has created.

As you walk through each day, take some time to take an honest look at your actions and investigate the level of influence your faith has on others. Are you doing all that God has asked of you? Are you truly in the faith?

Next Steps

• Think of some actions you have taken that made your faith visible to others.
• Ask yourself: Am I an authentic believer who shows others what it really means to know Jesus Christ? Write out why or why not.
• Ask for God’s help to honestly examine your heart as you seek for ways to increase your influence with others.