Murray interacts with the mentality and I encourage you to at least read his post and think through how you are functionally entitled. And then stop it. Murray addresses what we are entitled to.

“As a Christian, I believe in one entitlement.

I’m entitled to Hell. That’s the only entitlement I have. That’s all I deserve, because of my sin. Anything else is grace, an unmerited bonus from the God of all grace. I don’t deserve a breath of life, a crumb of food, a drop of water, a stitch of clothing, a cent in my wallet, or an hour of education. I’m not entitled to one friend, one vacation, one verse of Scripture, or even one sermon. I’m certainly not entitled to salvation and heaven. I’m entitled to damnation and Hell.

That sense of entitlement makes me seek mercy, receive mercy, enjoy mercy, and be merciful to others. To paraphrase the Apostle Paul, “What have I that I did not receive as a free gift of divine grace? How therefore can I ever boast as if I had actually been entitled to it or earned it?”

So, there are basically only two ways to live: with a proud and angry sense of entitlement or with a humble and thankful sense of responsibility.”

Read the post and hear the podcast here.

It is fat Tuesday (no weight jokes please) and I am feeling it. It is time to give up for lent. I am not giving up a specific food or media for the 40 day period of reflection and preparation for Easter. I doubt my schedule will change much in this season although I will probably have more free time. I am simply giving up for lent. For too long I have tried things by my own strength. I have attempted to accomplsih great things (and even good things) with my own ability. I have lived a self-centered faith and it is tiring, pointless and over.

For lent I am giving up. I am learning to fully trust my savior and his sovereignty over my own. I am learning to love those around me in response to the way I have been loved. I am determining to be faithful to my God and see what might happen. This year for lent I am giving up!

One of my favorite authors of this generation, Matt Mikalatos, is in the midst of a new blog series where he is retelling the gospel stories in a modern context. It is taking place on Western Seminary’s Transformed blog. Having grown up in the church he felt as if he had all the right answers but none of the awe. “Somewhere along the way, I realized that my emotional responses to Jesus, which ranged from a mild, pleasant feeling all the way to a mild, semi-crippling guilt, didn’t match the emotional responses of the people interacting with Jesus in the scriptures. They felt terror when he calmed the seas. They experienced hate-filled, murderous impulses when they heard his teaching. They wept in his presence, they repented of their sins, they fell at his feet in worship. I started to wonder if maybe I was the simplistic, two-dimensional character. I needed to take a fresh look at Jesus.”

He is just one “translation” into his experiment and I think it is worth keeping an eye on. Too often we have our assumed conception of Jesus and the significance of his work but we rarely have the trembling awe that would be appropriate. I agree with Mikalatos that we must think through the lens that will give us the clearest view – our context. In the very least his series will be enjoyable and maybe just a little awe-inspiring.

Go here for the introduction and here for the first of his translations.

Justin Buzzard has a great post about the practical side of discipling new believers. We too often use the language of discipleship but rarely do it well. Buzzard lays outs some keys to the ways he disciples new believers and Bible study is central to that. Relationship is also key and I love his definition of the discipleship.

“Discipleship is truth transferred through relationship.“

Let it sink in. Discipleship is part of the pulpit ministry. It is central to our small groups. But overall it is about relationship. It is about sharing space and life. To disciple well we must be willing to be in relationship, not casually but wholly.

The tool of inception of this idea is the serpent. Today we see it was satan and he has been sharing the same lie with generations. Attempting to keep those in need of grace away from it.

But at the moment of the bit something else happened. As the juice spray fell to the ground a new need was planted. A need for redemption, a need for newness, humanities need for reconciliation and a savior. And there is a hint of how that need will be met. The offspring will crush the serpent’s head. It will take generations but this promise has been fulfilled. The serpent’s head is crushed, and though he flails around attempting to destroy as much as he can before he is incinerated, he has been defeated and the pursuit of the old lie is cast in new light.

We can have a relationship that will be finalized when it once again appears as if the simple bite never took place. Until then, we are messengers of opposition to the lie. We know how the need is met and we can facilitate meeting that need for others around us. It is now our toil and our pain. To see others saved from the temptation of one simple bite.

Not without purpose, Adam does not name Eve until after the fall. It is an image of how we as humanity are cast, actually named, in sin and brokenness. But alas in Christ we have a new name. One only he knows and will share with us. Until then we claim our family name, the one of our adoption. This is so much better than the lie.

I am stirred this week by the words of Eric Metaxas. Metaxas spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast this year and his courage, poignancy, and truthfulness is needed in the halls of Washington and the streets our neighborhoods. He points to Jesus and calls on us to love.  He spoke important words, while standing next to the President, and these are the words you will hear at a political rally any time soon.

Watch the speech here. It is worth it.

If I am learning one thing as a pastor (or director, or whatever it is I am) it is that I am more broken than I once thought and even more reliant on God’s grace to carry out my mission here. I can try to minister in my own ability but it becomes a sham and no one will be inclined to follow my savior when it is forced. As I realize this more and more I long for growth in Christ more than anything.

I want to be daily astounded by what I receive. I want the gospel to be my defining truth and treasure. I want my sermons to come from the overflow of what the Holy Spirit is doing in my heart. I want to own my brokenness and in a greater way surrender to Christ’s ownership of me. I want the young adults around me to see Christ, not me.

Lord you are breaking me. I need more of you. I surrender to you. Move here. Use me as you will as I am faithful to you. Bring a gospel quake to this place and let the world see you through the way we live and strive to give you glory. Some days I don’t grow as fast as I wish, but in you I am new and have something new to say.

I love my job and that I am part of a church that lets me push the envelope and implement new things. Last night we launched our Sunday PM service. It was in the works long before I arrived but I am having a blast helping to lead the team that hosts the service. My buddy Zack Watts does most of the heavy lifting but I get to be the guy on the platform.

If you are interested – Sunday evenings at 6:30pm at Bethel Church in Richland.