I was watching the movie Friday Night Lights, when I was struck by the “locker room speech”. I was amazed by the truth struck upon by Billy Bob Thornton. Their team was getting beaten by a faster stronger meaner team. How often our own lives feel like we are just here getting a beating. Then the coach tells them, “your need to find each other out there, you need each other”. How true that is about the Christian life.Then halftime and the locker room speech. The coach, Billy Bob, tells his players about being perfect. You all have known me for a while... and for a long time now, you've beenhearing me talk about being perfect. Well, I want you to understand somethin'.To me, being perfect... is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship to yourself and your family and your friends. Bein'perfect...is about being able to lookyour friends in the eye... and know that youdidn't let them down. Because you told 'em the truth.And that truth is, is that you did everything that you could.There wasn't one more thing that you could've done. Can you live in that moment...as best you can with clear eyes...and love in your heart? With joy in your heart?If you can do that, gentlemen,then you're perfect. I want you to take a moment...and I want you to lookeach other in the eyes. I want you to put each other in your hearts forever. Because forever's about to happen here in just a few minutes.I want you to close your eyes… and I want you to thinkabout Boobie Miles, who is your brother. And he would die to be out there on that field with you tonight.And I want you to put that in your hearts. Boys, my heart is full. My heart's full.
John Wesley was often talking about us becoming perfect, and what that looks like. Here in this locker room moment I see a vision of perfection as a team. As I think about what we do in our small groups I see a vision of perfection as a group of men who share the truth, in being there for each other.
I then think about the speech as what Christ did at the Cross. In that moment Christ went to the cross and it was about relationship, His relationship to the father and his relationship to us. He went to the Cross with clear eyes and love in his heart, and he told us the truth.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Dreams and Polar Bears
I ask God each day for fresh insight. This is what he put on my heart Monday morning.
As I awoke from my dream about a polar bear I wondered if it had a meaning. The dream went something like this. My nephew and I were setting together when he got the attention of a Polar bear. I asked him “are you crazy?” “I have experience with these polar bears, and they are tough to get rid of, and nothing good comes of it.” Well, this polar bear followed us home, and he gave us a hard time. In my mind I knew what the bear wanted. It wanted to kill us. It also was willing to kill anyone around us as well. (Family, friends, or any unlucky bystander) In the dream the bear was wreaking havoc. His behavior was getting worse and worse. It was finally a lot like that insurance company’s commercial where the bear eats the inside of a car. Well, as I pondered this dream it struck me as a metaphor of addiction. It also reminds me of sin. In Gen 4:7 “…But if you do not do what is right sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
The question comes to mind, “are we crazy?” The teachers of the law in the Old Testament tried to build a fence around the law so that the people would not fall prey to sin. It occurs to me that we need fences in our lives. We would do much better not to bring polar bears into our lives. But what do we do if we have one in our lives? One man against a bear is not good odds, but if we band together we can kill these polar bears together one at a time. Jesus said, “I have come to bring you life and to bring it more abundantly.”
As I awoke from my dream about a polar bear I wondered if it had a meaning. The dream went something like this. My nephew and I were setting together when he got the attention of a Polar bear. I asked him “are you crazy?” “I have experience with these polar bears, and they are tough to get rid of, and nothing good comes of it.” Well, this polar bear followed us home, and he gave us a hard time. In my mind I knew what the bear wanted. It wanted to kill us. It also was willing to kill anyone around us as well. (Family, friends, or any unlucky bystander) In the dream the bear was wreaking havoc. His behavior was getting worse and worse. It was finally a lot like that insurance company’s commercial where the bear eats the inside of a car. Well, as I pondered this dream it struck me as a metaphor of addiction. It also reminds me of sin. In Gen 4:7 “…But if you do not do what is right sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
The question comes to mind, “are we crazy?” The teachers of the law in the Old Testament tried to build a fence around the law so that the people would not fall prey to sin. It occurs to me that we need fences in our lives. We would do much better not to bring polar bears into our lives. But what do we do if we have one in our lives? One man against a bear is not good odds, but if we band together we can kill these polar bears together one at a time. Jesus said, “I have come to bring you life and to bring it more abundantly.”
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
As I was reading Mark 8:14 I had a thought about faith. That thought being that I wanted to be prepared for every situation that was possible before it happens. I wanted full knowledge of the Bible, and what to do in every situation, so I could be ready. Then I read this scripture.
“The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful, Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have not bread.”
Jesus goes on to try and explain it to them. Jesus had been so faithful to them. He had provided so often. Yet the disciples considered it their fault that they should have brought more.
At the deepest spiritual level I began to wonder what this was saying about me. Then it hit me… I wanted to have complete knowledge so that I no longer had to rely on God. I wanted self-reliance not God reliance. Then I got this funny visual. Me standing there trying to carry all of this bread. A full lifetime supply of bread strapped on me, so much bread in fact that I could no longer move. Funny, well it made me smile.
Jesus wants my faith. Yes, his yoke is light. So as I lay down my need to carry all of this bread, I am able to move in faith.
So, I now encourage you to move in faith, and may you go places where Jesus shows up with the resources.
“The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful, Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have not bread.”
Jesus goes on to try and explain it to them. Jesus had been so faithful to them. He had provided so often. Yet the disciples considered it their fault that they should have brought more.
At the deepest spiritual level I began to wonder what this was saying about me. Then it hit me… I wanted to have complete knowledge so that I no longer had to rely on God. I wanted self-reliance not God reliance. Then I got this funny visual. Me standing there trying to carry all of this bread. A full lifetime supply of bread strapped on me, so much bread in fact that I could no longer move. Funny, well it made me smile.
Jesus wants my faith. Yes, his yoke is light. So as I lay down my need to carry all of this bread, I am able to move in faith.
So, I now encourage you to move in faith, and may you go places where Jesus shows up with the resources.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Something came to me this week while preparing a lesson.
"We will only get out of life what we put into it."
The men's retreat was a great deal of fun. We were able to have time together and celebrate a warm time as well as a hot camp fire. Well, now after several weeks that camp fire is cold, yet we started new connections among the men here at KUMC. I would like to encourage each of you to continue to develop friendships that were started.
We will be starting some new fellowship groups during the week. Bill Carroll will be heading up that group. Feel free to contact Bill or myself as to times and groups. Also keep in mind that there are several groups that are already in motion. Purvis Harper would be glad to speak to you about those groups.
If you want a friend . be a friend
If you want to be in close contact with men be there for each other.
If you want more out of life we need to put more into life.
"We will only get out of life what we put into it."
The men's retreat was a great deal of fun. We were able to have time together and celebrate a warm time as well as a hot camp fire. Well, now after several weeks that camp fire is cold, yet we started new connections among the men here at KUMC. I would like to encourage each of you to continue to develop friendships that were started.
We will be starting some new fellowship groups during the week. Bill Carroll will be heading up that group. Feel free to contact Bill or myself as to times and groups. Also keep in mind that there are several groups that are already in motion. Purvis Harper would be glad to speak to you about those groups.
If you want a friend . be a friend
If you want to be in close contact with men be there for each other.
If you want more out of life we need to put more into life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)