The Event - Day 26

I've often struggled with wanting to "be somebody." You know, being the one who is recognized by people and who gets the recognition. I've wanted to be the one in the limelight, spot light, and neon light. I've wanted my name to be the one on everyone's tongue as well as on the book cover. I've wanted the power, the prestige, the prowess, and the popularity that come with "being someone." Worse yet, I've wanted all of this in the context of ministry.

I freely confess that all of this is narcissistic, egocentric, and totally self-centered. It is one of the worst parts of my flesh and one of the ugliest sides of my psyche. Worst of all it is totally contrary to the way of Jesus.

We've been talking during "The Event" series about so many of the smaller details and historical circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus, but we haven't yet come to what I believe is the most profound part of the story: the humility of God. While I am constantly thinking about ruling my own world, the actual Ruler of the world gave up all of his power, prestige, and position to become a baby. Not just a baby that nursed from his mother's breast, or spit up, or made a mess in his diaper, but a baby that was born in total obscurity and into total poverty. While I'm craving more, he showed me what it meant to live with less. In all of his glory, Jesus was humble, sincere, and motivated to give his entire life for others. While I am wanting to be served, he came to be a servant and to give his life as a ransom for many.

One of the most profound things God is doing in my life is to teach me this single lesson: It's all about God and His kingdom. To live for the stuff of heaven, I must relinquish the stuff of earth--which includes giving up all of my own desires, dreams, motivations, and self-centerd longings to be anything other than a forgiven child of God.

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The Event - Day 25

Holy Christmas Batman, 


I've been totally overwhelmed. Work, family, life, holidays = crazy. Just like I knew would happen, the holiday season and the busyness of life has kicked into high gear and thrown off my groove. I must work hard at focusing on Jesus and the reason he entered our world 2000 years ago. 


If you happen to be feeling like me, check out the Spiritual Focus stuff that Pastor Jim wrote for this week...

Spiritual Focus: “Oh little town of Bethlehem…”

The town of Bethlehem is obviously important as the birthplace of Jesus, but the history of that small village before “The Event” is significant in God’s Story and our stories.  Pray and then study God’s Word listed below:  

1.    Read Luke 2:1-7 again.  What is the one thing you learned from rereading the Scriptures or from the Sunday sermon that you didn’t know before? 

2.    Read Genesis 35:16-29. 

a.    What is the old name for Bethlehem (see v. 19)?

b.    Do a Google internet search about Bethlehem.  What is it like today?

c.     Why is Rachel so important to both Christians and Jewish people?

d.    From verses 23-27, draw Jacob’s family tree.

3.    Read the Book of Ruth. 

a.    In your Bible maps or online, find the location of Moab.

b.    What was the relationship between Judahites and Moabites?

c.     Why was Ruth’s marriage to Boaz so important (4:17-22)?

4.    Read 1 Samuel 17:12.

a.    Who was Jesse’s youngest son and why is he important in the lineage of Jesus?

5.    Read Micah 5:2.

a.    What is the prophecy about Bethlehem Ephrathah?

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The Event - Day 22

Man, what an awesome day at church today! I am so proud to be part of a community of faith like Epic. As I sit in my office right now I am watching a wonderful couple from our church sort hundreds of Christmas stockings that you all have so generously decorated and filled. I know that this Christmas is going to very special for some kids because of all you have done.

As we head into this week I've got one more post for you on the life of Joseph. This one comes from Roy Comstock of Christian Mentors Network. Many of you know Roy from his mentoring/discipleship books called "Mentoring His Way, Disciple 12" that we use here at Epic. Roy is a great friend of Epic and is a devoted follower of Jesus. His post is really great, so read on...

Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Matthew 1:18-25

When I was about to finish high school, fifty-two years ago, I was invited to a youth retreat near San Diego, California. One of the verses I heard frequently was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have eternal live.” I was told if I believed in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and ask Him to come into my heart that I would go to heaven. So by faith I accepted Jesus into my heart. But I remember asking myself, “How did Jesus become God’s only begotten Son?”

It wasn’t until some time later when I was studying Matthew 1:18-25, that I discovered the answer. “This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.” The angel said to Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through His prophet: Look. The virgin will conceive a child. She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means God with us.” In verse 23, Matthew is quoting Isaiah 7:14. Jesus was God in the flesh; thus God was literally among us, “with us.”  

I discovered the importance of the virgin birth when I learned that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, had to be free from the sinful nature passed on to all other human beings by Adam. Because Jesus was born of a woman, He was a human being; but as the Son of God, Jesus was born without any trace of human sin. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. In John 1:1 it says, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then in verse 14 it goes on to say, “So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” This Scripture reveals an important truth about Jesus—He is both God and human. The infinite, unlimited God took on the limitations of humanity so He could live and die for the salvation of all who would believe on Him.

“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.” (Hebrews 2: 14) I learned that God made Christ who never sinned, to be the offering for my sin so that I could be made right with God through Christ.” (II Corinthians 5:21) Because of His virgin birth and His ultimate sacrifice on the cross, Jesus Christ is my only true reason for the Christmas season.

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The Event - Day 19

It's day 19 of The Event and today's post is a going to be a little different. As a pastor I read some blogs of other pastors that I really respect. Doing this challenges me, inspires me, and helps me to be a better leader. Today I want to share one of those blog posts with you from a guy named Perry Noble who is a pastor on the east coast at New Spring Church. He is a "say it like it is" kind of guy and today's post says something that I agree really needs to be said. So, hit this link to Football, Attitude and Idolatry and see what you think.

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The Event - Day 18

Well, it's December 1st and we only a few weeks away from celebrating THE EVENT that changed human history. As we continue to focus on Joseph this week, we've got some great thoughts to share from some men in our church. The first comes from Jim Herzberg (Pastor of Adult Discipleship at Epic). Enjoy...

Who was this man named Joseph?  We can read about his faith and that he was the son of Jacob, husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus.  But if fathers are so important in a child’s life (and they are!) why is so little recorded about him in the Bible?  All kinds of questions came up as I thought through this section of Scripture-both about Joseph AND about me. 

How exactly did he react when Mary told him that she was pregnant?  He surely knew the prophecy found in Isaiah 7:14, but what a shock it must have been.  Did the news mean an abrupt end to his hopes and dreams?  The Message paraphrase says in verse 19 that Joseph was “chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.”  Chagrined-I had to look it up-means “a feeling of vexation (irritation/annoyance), marked by disappointment or humiliation.”  Joseph’s actions demonstrated a great faith.  As a father of three daughters and soon to be a grandpa of a granddaughter, what do my everyday actions say about my faith? 

Joseph is described as a “righteous” man, but the Pharisees thought they were righteous too.  Righteous, but in what ways?  We can see the difference when we compare Joseph to the Pharisees in Matthew 9:11 as they asked Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” (NLT).  How often do we look down at or even not notice people who aren’t like us? 

Finally, did Joseph ever think that he wouldn’t measure up as the Son of God’s earthly father?  It must have been a bit intimidating when he fully understood the responsibilities he’d been given: to provide for, nurture, protect, and teach the Messiah!  I’m sure Joseph made some mistakes while doing his best to raise Jesus, just like we have and will with our children and grandchildren.  Thankfully God’s grace and mercy will cover us too!    

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The Event - Day 16

Well, it's day 16 of The Event and to start things off I have to say that God is amazing! Yesterday we had at least one person accept Christ at church, which is the best possible way to start off another week of the Christmas season. I am so thankful that there is another soul that will be exist eternally with God in heaven and those of us who are believers. 


On the other side, I am reminded of how many people that I know and love who don't know Christ as savior. I am compelled to pray more again today for the lost and to beg God for His powerful hand of mercy to work in our community. 


As we continue through this week I have posted the Spiritual Focus section of our card below. Thanks again to Pastor Jim for keeping our hearts and minds headed in the right direction. 


Spiritual Focus: “Immanuel-God with us.” To go along with the Spiritual Challenge for this week, we want to encourage you to go deeper into Scripture and help you apply the things we talk about on Sunday mornings.  Pray that God would reveal Himself through His Word and then answer the following questions:

1.   Read Matthew 1:17-25 again.  What is the one thing you learned from rereading the Scriptures or from the Sunday sermon that you didn’t know before?


2.   With your family, look up the following verses that make it clear that while Jesus was fully God, He was also was fully human. Which of Jesus’ human characteristics helps you relate to Him best?

a.   Philippians 2:7-8

b.   Isaiah 53:3

c.    Luke 19:41

d.   Mark 4:38

e.   John 4:6

f.     Luke 22:44

g.   Hebrews 2:14

3.   What is the definition of incarnation/Incarnation? How does it differ from reincarnation?


4.   Look up 1 Timothy 1:15.  Why is the Incarnation so important to our faith? In other words, what was the purpose of the Incarnation?  


5.   What do the following verses say about God being with us today?

a.   Matthew 28:18-20 ______________________________________

b.   John 14:15-17        ______________________________________

c.    John 16:7-8, 13      ______________________________________
d.   Hebrews 13:5-6     ______________________________________ 

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The Event - Day 13

Well, yesterday was Thanksgiving and like many of you I sat down for a while to search through hundreds of pages of retail adds in hopes of finding a great deal on something to buy. What amazed me more than the sales was the time the stores actually opened. Midnight, 3AM, 5AM! What in the world are we doing getting up, or staying up all night, to shop for things that could be bought at the normal time of day? I can't answer that question definitively, but it sure has triggered a few questions: If the church scheduled a prayer vigil at Midnight or 3AM would I show up, let alone stand in line to get in the door? If I had the chance to buy food, water, or medical supplies for starving, hungry, or sick people at 30% or 50% off the regular price would I think it was as great of deal as the big screen T.V.? Would I stand in line in the cold freezing weather for anything Jesus asked me to do? Would I willing lose sleep for the Lord? Would I spend my money frenetically for God?

I wish the answer was an overwhelming yes, but the reality of my life is that my actions sometimes don't line up with my best intentions. Unfortunately, that means there is a serious gap between what I say I believe and what I would actually do. Which makes this 40-day journey all the more important for me. If I don't focus on Jesus, there are is plenty in this world to keep my attention in other places.

What about you?

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The Event - Day 11

It's almost Thanksgiving and as Christ followers we've got so much to thank the Lord for this season. I hope that you have a great celebration with all of your family and friends. 


As we continue on with "The Event" series I've got another great post for you to read from Luke 1:26-35.  This one comes from a lady in our congregation named Marlene Graham. Happy reading...


For nothing is impossible with God (v 37):  Isn’t it amazing we need reminding of this, at least I do.  I am in a season of my life once again that is presenting life’s challenges.  Our home has been under attack for a while now—in our marriage, with our kids, our finances, and even our health.  It is almost you get one situation under control and another pops up.  I am easily overcome by the list of circumstances.  God has been teaching me many lessons in the challenges but then this hit me once again.  I struggle with doubt and my thoughts turn to “will it be okay?” , “how can I do this?”, “how will it work out”,  and “why now, why me”   I can almost start to hyperventilate if I focus on the questions, uncertainties and challenges, but God just spoke to me in this passage and the words for nothing is impossible with God leapt off the page once again.  I say once again because apparently the very same words had spoken to me in a prior season as well as it is underlined in my Bible.  Too often I look at the circumstance and not my God.

God is omnipotent---ALL powerful.  I am reminded of Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.”  Or Isaiah 43:13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.  No one can deliver out of my hand.  When I act, who can reverse it? . God has the power to deliver (Daniel 3:17); to fulfill promises (Ro 4:21); to make grace abound (2 Corinthians 9:8); to do immeasurably more then we ask (Ephesians 3:20); to subdue all things (Philippians 3:21); to save completely (Hebrews 7:25) and keep me from falling (Jude 24).   In times of my personal struggles and attack or if I turn on the news and look at the state of the world (not much different then the times being experienced in Mary’s day—wars, suffering, turmoil) God is there to remind me that nothing is impossible with God. 

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The Event - Day 10

Well, it's day 10 of our 40-day journey into the birth of Christ. On Sunday we studied Luke's (Luke 1:26-35) account of Mary's encounter with the Angel Gabriel and this week we'll be posting some stuff to keep you thinking about that part of the story. Today's blog was written by a lady in our church named Melissa Smith...very cool stuff...thanks Melissa. 


In this passage, Mary only asked one question, “How?”  I wonder if what she meant was, “I know how this whole baby thing works, God.  Isn’t there something you need ME to do to bring this about?”  I don’t think that would have been my first question!  I would have had a lot of other questions come to mind!  They’d be more like the “What if . . . ” and “Are you sure . . .” types of questions.  You know - What if my parents disown me? What if I’m left all alone to raise a baby? What if people talk about me behind my back? What if people snicker as I walk by? Are you sure you want me to do this? Are you sure your timing is right on this whole thing? Are you sure there isn’t some easier way? Are you sure there isn’t someone better qualified for this task?  The list could go on!

What strikes me about Mary’s response is that she didn’t spend time trying to negotiate obedience with God. Something I, unfortunately, do all too often.  She didn’t feel the need to remind God of the consequences of submitting to His will because He already knew them and she trusted Him.  She didn’t feel the need to offer a “better” plan because she knew there wasn’t one.  She lived under the conviction that God knew the plans He had for her and they were for a prosperous hope and future. (ref. Jeremiah 29:11)

When God chooses to use me and reveals His will for me, I hope that I will respond more like Mary and less like my self-protective and somewhat prideful self.  I pray that I won’t question the “correctness” of his plan, and that I won’t try to negotiate with Him to make things easier on myself.  I pray that I will trust God enough and be humble enough to simply say, “How?” or “Is there anything you need ME to do to bring this about?”           

Because the truth of the matter is that God does have a calling for my life – for each of our lives.  What determines my course, is my own willingness to submit to that will and allow myself to be part of His plan. I pray that, like Mary, we will all be convinced that there is no better plan to follow than that of our Heavenly Father.

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The Event - Day 5 - Are you interruptible?

So the other day I was sitting in my office working on one of the messages for "The Event" series when our Administrative Assistant buzzed me on the phone. She explained that someone had stopped by to see me and asked if I was available to meet with them. Like some of you, I'm a task driven person and since I was smack dabb in the middle of trying to get a very important thought down on paper I was hesitant to break my train of thought. On top of that, this person didn't have an appointment and this could really throw off my carefully planned schedule. I of course had all sorts of great excuses in my mind, but the bottom line was that I was so focused on what I was doing that I didn't want to stop. In other words, I didn't want to be interrupted. 


Thankfully, I stopped what I was doing and took the time to meet with a very dear person who was in need of some comfort and care due to a difficult situation. It was a blessing to meet with this person and my hope is that they were encouraged and strengthened by the time we spent together.

If I'm honest, I'm embarrassed to share this story because it makes me look like a total jerk. But my personal humiliation is worth it so that I might share this one thing with you: As Christ followers, we must be ready to be interrupted. We must be ready to have our plans changed, our directions rewritten, and our courses redirected both in our daily schedules and our life plans. We must be ready to serve another person despite the personal cost of time or loss of productivity. We must be ready at any moment to share Jesus with another person, pray for a neighbor, or care for a fellow Christian. Being a disciple means being "interruptible."

As we continue on this 40-day journey, I would encourage you not to get so focused on the tasks that you would miss the power and importance of a "divine interruption."

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The Event - Day 3

Well, we are on Day 3 of "The Event," and I was reminded this morning how easy it is to get caught up in the busyness of life and forget to focus on God. Like many of you I quickly jumped on my task list at work without really focusing on the fact that I am a witness for Christ before His second coming. Thankfully, we had our daily staff prayer time at 9:30 and I was able to pray the prayer I shared with you yesterday.


"God, I know that you are calling people to salvation. If there is anyone that you desire for me to share Christ with today, please know that I am ready. Help me to have the right words to say if you want me to speak; help me to have hands and feet that are ready to serve people in your name; and help me to have a heart that is anticipating your work in the lives of people around me."


As you continue to focus on Christ today we thought it would be a good time to post the Spiritual Focus Scriptures and Questions we sent home on Sunday. 


Spiritual Focus: The Event (Part 1)

Read Luke 1:18-25, then answer the following questions:

1. Was Zechariah’s question, “How can I be sure of this?” more like Mary’s (Luke 1:34) or Sarah’s (Genesis 18:12)?  Why?

2. How did the angel respond to Zechariah’s fear (Luke 1:11-13) and to his lack of faith (Luke 1:19-20)?  What was the difference?

3. We see in Zechariah a disbelief that stemmed from the heart, not from reason. He didn’t stop to think it through and come to a conclusion that the angel’s words were improbable, he simply expressed his gut reaction. He more than doubted, he did not have the faith to accept that the angel’s words could come true.

Zechariah’s story reminds us that it is often our faithlessness, not necessarily our fear, which will act as a barrier to God’s work in us and through us. 

In what area of your life might faithlessness be holding you back from growing spiritually and hindering your witness for Christ? 

What does Galatians 2:20 say about faith in our lives today?

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The Event - Day 2

Yesterday was an incredible kick-off to our new series called "The Event." I was so excited to get this thing underway that I couldn't to get to the church fast enough--and man did God show up in a big way! We had 7 people who were baptized--which is always and incredible experience--and we had almost 200 of our Christmas stockings picked-up as we launched our first spiritual challenge. If you missed out on yesterday's message you can download the sermon at the church website or subscribe to the podcast on I-tunes.

As I shared yesterday, one of the main things we are challenging everyone to do throughout this 40-day period is to humbly share Christ with anyone that God might bring into your life. As Christians we sometimes forget that the church exists to reach those who don't yet know Christ as their savior. Too often we focus only on our own cares and desires "inside" the church and end up forgetting that we are supposed to be "out there" in the world sharing the love, grace, and forgiveness that come through Jesus.

At Epic we don't want to be a church that forgets! Rather, we want to be a church that is anticipating how God might use our lives to reach someone who is far from Him. 

As we go through the next 40-days I am committing myself to praying the following prayer each day: "God, I know that you are calling people to salvation. If there is anyone that you desire for me to share Christ with today, please know that I am ready. Help me to have the right words to say if you want me to speak; help me to have hands and feet that are ready to serve people in your name; and help me to have a heart that is anticipating your work in the lives of people around me." 

My hope is that you will join me in a similar prayer each day so that we might see God bring many people to salvation.

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"The Event" is coming

A few weeks ago I saw a Christmas display in Home Depot—and it’s only October! Which got me to thinking… What if this year, instead of putting shopping, baking, parties, and all of the other Christmas festivities in the top place on the priority list, we put Christ in the number one spot? What would happen if we centered our hearts and minds on what really happened that night when Christ was born? What might be different for us spiritually as individuals, and as a church, if the event of Jesus’ birth became the central thing that we focused on during this coming holiday season?

I don’t have the answers, just a suspicion. I have a suspicion that if we were to really focus on the meaning, the story, the purpose, and the history of Jesus’ birth that this would be the most meaningful Christmas many of us have ever had. I have a hunch that if we will make God the center of our celebration that He will have the opportunity to teach us things that could profoundly change our lives.

That said, I want to invite you to join me, along with the rest of the Epic family, for a 40-day journey we are calling “The Event.”  This journey will begin Sunday, November 14^th, and will go until Christmas Eve when we come together to celebrate the birth of Christ. Each week of the journey will begin with an in-depth study on a different aspect of the circumstances surrounding the supernatural event that changed the course of human history. These Sunday services will be followed up by a week of different spiritual challenges that you can engage in as an individual or as a family. Each challenge will be designed to help you keep in focus the truest meaning of the Christmas season by helping you to engage with others in a way that reflects Christ’s heart of service for humanity. In addition to these challenges we will be giving you additional materials to study and reflect on during the week so that your spiritual focus can be sharpened to all that Jesus did for us when we entered into human history.

My hope and prayer is that this will be one of the most important, exciting, and powerful Christmas celebrations you have ever experienced—not because of what you get, or eat, or even give—but because you encountered Christ in a new and transforming way.

Peace to you,

Jeff

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