Category: Men of Steel

David was After God's Heart?

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This Sunday we continue in the life of David with this somewhat humorous episode of what happens to David’s servants as they deliver condolences to the Ammonite king; then we will look at the wages of sin from the Bathsheba era in his life. 

  1. Why does David send his servants to Hanun, king of the Ammonites? 10:1-2
  2. How does Hanun treat the servants? 10:4 (too funny, we can laugh now, such a picture), but we can learn…
    • Lesson 1 – David shows active sympathy for the suffering, 10:2
    • Lesson 2 – David’s intentions were misunderstood, 10:3, 5
    • Lesson 3 – David is fiercely loyal and protective to his people, 10:5
    • Lesson 4 – David took on their enemy himself, sending Joab and his mighty men, 10:7
  3. What is the outcome of the inevitable battle? 10:13, 14
  4. Introduction:
    • What is your favorite springtime activity?
    • How soon do you believe people begin sunbathing in Virginia Beach?
    • Who was your “girl next door” or “big man on campus?”
  5. What significance do you see in the timing of David’s sin? 2 Samuel 11:1, 2
    • What was he supposed to be doing? 2 Samuel 11:1
    • What three specific actions did David take toward his sin? 2 Samuel 11:3, 4
  6. Where did David go wrong?
    • Lesson 1 – He was in the wrong place at the wrong time 2 Samuel 11:1, 2 (he was at home rather than in battle, and he got up from his bed, open to boredom and temptation.
    • Lesson 2 – He failed to protect himself with a network of accountability, answering to no one, he grew accustomed to wanting and getting.
    • Lesson 3 – He was lonely and made a plan (note the three actions of #5. b.)
      • Sinned in thought – 2 Samuel 11:2
      • Sinned in word – 2 Samuel 11:3
      • Sinned in deed – 2 Samuel 11:4
  7. Could Bathsheba have prevented this from happening?
  8. What superior character qualities do you see in Uriah? 2 Samuel 11:9, 11, 13 (Deuteronomy 23:9-10).
    • What does this reveal about David?
    • Where do you see the first hint of fear in David? About Uriah? About Joab?
    • Have you ever felt someone was faking an interest in you for an ulterior motive?
    • How did David involve Joab in his sin?
    • How would you describe David’s heart at this point? 2 Samuel 11:25
  9. How far away is David’s heart? God’s commentary is 2 Samuel 11:27
    • Lesson 1 – He resisted opportunities to repent, but chose to stay in this revolving door of deception. 
      • How could he have repented or acted with integrity?
      • Why did he NOT repent
    • Lesson 2 – He was unmoved by Uriah’s integrity.
    • Lesson 3 – He tried to cover his own sin, rather than confess it. (Psalm 32:1)
    • Lesson 4 – He involved a lot of others in his sin.
  10. What is Bathsheba feeling as her identity changes from Uriah’s wife, to David’s lover, to Uriah’s widow, to David’s bride? 2 Samuel 11:26-27
  11. Why does Nathan the prophet speak to David using a parable? 2 Samuel 12:1, 2, 3, 4
    • Why did he use a sheep in his story?
    • Why does the absence of justice and mercy in Nathan’s story enrage David? 2 Samuel 12:5-6
    • What is Nathan’s perspective on gratitude? 2 Samuel 12:7-9
    • What three sons will meet a violent death in this prophecy? 2 Samuel 12:10
      • 2 Samuel 13:28-29
      • 2 Samuel 18:14-15
      • 1 Kings 2:24-25
  12. How did the prophecy of 2 Samuel 12:11, 12 come to pass? 2 Samuel 16:21, 22
  13. What toll did this sin take on David? Psalm 32:3, 4, 5
  14. How does David’s response to rebuke compare to Saul’s response in a similar situation? 2 Samuel 12:13, Psalm 51 (1 Samuel 13:11-12, 15:13-26).
  15. How did David respond to the child’s sudden illness? 2 Samuel 12:15-25
  16. Notice God did not do what David asked (2 Samuel 12:16) but died (2 Samuel 12:18). Since prayer did not change the child’s health, what did change?
    • Lesson 1 – David’s plea forced him to a place of dependence on God.
    • Lesson 2 – David’s plea satisfied his spirit (the child did not die because he did not ask God to spare him).
    • Lesson 3 – David’s plea ensured his survival through this tragedy he and his wife would suffer (enabling him to comfort his wife 2 Samuel 12:24-25).
    • Lesson 4 – David’s plea touched God’s heart, He disciplines those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6). Solomon was called, Jedidiah, which means “beloved of the Lord,” the successor to the throne.
  17. No relief like repentance – Psalm 51
    • Psalm 51:1 – have mercy, according to Your love and compassion
    • Psalm 51:2 – wash and cleanse from sin
    • Psalm 51:3 – I know my sin, you can live without it, give it up
    • Psalm 51:4 – sin is against God alone; the biggest heartbreak
    • Psalm 51:5 – sinful at birth; it is a part of me
    • Psalm 51:6 – God desires truth; even when we don’t want to believe it
    • Psalm 51:7 – cleanse me with hyssop (Exodus 12:22-23) I’ll be whiter than snow
    • Psalm 51:8 – let the bones You have crushed rejoice; the pain of confessing and repenting will bring healing
    • Psalm 51:9 – hide Your face from my sin; our total depravity keeps us from looking to God, shame, embarrassment, He wants to forgive
    • Psalm 51:10 – create in me a pure heart; create is bara, like in Genesis 1:1, which only God can do for us
    • Psalm 51:11 – don not take the Holy Spirit from me; a fate worse than death
    • Psalm 51:12 – restore the joy of Your salvation
    • Psalm 51:13 – I will teach others and they will return to God; the forgiven become evangelists to God’s goodness

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Life Lessons From David

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The Men of Steel get together on a regular basis for fellowship, service projects, biblical inspiration and sharing life. We can become better men, husbands and fathers by holding each other accountable and encouraging one another. I thought about King David, since he is the current topic of my Sunday Bible study class, and thought I’d share these insights from Second Samuel: 

  1. How many times has David been anointed king? 2 Samuel 5:3, (see also 1 Samuel 16:13 and 2 Samuel 2:4)
  2. How long does David rule over Israel and Judah together? 2 Samuel 5:5
  3. Who occupies Jerusalem before David takes the city? 2 Samuel 5:6
  4. How does David get in to the city? 2 Samuel 5:8 (I love how he takes the fortress)
  5. Why does Uzzah die during the March to Jerusalem? 2 Samuel 6:6-7
    • How does David respond to Uzzah’s death? 2 Samuel 6:8-10
    • What changes are made in bringing the ark for the second time? 2 Samuel 6:13 (notice the “bearers” and the sacrifice, compared to 2 Samuel 6:3)
  6. How does David’s wife react to his dancing before the Lord with all his might? 2 Samuel 6:16 (What might this suggest?)
    • Lesson 1 – The King was not immune to marriage troubles.
    • Lesson 2 – Other people cannot limit our expression of love and devotion toward God.
  7. Who was Nathan? 2 Samuel 7:2
  8. What does David say to Nathan? 2 Samuel 7:2 (sort of a, “what’s wrong with this picture” moment)
    • How is Nathan presumptuous? 2 Samuel 7:3
      1. Lesson 1 – Don’t assume every bright and noble idea is from God.
      2. Lesson 2 – Don’t assume that a godly leader (whom God has chosen) is always right.
    • What does the Lord promise David? 2 Samuel 7:10
  9. Who does the Lord say will build God’s house? 2 Samuel 7:12-13
    • Why not David? 1 Kings 5:3 and 1 Chronicles 22:8
    • An interesting twist: instead of David building a house for the Lord, the Lord builds a house for David! 2 Samuel 7:11, 16
    • Is this Davidic Covenant conditional or unconditional? 2 Samuel 7:13-16
    • How does David respond? 2 Samuel 7:18
  10. Who does David conquer during his reign over Israel and Judah? 2 Samuel 8:11-12 (this is called the expansion of the kingdom) How often did the Lord help David? 2 Samuel 8:6,14
    • Lesson 1 – God would give rest when the nation was obedient on the battlefield.
    • Lesson 2 – There was hope in that the nations where to be subservient, not totally destroyed or wiped out.
    • Lesson 3 – David never forgot the source of his strength. 2 Samuel 8:11
    • Lesson 4 – Fulfillment of his calling, 2 Samuel 8:15, the Christ nearly 1000 years later.
  11. Can we conclude that David had an adequate judicial system? 2 Samuel 8:15
    • Debatable, the lack of a system is the main reason for Absalom’s revolt, 2 Samuel 15:4
    • David’s sons were chief ministers. 2 Samuel 8:18
  12. Who was the royal recorder during David’s reign? 2 Samuel 8:17 (I love this guy’s name)
  13. Who is the servant of Saul that David locates? 2 Samuel 9:2
  14. How does she help David? 2 Samuel 9:3, then what does David demonstrate…?
    • David shows kindness, 2 Samuel 9:1, 7 (Romans 2:4)
    • David initiates the relationship, 2 Samuel 9:4 (Romans 5:8)
    • David accepts the son, just as he is, 2 Samuel 9:3, 7 (Philippians 1:6)
    • David demonstrates a calming spirit, 2 Samuel 9:7 (Ephesians 2:14)
    • David offers reconciliation and restoration, 2 Samuel 9:9, Psalm 23:3 (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)
    • There’s always room for more in the palace, 2 Samuel 9:10 (2 Peter 3:9)
  15. Why does David send his servants to Hanun, king of the Ammonites? 2 Samuel 10:1-2
  16. How does Hanun treat the servants? 2 Samuel 10:4 (too funny, we can laugh now, but such a vivid picture), but we can learn…
    • Lesson 1 – David shows active sympathy for the suffering, 2 Samuel 10:2
    • Lesson 2 – David’s intentions were misunderstood, 2 Samuel 10:3, 5
    • Lesson 3 – David is fiercely loyal and protective to his people, 2 Samuel 10:5
    • Lesson 4 – David took on their enemy himself, sending Joab and his mighty men, 2 Samuel 10:7
  17. What is the outcome of the inevitable battle? 2 Samuel 10:13-14

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Accountability in Mentoring

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Mentoring requires people to be in communication, to be connected, in order for it to work. Perhaps an obvious fact, but I suppose many people feel that they can be mentored by remote control. It is true that we can be mentored through reading books, because there is a lot of information that we can learn from authors that we respect or have been in business for a long time, or model the type of spirituality or theology that we want to become more like them. But if we want real life transformation, we need to become accountable to another person that will keep us focused on our goals, and get in our face when we fall short.

I imagine that most Christians have no argument about being accountable to God. After all, He is our heavenly Father, He is perfect and He has the right to check up on us to see if we are on course. But these same people think being accountable to someone on earth is, to say the least, a touchy matter.

When you think about it, calling someone to account is an act of love. Forcing a protégé to open his life to a confidant who has earned the right to be heard can save marriages from divorce, churches from division, organizations from financial distress, and careers from ruin.

Mentors are also accountable to themselves. It requires that they become vulnerable, not hesitate to show weakness, admit when they are wrong, respond quickly to reproof, and even set an example to those on the outside who are watching.

What about accountability in the Bible? Take a look…

  1. Joseph was accountable to Potiphar.
  2. King Saul was accountable to Samuel the prophet.
  3. King David was accountable to Nathan the prophet.
  4. Daniel was accountable to God before his accountability to the king.
  5. Nehemiah was accountable to Artaxerxes the king.
  6. Jesus was accountable to the Father, and demonstrated it by submitting to the Father’s will.
  7. The Twelve were accountable to Jesus and also to each other.
  8. Paul and Silas were accountable to the church at Antioch.

When I think about accountability, I believe that we all need (at times) someone close enough to get in our faces and tell us what we need to hear. It may not be what we want to hear, but we need it to get back on track. Sometimes the truth hurts, but the truth in love is what we are called to do (Ephesians 4:15). A mentor’s wounds are those of a faithful friend. Not everyone has the right to climb into your life and offer rebuke; it is for those who have built this love relationship ahead of time.

I believe that people who are accountable to a mentor are serious about changing their behavior. I read about a study showing that employees who know they are being observed demonstrate a higher quality and quantity of work, knowing they will be held to account.

It’s not easy, mentors need wisdom in dealing with a variety of issues and problems. Remember that you don’t mentor alone. A mentor who sees his protégé stumble must invade that person’s private world.

  1. One to guide and encourage.
  2. One to also get in your face when you mess up.
  3. One who loves you too much to let you play with fire.
  4. Wisdom from the Proverbs 13:10, 13:14, 13:18, 13:20, 15:31

[ Here’s more on mentoring ]

What's Your "One Thing?"

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Most men are pretty confident… in their work, personality, abilities, marriages, golf game and maybe even that their favorite baseball team is going to win the pennant this year. Men are also pretty confident when it comes to spiritual matters. Perhaps this comes out of an American desire to be self-sufficient. We often want to come to God on our own terms rather than come to Him on the terms He has already laid out. As long as I’m in church on Sunday, God can’t expect more out of me than that. I watch my language, don’t cheat in my business, and am faithful to my wife. Not bad stuff, but what is that one thing that you protect more than anything else?

When a relationship is broken, the only way to get back into a right relationship is to follow the remedy of the offended person. It works in real life because the repentant offender asks, “What can I do to make it up to you, for the bad thing that I have done to you?” Then hopefully the offended person will tell this person what is needed. Do we approach God the same way? Not really. We have offended God on a regular basis and then expect Him to approve of whatever we are willing to do in order to come back to Him on our own terms. We get out our list and tell God we will stop doing items 3, 6, 7, and 12, but the rest of my list is off the table. These are my terms. You should be pleased that I have made these concessions.

In Luke 18:18-30, there is a story of the Rich Young Ruler. Actually the “Rich Young Ruler” is not a guy we find in the Bible. Bible teachin’ pastor say what? He’s sort of a compilation of three stories in the synoptic gospels. Matthew tells us he was young (Matthew 19:22), Mark tells us he was a man with property (Mark 10:17, 22) and Luke mentions he was a ruler who was extremely rich (Luke 18:18, 23). It’s all the same story told from different perspectives. Mark and Luke don’t deny that he was young. Mark and Luke don’t deny that he was a ruler. An most of us would agree that property owners have a tendency to be rich.

People tend to believe that there may be a single act that could be done in order to secure one’s salvation… and this guy wanted to make sure he had done it. Jesus gives a short list of things that are good in God’s kingdom economy (Luke 18:20), and this guy was confident that he had been faithful (Luke 18:21). In reality, he failed miserably. He claimed to be a keeper of the commandments, but failed the first one, to have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3). Jesus goes straight to the point and so will I… in all the seemingly good that is a part of your life, what is the one thing that you have failed to do in order to follow Christ? If we don’t get started out on the right track, we end up lost at a totally unplanned destination. This guy was so sure, so confident, that he did not see the error of his way.

Jesus told him to sell all he had and give it to the poor. I have to admit that there is a tendency to think that Jesus is offering an alternate plan of salvation, to buy your way in, but look at the actual statement (Luke 18:22). At the end, Jesus tells him to “come, follow Me.” That’s the kicker. We can do a lot of good stuff on a regular basis but if we are not following Jesus, learning from Him, becoming a disciple of Jesus or a Christ follower, we are no different than the rich young ruler.

Now it’s self-examination time. What is your one thing? What prevents you from being sold out to Jesus? Have you become his follower, or just a believer? How are you growing spiritually and passing it on to others or to your children? Have you come to God on His terms rather than trying to come to Him on your own terms?

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Men Who Forgot Jesus

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It was Thanksgiving 2007 where I did a dramatic monologue at the King’s Grant Thanksgiving Eve service. The story came right out of Luke 17:11-19, where only one out of 10 cleansed lepers came back to thank Jesus for what He had done for them.

Lepers were the outcasts of society. People feared catching the disease, so they were put aside into leper colonies outside of town, banned from public life and the religious community. There was deep separation from others, (except for other lepers). They were required to ring a bell or call out, “unclean, unclean” as they approached people on the street or in town. This allowed the healthy people to part like the Red Sea and let them through.

Let me share the observations I see in this story are:

1. These lepers were men (Luke 17:12). As Men of Steel, we recognize that the Bible often speaks of men… yes, there are stories about how Jesus broke the gender barrier and elevated the role and status of women, but some stories are specifically about men. So, while women can make application to their own situations and lives, men need place themselves in the story, as men.

2. These men stood at a distance (Luke 17:12). How often do men come into the community of faith yet remain at a distance? The “Jesus thing” is OK for my wife and kids, but I’ll just keep my distance so I won’t become sold out, a Jesus freak, a fanatic or required to do too much outside of my normal routine. As men, we need to look out for each other, which cannot be done from a distance. We need other men willing to call us to account for our behavior that does not honor our wives, or our God. We need someone unafraid to get in our face and challenge us to get back on track. That’s what friends do. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17) which is a process that can often “hurt” the flint and the blade because there is friction and parts of the blade are filed away in order to become a sharp instrument, the way the blade was intended and works best.

3. These men met Jesus (Luke 17:12). While a simple fact, the purpose of Men of Steel is to know Christ and make Him known (the same motto of King’s Grant Baptist Church). Men need to be able to hear and understand the gospel in a culturally relevant way, and we seek to put the gospel into language that men can understand. Since we all face similar situations and struggles, we can speak the same language and help someone who does not know Christ to come and meet him. The introduction need not be a hardliner presentation of the gospel, but as we live life, we can help other men understand there is more to this life than just living or existing. How can we help more men meet Jesus? The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) needs to be our primary focus.

4. These men raised their voices to Jesus (Luke 17:13). This might be a lesson for all of us; to not be afraid or ashamed to speak up for Jesus when the opportunity arises. While at this point in the story these men were not “saved,” they definitely knew who they needed to find and meet in order to get their lives straightened out. The crowd must have been looking at them, and angry at them for invading their space… “These men should be put away somewhere, out of sight, where they can’t bother anyone. Who are they to come to this rabbi; no one has time for these outcasts.” Wow, how many times did other people write us off before we came to Christ?

5. These men ask for mercy (Luke 17:13). I have discovered that there is quite a difference between justice, mercy and grace. Justice is pretty much getting what you deserve; mercy is not getting what you deserve; and grace is getting something that you don’t deserve. They asked for mercy, basically to not receive what they deserved, which in this story is misery in life and a slow, agonizing death. They did not deserve this fate because of anything they did that was perhaps more sinful than the crowd, but since they were in this situation, this is the path that they were on. Jesus can come into any life and take them from the wide path that leads to destruction and set them on the narrow path that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14).

6. Jesus sees and speaks to these men (Luke 17:14). No mater how alone we feel in this life, Jesus sees us and speaks to us. There is “no temptation such as is common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13) meaning that Christ was tempted in all ways as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). So, He hears us and understands our struggles.  He speaks to us today through His revealed and inspired Word, the Bible. That is why it is so important to be involved in a regular small group for Bible study. We experience real and genuine life change in community, not a cocoon!

7. These men were to go and show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:14). At the risk of soundings obvious, where do we find the priests in Jesus’ day? At church. I believe that even while we are still in our sinful state, we need to be involved in the community of faith. People cannot wait until they get their lives back on track to start going to church, because it will never happen. If we could earn our salvation on our own without Christ or grow toward maturity without His church, we would not need either, but we can’t. How many times do men fail on their own, until they get into a proper relationship with God through Christ?

8. Only one of these men came back with gratitude (Luke 17:15-16). We often focus on the nine ungrateful men who did not come back to thank God for what He had done for them, but are we not more like the nine than the one who came back? The Bible tells us to be thankful in everything (1Thessalonians 5:16-18), so what are you thankful for? Wife, kids, job, home, money, health, church, friends…? Why not make sure you approach God daily with a thankful heart?

9. This one man was a Samaritan (Luke 17:16-17). Samaritans were the hated half-breeds that real Jews despised. Here Jesus makes the Samaritan the hero of the story. In context we know that the Jews felt they needed no forgiveness from God because they were the “chosen people” of God. The Pharisees believed that they were already in right relationship with God through their religious ceremonies and knowledge of the ancient writings. They were so much better than the common people, especially those who were non-Jews. The point for us might be that we must accept everyone without prejudice or bias against them. Jesus said that our acts of kindness done for “least of these” is actually done for Christ (Matthew 25:40, 45). The ground at the foot of the cross is level; no one is higher than someone else in the Kingdom (not Americans, whites, Europeans, or even wealthy people).

10. This one man was “made well” by his faith (Luke 17:19). After all the talk about church and living a godly life, the one thing that cannot be left out is faith. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and we live the Christ-life by faith (2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 2:6). Faith is what the church and a relationship with Jesus is all about. If we want to be made well, it can only be done through faith in Christ.

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Five Questions to Ask Your Wife

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I recently read a blog that had five questions that a husband should ask his wife that would communicate to her just how much he really cares for her. It is my goal to ask these questions this weekend…

What is the most romantic thing that I’ve ever done for you? You might be surprised! When we get married we think about “wowing” her by taking her to nice places and spending lots of money, but in reality it may be the little things that communicate to her how special she is.

What is something fun we can do together? Men, our definition of fun and hers is usually completely different. One of the things about most women is that they want to feel connected to their husbands, to feel like they matter and are important, and one of the ways they do that is by simply having fun. It’s not about taking her to something that you like doing. It’s about asking her what she wants to do, and then making that happen. It proves to her that you care.

What is one thing I can do for you this week that will relieve stress from your life? Men, we have no idea how much stress our lady carries around with her, and because she is a woman (thus everything is connected to everything) we should be willing to do all we can to relieve stress from her life. This may include giving her an afternoon to herself, without the kids. It may include you cooking dinner one night or cleaning up afterwards. Whatever it takes, do it!

How Can I Pray For You? It is amazing the number of men that will not ask their wife this question. We are called to lead our homes spiritually, which means we should provide protection and direction. When she asks you to pray for something specific, we must resist the temptation to go ahead and be the answer to her prayer by solving the problem she’s bringing to your attention. She asked you to pray–not fix it. I know we have a tendency to try to fix everything, but she doesn’t want us to fix her problem, she wants you to listen to her.

If you could change one thing about our marriage–what would it be? This one takes guts! We think we are the perfect match for her, and all is well. But she can give you some really great insight into what she considered to be important, and we should be motivated to work as hard as we can to honor her request.

Ephesians 5:25 says we are to love our wives as Christ loves the church…

  • He never stops loving the church
  • He never stops pursuing the church
  • He always comes home for the church
  • He never cheats on the church
  • He provides for the church
  • He never stops thinking about the church
  • He takes the church seriously

I am definitely not the perfect husband, but more and more I am realizing that my marriage not about what I deserve or can get out of it, it’s all about what I can give to her and how I can serve her. As men of God we should go all out to show the world how awesome Jesus is through loving our bride like He loves His.

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Follow Through and Finish Well

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When I think of men, we get involved in a lot of stuff. Sometimes we have too many irons in the fire and some fairly important things get left undone. Any married man might identify with this situation, we had the best of intentions, we never intended to not follow through, we never planned to let our wives down, but we did not finish what we started. My house is a standing monument to unfinished tasks… well, to be honest, many projects have not yet been started (there’s just a list posted to the refrigerator door).

After being delivered from centuries of slavery in Egypt, the children of Israel followed this same pattern. God gave His chosen people a simple instruction to possess the land, which meant they were to completely drive out the current residents. If they didn’t follow through, the Canaanites would drag them down spiritually, which was seen over and over, and the Israelites chasing after false gods rather than sole loyalty to the One True God. It’s recorded twice in two separate books: Joshua 17:13 and Judges 1:28.

In our present situation, we do the same thing. Not by worshipping false gods, but we claim the salvation of Christ yet still hold on to the old sinful nature of the past. While the nature doesn’t ever completely leave (the struggle continues throughout life – Romans 7:14-25) we cannot allow known sin to permeate our lives. John tells us that no one born of God sins (that is, habitually practices sin – 1 John 5:18), but we must strive to completely drive out the evil that desires to ensnare us into bondage to sin (2 Timothy 2:4, Hebrews 12:1, 2 Peter 2:20).

So what is the result of our not completely driving out the old sinful nature? I believe that God was tired of their hypocrisy. Check out the word of God through the prophet Jeremiah:

Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie! Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are safe!”—only to go right back to all those evils again? Jeremiah 7:8-10

Wow! Let’s get serious about walking in a manner worthy of the calling of Christ (Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, . He saved us to live in faith (Colossians 2:6) not to walk in the same way as the world around us. Take on the “yoke” of Christ and learn from Him (Matthew 11:29)… that’s discipleship.

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A Full Body Scan

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I remember living in Richmond several years ago and while driving in to work every morning, there was this commercial on the radio for an imaging company that offered a special on a full body scan… although, I forget the name of the machine. A lot of men seemed to be getting these scans, especially as they approached age fifty.

As I read Psalm 139:23-24, I thought about how God can also do a full body scan! God can check the heart, the mind, the hands, the eyes, the feet, the mouth, you name it. I found the following questions helpful for every man to look deep inside where no one but you and God can see. Ask these questions and petition God to guide you on the road to everlasting life. 

  1. Have I been proud in my inmost thoughts, or “imagination”? Do I focus on myself and my selfish desires instead of the needs and desires of others?
  2. Do I blame or have I been judgmental of others?
  3. Do I get frustrated or even angry because people don’t respond exactly the way I want them to? Do I feel inadequate thinking I have nothing to offer?
  4. Do I spend much of my day dreaming or fantasizing about a life different than the one I have? Do I live in a state of real contentment, accepting and being grateful for what God has done for me?
  5. Where do I remain in denial about myself? If Jesus were sitting here with me (which He is!), what would He tell me about the true condition of my heart? What would He say about what needs to be dealt with?
  6. Where am I “digging in my heels” through pride, insisting that “I am right” about something at the cost of my relationship with my family, friends or co-workers?
  7. Is the Holy Spirit “haunting me” about something that I will not admit or agree with Him is a problem?
  8. Is the Holy Spirit convicting me while my pride pushes back insisting “I’m justified” in my resentment and anger about the issue?
  9. Am I being called to humble myself with someone, to settle a conflict or a difference, but my pride pushes back and says “No, I will not!”
  10. Have I been offended by someone that I will not forgive – really forgive – or am I holding onto resentment, anger, or bitterness towards this person? Do I replay the offense over and over again in my mind and justify the emotions I feel in the name of “Yes, but look at what they did to me!”
  11. Do I have things or people that I give more power and influence to then God Himself? This can be very subtle – is there anything in my life that bears more weight with me than what Jesus says about it?
  12. Do I care more about the approval I get from people than I do about pleasing God? Is there anything I care more about than pleasing God in secret obedience?
  13. Do I have a secret – something I am spending mental, emotional and spiritual energy to keep someone else from knowing – that I am hesitant to confess to God and to others, or even flat-out refuse God’s conviction to bring into the light?

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Set Apart or Living Like the World?

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Why is it that some people who are actively a part of the church seem to make such poor choices in their lives? I’m talking about choices that are not only conduct unbecoming a follower of Christ but could very well be illegal in some cases. We all have good intentions, but the fact is, good intentions are never good enough. We need to emphasize life change. My Sunday Bible study class recently finished a study on real life change… the churchy word is transformation (Romans 12:2).

The kind of change that God wants to see in a believer’s life does not happen by an act of will. We all have hurts, habits, and hang-ups that keep us from being everything that God wants us to be. We won’t change simply by trying harder.

The Bible says, “If the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free” (John 8:36) but if you look around our church, a lot of people are sitting around in chains. We’re not living free. You may have been a believer for 20 years, or a teenager who is new in the faith, but many people still have the same habits, the same struggles, and the same worldliness and values that everyone outside the church does. People are simply not growing into the likeness of Christ.

We often feel like Paul when he writes about his struggle with sin (Romans 7:15, 18-19, 23, 24). I believe that all of us can identify with that. In every human being there’s a civil war going on inside – between what is good and what is bad, between God and the enemy. The changes that God wants to see happen in your life, and those of our congregation, are going to take more than desire, determination and a prayer.

Just attending church isn’t the answer. Plenty of people who attend our church are not living lives worthy of the calling of Christ (Ephesians 4:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:11). I’ve been around church people most of my life, and I have come to realize that there are many people who had been in church for years who are just as envious, just as angry, just as sinful, and just as worldly as everyone else. The church doesn’t change you on the inside.

According to Paul, he discovered how to experience real life change (Romans 7:25). Paul’s answer for life change is the same for all of us sitting in church each weekend. He says, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”

As cliché as it sounds, Jesus really is the answer. Believers are to live in such a way as to show people how Jesus brings about lasting change. How should a believer’s life change because of a relationship with Christ? Have you ever thought about actually living out the teaching of Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)?

It’s not enough to just capitulate, go along with the crowd and claim that living the Christ life is too hard. Worse yet, how many people around us want to believe the facts about Christ, secure their fire insurance, but have no intention of growing in the likeness of Christ? If we claim the name of Christ, we must also seek to live the life of Christ. It doesn’t happen overnight, but we must strive toward Christ likeness as our goal.

At KGBC, we seek to “Know Christ and Make Him Known.” It is impossible to make Him known if we really don’t know Him. If we don’t strive to live in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7) how can we claim to be His follower? Every day we wake up and have to make a choice; will I live for Christ or live like those who are lost without Him?

Will You Lay Down Your Life?

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I was reading Oswald Chambers this morning and was fascinated by this observation… “Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him.” During the instruction time after the Last Supper, Jesus brings up the topic of his departure which prompted Peter to declare, “I will lay down my life for You” (John 13:37). Peter usually had an affinity for the dramatic and speaking up for the group (Mark 9:5, 10:28, 29, 14:47, John 18:10, Mark 11:21, Matthew 14:28, 15:15, 18:21, Luke 12:41), but I sense there is more here than just a willingness to die for Jesus.

We should be able to make that very same statement, because Jesus is still asking, “Will you lay down your life for Me?” (John 13:38). The point is that it is much easier to say we will die for Christ or for the sake of the gospel than it is to lay down our lives each and every day. I see a picture of surrender and submission to His will and authority. We must walk in the light in our everyday activities. He calls us not necessarily to die for Him but to live for Him.

For 33 years Jesus was on this earth and laid down His life to do the will of His Father. I see an interesting parallel in Scripture between John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16. The first mentions the passion, purpose and provision of the Father (He loved, gave and offers life). In the latter we have our Christian mandate, model and mission, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us, we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (we love, give to others, and lay down our lives). It is not easy because it is contrary to our human nature to do this.

We are selfish and self-preserving, but if we are friends of Jesus, we must deliberately and carefully lay down our lives for Him; love Him, learn of Him and live for Him. Salvation is easy for us, only because it cost God so much, but exhibiting salvation in our lives is quite difficult. It’s good that we don’t go through this life alone; we need His strength and have the Spirit to guide us. Involvement in a solid Christian community is also a wonderful benefit to living a meaningful life in the world.

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