Normally, I hate to broadcast my shortcomings, but I also realize that I can't afford to broadcast only my victories. Hopefully, I'm not being too transparent.
Here's the thing: I know I'm good at a lot of things. But on the flip side of that, I know I'm not the best at anything, and I never will be. The thing is, many times I just resent the people that are better than me.
Let me rephrase that, the thing I really resent is when I see people with less talent than I have get better results than I get. It's not fair. In a way, I'm like the jerkface, whiney, second string quarterback, stirring up trouble in order to secure the top spot for myself.
I can really identify with David, the hot-shot upstart thrust into second place in the kingdom of Israel. But I have not yet learned the lesson never to lay a hand on the LORD's annointed (1 Sam 24). Unfortunately, that makes me more like David's son, Absalom, who went behind the king's back to create a following and usurp the kingdom (2 Sam 15). And that is why I think I'm still on the sidelines.
So there you have it. I'm not proud of it. The only thing left for me to do is repent of it and stop doing it. It's time to realize that I don't have to be the best. Maybe it would help to see things from God's perspective, to celebrate His victories and gifts, regardless of who He chooses to bless. I've done it before, so it's now a matter of consistently applying it.
I don't like being a disaffected malcontent all the time.
Hopefully, the first step toward recovery really is to admit you have a problem.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
A Double Dose of Sermons
Well, I just finished paper number one this semester, and I'm off to my next project(s). Next Sunday I am preaching at North Point (where I'm helping out with music), and I am really looking forward to it. I'm preaching on Acts 13:47-48, and it's a very special passage to me. As I see it, this wraps up the mission of the church in a nice, neat little package.
Basically, if I get the opportunity to plant a church, it would be based on this passage, and I would most likely preach from it the first week. So I'm looking at this Sunday as a rough draft to the future.
But not only that, it will be a great opportunity to challenge the church I'm at to think about their goals, and give them some concrete ideas for outreach and growth.
In addition, I have a sermon due for preaching class three days later, which I am (perhaps foolishly) taking from a completely different passage. That one will be from Psalm 37 on dealing with enemies.
If you read this, pray for me. I'm going to try to use my preaching opportunity to invite some people from work who aren't exactly the "churchy" type. Should be exciting.
Basically, if I get the opportunity to plant a church, it would be based on this passage, and I would most likely preach from it the first week. So I'm looking at this Sunday as a rough draft to the future.
But not only that, it will be a great opportunity to challenge the church I'm at to think about their goals, and give them some concrete ideas for outreach and growth.
In addition, I have a sermon due for preaching class three days later, which I am (perhaps foolishly) taking from a completely different passage. That one will be from Psalm 37 on dealing with enemies.
If you read this, pray for me. I'm going to try to use my preaching opportunity to invite some people from work who aren't exactly the "churchy" type. Should be exciting.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Preaching to the Pastor
I'm taking Advanced Preaching this semester, and I'm finding more to love and more to hate about preparing sermons. One of the biggest things I love is doing the background work, and digging up new information, making new connections across Scripture, and seeing how God worked in the Bible and the possibilities of how He can still work today.
Then comes the application. Not that I hate discovering how God's truth back then still works out for us today, but I hate what that invariably means for me: change.
Here's the dealio: I'm working on a sermon for class, and it's from Exodus 34, where Moses prays to God after God promised to restore His covenant when Israel had broken it. What I'm struck with, though, is how different this little prayer is from my own prayer life. Basically, I suck at praying, and that's unacceptable.
Sure, I like praying to God. I'm just undisciplined and spend most of the time trying to figure out what to pray. I also think that people unwittingly do others a disservice when they describe prayer as "just talking to God." That may be less intimidating to the neophytes, but we should really work harder at training prayer warriors. In my experience, I've found very few people who can do more than thank God for the day, and for being who He is.
Here's my point. It's time for me and thee to really start looking to pray like the men and women of God in the Bible. Instead of just thanking God for who He is, let's find out exactly who He is in the Bible and in our current lives and thank and praise Him for specific things, ask Him for things like "going in our midst," and even (gasp!) confessing specific instances of our sinfulness, and repenting of it.
Yikes! Who knows what may happen after all this? It boggles the mind.
Then comes the application. Not that I hate discovering how God's truth back then still works out for us today, but I hate what that invariably means for me: change.
Here's the dealio: I'm working on a sermon for class, and it's from Exodus 34, where Moses prays to God after God promised to restore His covenant when Israel had broken it. What I'm struck with, though, is how different this little prayer is from my own prayer life. Basically, I suck at praying, and that's unacceptable.
Sure, I like praying to God. I'm just undisciplined and spend most of the time trying to figure out what to pray. I also think that people unwittingly do others a disservice when they describe prayer as "just talking to God." That may be less intimidating to the neophytes, but we should really work harder at training prayer warriors. In my experience, I've found very few people who can do more than thank God for the day, and for being who He is.
Here's my point. It's time for me and thee to really start looking to pray like the men and women of God in the Bible. Instead of just thanking God for who He is, let's find out exactly who He is in the Bible and in our current lives and thank and praise Him for specific things, ask Him for things like "going in our midst," and even (gasp!) confessing specific instances of our sinfulness, and repenting of it.
Yikes! Who knows what may happen after all this? It boggles the mind.
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