Morphoo: A message from Orlando

So, I'm in Orlando this week for our LeadNow+Fusion Conference. I emceed today for Josh Loveless. He's the 20 something's pastor for the Status Community at Discovery Church here in Orlando. He was talking about the importance of spiritual formations and this idea of Morphoo which is the Greek word Paul used in Galatians when talking about how our Jesus should be a constantly growing presence in our lives. Here are some thoughts he shared with us that he said he and his leadership team have been running through.

Inviting Jesus into my SPIRITUAL PRACTICES ::
...what should I be doing about serving locally?
...what should I be doing about serving globally?
...what should I be doing about studying scripture?
...what should I be doing about solitude?
...what should I be doing about fasting?
...what should I be doing about journaling?
...what should I be doing about prayer?
...what should I be doing about giving?
...what should I be doing about evangelism?
...what should I be doing about book reading?

I'll add more later...
ZS

What happens if God doesn't move?

We live in such a results oriented society. I remember when I was playing basketball in high school, there was this kid that truly truly with all of his heart wanted to be a basketball player. He worked hard, he practiced hard, he listened, he studied plays, he stayed late...at the end of the day there was really only one problem...no talent (as it turns out, this is a huge problem). He would stumble and fall all over the court trying to play the part of a player. One day while running full court, full speed strimmages, he threw up the wildest shot you've ever seen and it went in...he went crazy, like it was the first shot he ever made...because, well...it was. My coach came unglued on him for not being in the right place on the offensive set we were running. He said, "but coach, I made the shot!" Coach told him that he was less concerned with the results and more concerned with being in your place and doing what you are supposed to be doing.
I started thinking the other day about how we view our ministries. We are always wanting to tell people about the incredible things that we've been seeing God do in our churches. But, what happens if God doesn't show up in your midst every time you open your doors and dramatically draw people in your community to Himself just week after week? What if you serve your people and your community faithfully without ever really seeing a great move of God? Are you in the wrong place? Maybe God didn't really call you where you are? Maybe you've made a mistake?
Or perhaps you are exactly where God wants you to be and you are doing exactly what God wants you to do. This issue of faithfulness has become more and more on the for front of my mind lately. All God really ever calls us to is to faithfully serve Him. You will always see what appear to be "greener pastures". This is why very few people stay where they are, they see greener pastures ahead (yea, that's a cash reference). The point being, when we are measuring what we do in the Kingdom by the stardards around us then our bench mark is flawed. The lesson that I've learned is simply faithfully serve both God and people and allow Him to do whatever he wants with that fruit...plain and simple.
Just a random thought today...
ZS

The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne

Okay, I'm about 5 chapters into this book and I've decided to put it down for a couple of days because I was starting to make plans like...let my wife (Susan, duh) that we're selling everything we own and we're moving our family under an over pass so we can start loving "the least of these". I'm not sure I've read anything that has made me socially aware of those who are without. I'm not sure I've ever read anything that has made me so personally aware of my excess. I'm not sure I've read anything that has made me more inwardly aware of my need for the Truth "...they Word, oh Lord, is truth..." Shane's journey that took him from being a catalyst for change in Philly in resurrecting a church and find homes for the homeless, to Calcutta where he hung out with the sick and afflicted, lepers, oh yea, and Mother Teresa, to Willow Creek and back to Philly (that's as far as I've gotten so far, those of you who know me know how slow I read). So, I'm taking all this in and as I mentioned, I'm extremely shaken by the things that I've read so far...then today it occurred to me...Why is it that I've never been this messed up by reading about Jesus doing these things? I think this is what we do in our Western way of Christianity, we turn people who are simply trying to follow Jesus into rock stars.

Jesus was the one that feed the 5000, He was the one that made the blind to see, He was the one that healed a woman who simply touched the hem of His robe, He was the one that told the rich young ruler to sell all he owed and give it to the poor then follow, He was the one that turned over the money changers in the Temple, He was the one raised dead people back to life (I mean literally not only spiritually), He was the one that turned water into wine, He was the one that said, loving your neighbor is not enough...love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, He was the one that said to take the plank out of your own eye before you try to remove the speck from mine, He was the one who casted out demons (get in the pigs, I love that story), He was the one who blasted religious leaders but ate with prostitutes, He was the one who walked on water, He was the one that said a good shepherd will leave the 99 to go find the 1, He was the one who came into town as a king only to be murdered by the same people a few days later, He was the one that said, "if they stop praising me...the rocks will cry out...", He was the one that said, "whatever you've done to the least of these, you've done it to me also"...He was the one...not Shane Claiborne, not Billy Graham, not Oprah, not President Bush, not Bono, not Mother Teresa, not Zach Snow...He was the one.

The book has been a great reminder of the perfect model Jesus gave us for living life, but His model for living life well and being good is not what brings about righteousness is us. I've said it probably a thousand times in the past couple of years and I hope I have the opportunity to say it a thousand more...it has nothing to do with religion, it has everything to do with relationship...everything! There is freedom that comes in knowing this Christ personally and intimately. When you have that, maybe then you figure out the importance in living a life that models that of Jesus'...otherwise, you're just another person trying to make the good out weigh the bad...and to that I say...good luck...

"...the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love" ~The Apostle Paul

Maybe the next entry will have a little more to do with the book...maybe...

ZS

Hey everyone!! It was soooo good to see everyone last night!! Jon, Claire, we missed you!! Hope that you are feeling better, Mrs. Claire!! Let us know if you need anything!!

Baby Alexis, we are soooo glad you are on your way to feeling better all of the time!!

See you all soon,
Susan

Join - Philippians 3:17-21

Pastor Trent finished up his series on LIFE this past Sunday. We've been taking a walk through the third chapter of Philippians and looking at the way Paul "encourage" the church at Philippi to live the life.

Going to be honest with you, this last message in this series was a beating...Paul makes it very clear that you are one of two things: You are either an enemy of the cross or you are a citizen of heaven. As we approach life with a Christian worldview we can understand that statement to a certain extent. We look at this senario as: You are either on God's side in this thing or you are against him. Maybe we even simplify things more by using "Christian terminology" and say: You are either saved or lost. That makes sense right?

Time out though...a closer look at the Scriptures and understand the importance of keeping it all in context shows us that that is not the issue here. We are not talking about lost vs. saved. Paul is writing this letter to the church. He is confronting those who have placed their hope of eternity in this Jesus. The reality of the situation is that as "believer" we can still be enemies of the cross. We can still be the cause for someone to not get the full picture of Christ in us. The things of the world have become more important to us than the things of God.

Okay then, how do we make sure that we are living life as citizens of heaven? Paul gives instruction to that. According to Scripture we can 1.) follow the example set by others who understand their citizenship (vs. 17) and 2.) Live as though Jesus could come back to get you today (vs. 20-21).

This is not to just be dismissed as another message. To me this is something that required self evaluation, or as I use to call it when I was doing student ministry, "spiritual inventory". We have to ask ourselves the tough question:

Am I living my life as an enemy of the cross or as a citizen of heaven?

Just something to think about...





(this is how I felt after this message on Sunday. PS - I'm the dog...)

ZS

Choke City?

Mav's out in the first round...Stars out in the first round (who cares I know)...Cowboys last year out in the first round...Rangers, maybe next year...Cowboys this year out in the first round (at least their first round)...

Have we really become choke city?

Go back a little further, Mav's up 2-0 on the Heat and a strangle hold on a 3-0 lead...again, choke. That one still hurts to think about.

I really don't have any solutions to the problems, I'm just sayin'...at this point Big D is becoming more and more Choke City, USA.

Our Hearts Don't Deserve Your Glory...

I've just been continually reminded lately of the goodness of our Creator. Why is it that He continues to open up His skies and rain down blessings on us? Not only have I seen this in my personal life and with my family but also with what he is doing at Gateway right now.
It's humbling to think that the God of everything cares so intimately about a group of people in Royse City, TX.
Incredible...we don't deserve such goodness...
ZS