This past Sunday, I preached from John 13, a text that would certainly make most preachers’ greatest hits list.  We have all heard the story of Peter protesting a foot bath.  When Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he was quite clear about our responsibility in carrying this attitude forward.  Those three questions raised in this chapter, which I shared on Sunday, continue to sit heavy on my heart. I share them with you today as a fresh reminder to live out your love for Jesus through specific acts of kindness and service.

Three Convicting Questions from John 13

1.  Do I have the HEART of a servant?

That is, do I want to serve my wife?  Do I want to serve my kids?  Do I want to serve my friends and coworkers?  Jesus made it clear that his unselfish act was a result of an overflowing heart of love. Sometimes, we have to ask God for a fresh wind of love for those people we see everyday SO THAT we can recommit to Christlike, sacrificial care.  Prayer is key in this.

2. Do I set an example of service for my friends and family?

It’s one  thing to talk about serving Lynley; it’s quite another to grab the mop, fill the bucket with soap, and go to work for her!  This past Sunday, A dear brother caught me between services and shared this nugget of wisdom concerning servitude: “You know you are a true servant when people treat you like a servant and it doesn’t bother you.”  (Feeling convicted now, moving on to point three)

3. Am I willing to serve those who hurt me?

Judas was still in the circle when Jesus went to work.  He did not allow Judas’ dirty heart to prevent him from washing his dirty toes.  Am I willing to love only those who love me?  Or, by the power of the Holy Spirit, am I willing to show respect to those who disrespect me?  This is a feat so few can accomplish.  Only by the Spirit!

Think on these things with me today.  They lie at the heart of Christianity.  :-)

–today’s entry from My Utmost For His Highest (Thank you Travis Cottrell, for sharing)

…the power of a handwritten note.  This one was crafted by a 12-year old.  Completely changed my outlook on life for a full day.  Have you written anyone recently to lift them up?  It’s simple.  And it works.

(And by the way…can you find my big toe in this picture)  :-)

I feel small and humble today.

Seeds of sin were alive in my soul.

They have been permitted to grow.

I have watered them.

Like a parasite in my body, I was not aware of their presence.

The Holy Spirit exposed me today.

He talked.  I listened.

It hurt.

I traveled a brief road of sorrow and now, I feel renewed joy.

Thank you, Jesus.

Many people resist any feelings of conviction.  Preachers are told, “You stepped on my toes.”  The truth is…no preacher has that power.  I wish I did!  The Holy Spirit is the great convicter.  David prayed to God, “Search me and know me; see if there is any offensive way in me.”  What a life-changing prayer, and what a model of humility.  David never ventured too far from grace.

Sin is numbing.  It leads us to justifying bad habits and rationalizing poor decisions.  I have found that worship is most powerful when the Lord brings to mind some great sin in which I need His grace to cover.  We all have these sins, we just fail to see them.

The following questions were written 200 years ago by John Wesley, out of a burden to become more holy.  He and a small group of intimate friends would ask themselves these heartsearching questions every day.  Some have said that these questions are “law” and they are nothing but legalistic code.  I don’t see it that way.  These questions are always a fresh reminder that I am not as good as I think I am, and I desperately need the grace of God.  EVERY DAY.

Take a moment and read a few.  You won’t get far without calling out for grace and mercy.  It is good to crave the mercy of God.

John Wesley’s Holy Club Questions

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits? Continue reading »

Hello Blog Friends,

Its early in the morning, Monday, Feb 8th.  My heart is brimming over today with thanks to God for the blessings of Sunday. My prayer time  in this corner of my still house has been sweet and filled with praise for the Holy Spirit’s work in my life and in my church.  I went to bed last night so exhausted, so physically, emotionally and spiritually spent, and yet…I could hardly sleep.  Have you ever experienced that?  What a strange irony.

I don’t have anything radical or extremely profound to say to you today.  In fact, I haven’t been inspired to translate thoughts into lines on a page for weeks.  Perhaps I can shed some light on my silence…

Since the New Year dawned, I have felt God calling me to disconnect some from social networking and to direct more concentrated energy to the intense, deeper study of His word and to prayer. One of the challenges of Iphoning, blogging, tweeting, and FBing, is that I have so many temptations for “small-talk” and it can often rob me of face time before God. Don’t get me wrong.  I love my news feed.  I feel “in the loop” to discover that I have one friend eating a hot dog at Wrigley Field in Chicago, another friend hopping on a plane to San Francisco, and still another friend cleaning up the mess his dog made in the garage.  It’s fun to get the “live feed,” an open window into the lives of my brothers and sisters.

Even so, in the midst of all our activity on Earth, it’s so easy to miss, or even neglect, the pursuit of God.  I have been praying a lot about that nebulous balance between people time and God time.  So…if I have seemed a bit disconnected, it’s not because I don’t have an interest in the web of people that God has sovereignly placed around me.  I’m just hungry to experience Psalm 42:1, more than ever, with greater pursuit.

I’m going deeper this year with God.  Already, since I have made this commitment, and given the Lord a greater chunk of my relational energy…I have felt a renewal, a surge of Spirit-energy, a stirring in my heart.  I am so thankful that He is personal, knowable, approachable.  He talked to Moses face to face as a man talks to his friend.  That’s what I want.  That’s what I want.

Last night, the Christmas Candlelight service was held at Englewood and my heart is still overflowing this morning in worship. I could list a thousand things I love about that special service: the giving of the Mark 9:35 Award to a deserving staff member, watching the small glowing wick of a candle pass from a child to a mother, the singing of carols as we partake of the Lord’s Supper, the sweet small voice of a little girl singing Happy Birthday into a microphone….etc. All these things were heartwarming. Continue reading »

So I bumped into Steven Curtis Chapman this week at Target. I had gone to spend the day with a friend in Franklin, TN, and we found ourselves knocking out his “honey-do” list at the local store. As we rounded the corner, there was Steven checking out the cds and clearly killing time. When my friend introduced himself, Steven immediately said hello and we shared some conversation. He informed us that he and his wife Mary Beth were Christmas shopping and “melting down” in every aisle as they were reminded of small gifts that would have made their little girl’s eyes light up with glee. Moments later, Mary Beth walked up and was as kind and sweet as her husband. Her eyes had been puffy and her heart was clearly aching that day as she pushed her cart. “Our daughter loved Mater from the Cars movie,” she said through her brokenness. “Mater is everywhere in this store.”

I could list a thousand lessons learned from that random encounter on Wednesday, but I thank God for Steven Curtis and Mary Beth, for two reasons. Number one, five minutes with them reminded me of the bountiful blessings I have this Christmas. Like everyone, I carry my share of burdens and feel weighed down by decisions, but hugging my children at bedtime has been a special gift this week. My daughter and I talked for 15 minutes last night under the cover of darkness and I felt no need to rush. I rubbed her back and she asked if she could scratch mine. I said yes. Continue reading »

This year, for Thanksgiving, our family (minus Jack) drove 9 hours to Chicago to spend a little time with the Northern Mandrell tribe. We assumed that Jack would be about as much fun in a car for that length of time as a wild, rabid raccoon. Therefore, he landed at Grandmama’s in Arkansas.

So me, Lynley, Ava, Max, and Miles roadtripped on Thanksgiving Day and made it to our hotel late that night. It was the first time that I’ve ever eaten my turkey dinner at Cracker Barrel, but it made for a memorable meal! They even included pie and whipped cream. The hotel we stayed in was majestic, with a large Christmas tree in the front lobby and a Starbucks right next to the front desk, an indoor waterpark complete with a “lazy river,” and a nightly rate of $89 that I still can’t figure out. Did I get a preacher’s discount? Continue reading »