Five Insights from Yesterday:

- Was it just me, or did we invite the 'soggy bottom boys' to worship yesterday.... I loved the 'soggy' version of I'll Fly Away.... it was fun, different, and had a nice bit of 'twang'.

- I wonder how many times, in life, I can run head first into a tree and awaken asking "who am I? where am I? and how did I get here?" I really don't want to keep running down wrong paths and directly into trees and totally acting NOT like who I am.

- It was a challenge to sing, 'give me ONE pure and holy passion' knowing that I am so easily drawn to other small and insignificant obsessions. I want to live the lyrics of that song and not simply sing them.
- Speaking of living, I found it quite compelling to consider that both the simple and the wise see danger..... both. What distinguishes the wise from the simple is his reaction (the wise take refuge and the simple keep going) and the outcome that follow. Suffering is promised for the simple. Yikes.

- Isn't it funny that we fume about suffering and actually blame God, rather than evaluating our decision making over a period of time and realizing that we are actually culpable for our decisions and the suffering was most likely brought on by poor paths taken? How is God to blame for our poor decisions? We might actually want to assess the trajectory of our life and how and why we keep landing in a challenging place and suffering because of decisions that we have made. These 'paths' have led to the clearly delineated outcome that God, in His love, has warned us about. Yikes, again.

- Okay, I have a 6th deal from yesterday....It was amazing to walk into our new preschool building and to see our students building and arranging SO much furniture! My kid was covered in paint and loved every minute of 'restoring' the cafe as well. Awesome.

'Nothing rather than on Christ!'

By Grace.... For Glory,
Mark

Wow. Yesterday was a catalytic weekend Encounter. Conversations are flowing and we are being invited to run in the 'paths' of the Christ-life, for that path is the place of ultimate delight and impassioned living. It is interesting to read Paul's letter to Colosse and to recognize that He is challenging them to focus solely on Christ as their all-consuming sufficiency. As we make our way through chapter 2 of that letter, it is so clear that this church is focusing on a myriad of things, 'rather than on Christ.'

Rather than identify all of the issues (2.16 - 23)that dissuaded the church at Colosse from being set on Christ, I read this section and wondered if there was a more over-arching principle involved in their lack of focus. I love God, because I happened to snag a new book by Andy Stanley entitled "The Principle of the Path" and his book perfectly captures the place that the church at Colosse finds themselves. Really, I don't think that they intended to worship traditions or themselves or angels and any other crazy stuff. I just don't think that they intended not to. Paul is asking this church to focus solely on Christ.... to recognize the supremacy of Christ... to hold their hope only in Christ.... meanwhile, they feel free to throw in a bit of angel worship; self-worship; traditions-worship; basic philosophy worship. Yeah, they are wrecking the flavor of "Christ Supreme and Christ alone!"

So, we wrestled with the principle of the path yesterday. This principle is, 'direction - not intention - will determine your destination. Every time.' If we want to be a church that lifts high the amazing name of Christ, then that cannot be our intent... it must be the direction of our lives, ministries, focus, and passion. Andy wrote, 'the direction that you (and we, as a church) are traveling currently - relationally, financially, spiritually.... - will determine where you end up in each of these areas. This is true regardless of your goals, your dreams, your wishes, or your wants.' Dreams and wishes are fine and dandy and we can 'hope' that we land among our dreams. But, here's a second principle that is deeply imbedded in our fellowship...'Hope is not a strategy.' Hope has never been a strategy.

Physically, spiritually, emotionally, professionally, financially... in every way, you and I are on a path. Our actions will lead us directly toward the destination that we are traveling. What an incredible incredible incredible opportunity to change paths (repent) and to walk in the path of God's greatest plan. What an incredible opportunity to strategically choose Christ. Constantly. Relentlessly. Christ. After all, I really believe that the One who made us is the One who is quite capable of leadings us in the paths of His commands and His love and His life and on this path, there is sheer delight and consummate satisfaction.

May I have the wisdom to walk in the path of His command and the courage to follow His path all of my days. May we share in that journey as a church.

By Grace... For Glory,

Mark

Crazy weekend at Emmanuel! The worship was fresh.... the presence of God was palpable. I love the freedom that Christ brings. I love that truth that He really does move mountains... mountains of my sin... mountains of shame... mountains of guilt.... I love that, as an act of faith, I cast my life into Christ and He totally frees me.

Not only does Christ immerse me in Him and not only does He wipe away all my sin, but he does something even more beautiful. I am stoked when I discover that Christ makes a public spectacle of my freedom in the face of the powers and authorities who have held rule over me. I love that He transfers me from the domain of darkness and into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. I love that His transfer is made loudly public at the gates of hell. I love that He loves to claim me as His own and that I am eternally His. I love so many things about Christ. I am brought alive with Him. That is wildly good!

Christ is completely supreme and I am begging God that my life may be a confession of His supremacy and His wonder and His awe. Because I have been freed by Him and immersed in Him, the sole response from me has to be, "I am IN"... I am in on advancing Your name.. the One supreme name that will be worshipped for eternity - Jesus. I am in on living for your fame. I am IN. I am so available to be used in any way that You see fit.

May our fellowship know... really know the gravity of our freedom in Christ and may we be a church full of people who are full of Jesus and who are all in as we proclaim great freedom in and through Christ alone.

Christ amazing!

By Grace... For Glory,

Mark

So, I'm reading Colossians 2.9 and I am undone. Get this, the fullness of the Deity is made manifest in bodily form through Jesus Christ. That truth is crazy! I want to be amazed by Christ. I want to remember that the mention of His name evokes abounding worship among thousands upon thousand in the heavenly realm.... peals of thunder and lightning surround Him.... created beings of astounding beauty cascade around Him in His glory.....colors beyond our imagination surround and reflect the glory and the goodness of Christ. There is one famous, glorious Name that will be worshipped throughout eternity. Given that eternity past and eternity future will frenzy at His presence and His Name, I am praying that we will never grow weary of pursuing His good greatness and that our worship will dimly reflect the worship of heaven.

I love the lyric that David Crowder added to the song "O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing". He writes, 'So come on and sing out, let our anthem resound.... there is One great love!..... There are so few words that never grow old. There are so few words that never grow old... Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!'

Oh wow, may our worship align with a fraction of the outpouring that surrounds Christ at this moment. Yeah!

By Grace... For Glory,
Mark

Image management. As a Christ-follower, what an incredibly freeing thing to care not at all about image management. What freedom to simply live our lives as an expression of God's grace and His goodness in and through us. I know that I have a propensity toward 'image management' rather than authentic/ inside out change. I hate that and I want to live before an audience of one and to all His image to be all that I seek.

I know that I can fake it. I know that faking it is empty and futile. I also know that I will be drawn toward faking this whole Christianity thing again. All that does for me is to make me proud or to leave me lifeless. I want to be full. I want for more of Christ.

I was sitting in the room yesterday and wondering what might happen if an entire church loses any idea of image management and we become an authentic, Christ-loving, 'each-other' loving community of faith. That could be crazy! I think that we should go for it.....

Mark

I want for my life to make a bold and declarative confession of the glory and the goodness of God. I really do want that. Then, I forget. I can spend minutes and hours and days and even months forgetting that 'to want' means to actually do something with that 'wanting'. I am actually called to crave for God... to love Him... to ask Him to teach me to love Him. I want that and I don't want to neglect that deep longing of my soul.

So, I am wondering what my 'cheese nips' might be. What are those things that keep me from giving great chase to our God? What keeps me from running hard after His heart? I want to fix my eyes on Christ and run the race that He has for me, casting off all hindrances and all sin that so easily entangles me. I want a contant clarifying purpose and vision of Jesus Christ to be the desire of my heart. I don't want to settle for cheese nips when my life is intended to be run with great purpose.

Ian and I were talking this morning (Monday) and we both watched the film 'Hitch' this past week. He had a great statement when he said, 'I tell all my clients --- begin each day as if it were on purpose.' Tomorrow, I want to begin as if the sole purpose of my life is to bring great honor and glory and praise to Christ. By doing that, I will run without hindrance and I will run with great focus! I am thinking that I will begin tomorrow on purpose and I am also thinking that I will wrap my heart and mind in the purposes of God via His Word. A life of that is defined and built up in the purposes of the Truth of the Word... well, that could make for a prolific and purpose-filled life.

Enjoy today.

By Grace.... For Glory,
Mark

I ran a LONG way this weekend. Tangled with my first full marathon in over 12 years. Yeah, 26.2 is a very long way. It was pretty amazing to run with a few thousand.... to run with a friend (Jesse!).... and to run with my bro-in-law. Encouragement and endurance are both really big deals.

My family stacked up much encouragement at miles 18 and 22 and 24ish. It was so sweet to round a corner and to hear my kids and my bride shouting love. That was FUN at miles 18 and 22....

At mile 22.5, I thought that I was going to lay down and never move again. I think that I get Paul's words about training and challenging your body. I pushed through the pain and finished the race well. Mile 24 was my family and 25 was other family member and 26 thousands were cheering... I like knowing that there is a great cloud of witnesses and that they love that we run well, with great passion.

So, I had a couple of goals. I wanted to finish the race. I wanted to run sub-4 hours. Hit both by running a 3.48.55. Whoo hooo!

Now, when the feeling returns to my legs......

Mark

I am wrecked by grace. I just want to stand under the waterfall of grace and to experience the pouring and pouring and pouring and flooding of Christ in me.

I struggle with grace. I actually think, at times, that I bring something of great value to the table. In actuality, the most valuable thing that I have to offer is that I have recognized Jesus Christ, who is consummate in value, and I have invited Him to be life to me. By choosing Him, I chose to be covered by grace... filled by grace... sustained by grace...held by grace.... moved by grace. Grace works. Grace moves.

So, I'm walking around today with a life wide open, asking God to pour more of Him and more of His life and more of His purpose and more of His passion into me. I'm praying for less self-reliance and total God-reliance. I am asking Him for the grace to actually live as an expression of His life. I like grace.

I am thankful for grace. Let it pour.

By Grace.... For Glory,

Mark

Incarnate.... What an intense and incredible challenge to 'flesh out' Christ in this city. I can spin, quite easily, into being utterly overwhelmed at the prospect of being a tangible representation of Jesus Christ in this earth. I find much peace, when I find myself immersed in the incarnate God and He (Jesus) simply asks of me...asks of us to abide in Him and to allow His life to be expressed through us. It is a remarkable thing to be a part of His church and to know that our role is to live out the incarnation of Christ. We share together in the role of allowing a wonderful taste of the goodness of God. Peace!

In John 20, Jesus walked into a room of people and gave birth to the church. They were terrified and hopeless. He did two things. He showed them His hands and His feet.... He had died. He was alive! Then, he spoke the Word that continues to bring holy contentment and holy passion. He said, 'shalom'.... Peace.... All that you have been waiting for is now complete. Then, Christ breathed the presence and profundity of the Spirit of God on them and He challenged them to 'go' and to live and to incarnate Him. His church was lauched. We are a part of that movement, making great confession of the Lordship and Kingship of Jesus Christ. May Christ breathe His life and His power and His awe on us and may we go and go and go and go and flesh Him out to those in our sphere of influence. Shalom... we are complete in Him and we incarnate to others a life of peace... completion... hope....passion... future.... life.

By Grace.... For Glory,
Mark

I've been thinking alot about the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer. I am giving much thought to a single sentence. "The death blow for Jonathan was to hear the words, 'stay where you are and do nothing.'" Jonathan knew that the call of God was the call to advance.

The death of the church of Jesus Christ is to do nothing.... to maintain... Jesus left with these words echoing in our soul: Go. Make disciples. Immerse them in the Kingdom. Teach. Live. Move among the nations. Lift high the name of Christ. Go.

Go. Advance. That has to be the posture of Emmanuel. I am praying that we are a people who are eagerly awaiting the name, renown, and move of God and that we will move heaven and earth to join with Him in His endeavors.

Go. Be.

By Grace... For Glory,
Mark

Love Moves.... May we not love solely in word and speech, but with action and in truth. 1 john 3.18 (mcsv) The theme of disciple now was the challenge that love must move among us. We live under compulsion because of the abounding love of Christ. We love one another because we were first loved by Him. We love those who have yet to experience His perfect love because we have tasted and seen and we know it is good.


The weekend was amazing for a plethora of reasons.... a couple of hundred kids experiencing God. Good. Auburn U students leading them. Good. Riverside Worship Project parking us at the cross. Good. Hundreds of adults at Emmanuel serving and advancing this weekend. Good. Our students blanketing Crestview and serving the city. Good. It really was good news to this city that we had D-Now.


A few samples of serving.....
- yards were cared for...
- cars washed
- loose change was collected.... as in $600+, which will be given to:
*loose change to loosen chains - liberating and serving children who are trapped in the sex trade
* rice bowls - feeding hungry in this world
* our AWANA missionary
- I also helped load over 500 cans of food that will serve the food bank in Crestview


Yeah, it was an incredible weekend. All that I typed above was good. What really captured my heart this weekend was....


The cross of Christ. Once again, I was parked at the cross and positioned to determine what I will do with Christ. Honestly, it is a daily question and a daily decision to lay down my life so that I can take up His. John Taylor drew a chalk art picture of Christ as we worshipped and a video left me undone at the cross. I want to live at the cross! I long to deny myself and take up my cross and follow hard after Him.


I was also captured by a five year old. Asher was undone by I John 4.19. He and his parents were reading the Word and the Word said that we are liars if we claim Christ yet do not love those around us. He was broken and weeping and telling his daddy that 'he does NOT want to be a liar'. Asher is 5. He is 5 years old. I think that he takes Scripture far more seriously than I do. I don't want to be a liar either. I want to be one who live out and fleshes out the Truth in this world and who shows evidence that the Spirit of the Living, Radical, Amazing, Transforming God lives in me. I will think about Asher's words for quite awhile.


It was a good weekend. Much good happened. Love moved. It still does.


By Grace.... For Glory,
Mark

I was talking with God on a long run last week. I was thinking about what it means to follow Christ. When Jesus invites us to follow Him and to encounter Him, He is inviting us into a relationship with Him. When Jesus invited someone to follow Him, He was not asking us to be a part of His move. He was inviting us to learn from Him and to think like Him and to have His attitude. He invites us to discover how to use our words like Him and how to relate to people like Him and how to live everyday like Him. A choice to follow a 'teacher' in Christ day held a great saying. The followers of a 'rabbi/teacher' asked that they might be covered in the dust of the rabbi. I was running and praying and thinking and enjoying a long jog and my mind flashed to pig-pen. He is covered in dust. Everywhere he goes, so goes the cloud. Wow, can I ever relate to that image. I laughed as I was jogging and I enjoyed a great, great chat with God about dust and follow-ship and life in Him. It was fun and challenging and I found myself finding much joy in Christ. May I... May we be covered in the dust of the rabbi! May our church be filled with the dust of a people who are seeking His face and following Him.

I love that we share this journey together. I love that we are an 'us'. I love the words in Luke 14.... that Jesus longs for His house to be full! I am begging God that our body will be a body of radical followers and the us of us will become more and more and more and more of us.

Enjoy today. Live dusty!

By Grace.... For Glory,
Mark

Second... as in everything is second when we are invited to follow Christ. Second....as in 'seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all else will then be added to you.' Second.... as in what an incredible thrill to move my life into its eternal purpose, which is to give Christ all honor, and all glory, and all dominion, and all worth forever. Christ supreme. Christ first.

This weekend was amazing. We launched the year in a very contemplative and simple fashion. When all else is stripped away and when we simply sit at the cross of Jesus Christ and when we gaze at the ironically beautiful blood of Jesus Christ, we find the place of amazing love, grace, freedom and hope. As His blood and water spills, we find the walls that separated us from God come crashing down. It is my prayer that we find our lives and our fellowship parked at the cross throughout 09.

It is my prayer that we follow Christ. It is my prayer that we not settle for the 'sweet and nice' Jesus, but the 'walking defining moment... the catalytic force... the man who, when encountered, broadened the view of God and invoked life change.' I am praying that our fellowship desperately longs for life-change and to be a part of this amazing movement of God that lends great credence to the glory of God. I am praying that, because we follow Christ, we are a walking defining moment..... a catalytic force... and a group of people who, when encountered, broaden and clarify the image of God. Yeah. That will make for an amazing 09.

Happy New Year!

By Grace.... For Glory,

Mark

Christmas has been good, tiring, surreal, fun, filled with laughter, contemplative, relational, and amazing to experience this season. Christmas happenings included....

- the trivial... mee maw supplied Rock Band for our family. I am practicing like crazy and I do feel that I will very soon be savvy for one of our praise teams!

- the highly anticipatory..... I love having a bunch of kids and living Christmas through them. From checking out every light in Crestview to celebrating with family on several occasions to swapping presents after AWANA night to seeing my son in my face at 4 dadgum 30 AM on Christmas morning. His eyes were ALIVE! It was a good month.

- the totally surprising.... Sheena, a friend of ours, shared an incredible gift with Lydia (our 9 year old). She traded her stuff and shared her love with our kid so that Lydia could have a guitar. This was one of the most sacrificial gifts that I have ever received. Amazing.

- the sacrifical..... it was incredible to celebrate the Advent with the Emmanuel family. Lives are being changed in our fellowship and God is using people in audacious ways. The Advent Conspiracy was incredible. We also managed to drop a couple of wells in W. Africa; sustain missionaries over the next year; and serve some local needs in Crestview.

- the surprising... we (our entire extended family) went to a homeless shelter in B'ham and served breakfast on Christmas eve morn. It was early and beautiful and amazing. I went to serve... I left having been served. The gratefulness that I saw and the hope that abounds in the shelter amazed me and humbled me. A poignant moment happened as we were cleaning up and prepping to leave. A couple of dozen women broke into song and 'wished us a merry Christmas'... It was the most beautiful and heart-felt singing that I have heard in a long time. Christmas was right in that moment.

- the cute... as in Susan and I had the opp to fulfill the role of Mary and Joseph at her home church during the Christmas eve service. Thus, Ella portrayed the Messiah... the baby Jesus. I must admit that she was quite the cute one! It was, honestly, a sacred and contemplative moment to consider that the Word really did put on flesh and the Word really was an infant.

I could keep writing of Christmas moments, but I really can summarize with the truth that I am so so thankful for Jesus Christ. I love Him and I am deeply grateful that He fleshed out God on this planet.

The Advent was intended to change the world. The advent of Christ evokes a conspiracy! I hope to give presence throughout this year.

I hope that your new year is anticipatory. This year, we get to follow Christ. This year, we get to experience the life of Christ in every day moments. This year, if we follow Him, we might just experience a conspiratorial 2009.

By Grace.... For Glory,

Mark

A few random thoughts from the past week:
- I watched 'church' Saturday morning. Our church had the privilege of partnering with two organizations in the area. A Christmas fest with 'HEROES' and Foster Families was incredible to experience. I am SO thankful to be a part of Emmanuel and to watch our fellowship serve our community. Amazing.

- Christ, Carols, and Communion always feels so 'right'. It was a great and reflective service. It was also an amazing service musically! We have incredible musicians at EBC.

- We baked all afternoon Sunday..... then, our family piled into the Suburban at dusk and went 'light' hunting. We drove for quite awhile and enjoyed each other and the lights around Crestview. Our kids managed to not kill each other and we ended up at BK for a feast of burgers and a fest on the playground.

- Our staff team is incredible. Our family team have truly brought it during this life conspiracy. I love this group of people that God has formed up at EBC.

- I received the most amazing gift. Words can't convey the meaning of this gift. A friend of mine heard that Lydia wanted to play guitar with her daddy (it will not take her long to surpass my skills!). So this friend, Sheena, proceeds to search for a guitar and to delve into relational gift giving by exchanging her stuff for the guitar.... all of this so that my kid could play! So, when I received the guitar and brought it home to Lydia, we were simply amazed.. overwhelmed. What a meaningful and thoughtful gift! So, here's Lydia's words about her future in music. She says, 'I want to play and write songs so that I can make Jesus famous!' Sheena, thanks for loving our family and for fostering my kids desire to make much of Christ.

Moments like these are why I love Christmas. Moments like these are why I love that I get to follow Christ everyday. Being a Christ-follower is meant to change the world!

Merry Christmas!

By Grace..... For Glory,
Mark

Life Conspiracy is just hopping. There were several passion-evoking moments this past weekend. I loved....

*Celebrating our small group leaders and hosts and the joy of knowing that our groups are increasingly becoming points of light and hope in neighborhoods across Crestview.

*Recognizing the amazing movement of God in the life of this church. As Ian, Kara and I were sharing multiple specifics of God at work through us, I was so thankful to be a part of EBC. God is on the move in the life of our fellowship!

* Standing and sharing of our future hope for the life of Emmanuel. We believe that God will do great things through us. We believe that we believe mammoth things from our God. We also believe that our wildest belief cannot possibly touch God's belief about His church. He longs to live, move, and have his being far beyond our best beliefs and our wildest imagination.

* Singing God of this City.... There was such a depth of passion as that song was sung this weekend.

*What I loved most was honoring those who launched the Emmanuel conspiracy. To recognize those who have been leading and serving and worshipping and giving and sacrificing at EBC for 27+ years was significant. I love that group of people. I love walking in their steps of faith!

Enjoy this season. May your life... our lives together... be conspiratorial! Merry Christmas!

By Grace... For Glory,
Mark

The past few weeks have amazed me.... It has been phenomenal to see so many people who have arranged their lives around what matters most and also in a way that God has gifted them. Hanging out with preschool workers, several of whom have served preschoolers for more than a decade (one for over 3 decades!)... and others who give a dozen hours of volunteer time each week... that was an amazing time of worship for our fellowship.

Then, to know that there are hundreds of coach's pouring into our kids. The Word does not return void and our kids have hidden a couple of hundred thousand verses of Scripture in their hearts over the past decade. That could prove to be revolutionary. I thank my God for every worker who pours into the lives of our kids.

This past Sunday was phenomenal. I love Bruce Baber. He's been a friend for a very long time. I love the way Bruce has vested his life in our students. For 24+ years he has discipled students and gone to camp and hosted D-Now and had kids study the Word as they met on his driveway and he has loved kids and taught them to follow Christ consistently for a very long time. To see a 36 year old man that Bruce discipled as a teen and a 13 year old that he is currently discipling standing on the stage at the same moment truly brought home to me the profundity of the Advent. Bruce is 'fleshing out' Christ to students.... dozens of others are doing that as well. Thank you for teaching me about conspiracy!

I feel like I am surrounded by heroes of the faith at EBC. I watch people play their instruments and lift their voices and lead adult SG's and love our pre-schoolers and kids and students.... I watch people advance and advance and advance the name of Christ and I am amazed. I love our fellowship. I love that Christ is leading us more deeply into a conspiracy.

This Sunday will be incredible! We will give. We will provide clean water. We will sustain missionaries. We will open the door for the fame of God and the worship of Christ to increase. I think that is right. I think that is conspiratorial. I love this place and Christ among us.

Worship Abundantly. Spend Differently. Give Fully. Love All.

By Grace... For Glory,
Mark

a few totally random thoughts from the past week....

- Proverbs 30.7-9 continues to waylay me...

- It was incredibly good to be with my family for a few days. We ventured to Jax and all of the Seagle fam was together. My mom is an amazing cook and I love my family. A good week of Thanksgiving was had by all in our clan!

- Kyle Boone sings better than the Bee Gee's.

- Did you ever think that you would hear the Bee Gee's in church and love it!?!

- I never see an image of an African child who is suffering without being under compulsion to be a part of the solution.

- If a 9 year old kid can provide water... build a school.... and change the future of a village in Africa, I think that we may have a role to play as well!

- I love the kids at EBC. It has been an incredible two weeks of Advent/Life Conspiracy. We have SO many people who are pouring their lives into our children.

- We have many who, in days to come, will join with our preschool, kids, or student ministry teams...... Let the conspiracy continue!

- 184,971 verses of Scripture in the hearts of our children over the past ten years. Because the Word does not return void, we should anticipate some pretty extreme Kingdom results!

- Christmas will change the world. It has. It is. It will. The word becoming flesh is pretty audacious.

- What will happen if every person in our fellowship discovers their spiritual niche and each of us chooses to relentlessly advance the Kingdom in the framework of how our creator formed us? What will happen when we actually experience a Life Conspiracy as a church? It could be radical!

- I am so thankful for sugar cookies!

- My son is so anxious to give money to help kids in need. I love that about him.

- I am loving the LIFE Conspiracy. Our family team is simply amazing!

- I think that I get to work with some amazing people. I cannot wait to get to the office each day. That is a pretty big deal!

- Is anyone else finding themselves singing "Glory to God... Glory to God... Glory to God, forever.."? I'm SO glad that song keeps rolling through my head.

- Okay, what will happen this weekend @ EBC? It's going to be fun... and life changing... and beautiful!

Christmas is meant to change the world. This year, give presence.

Mark

Several thoughts that are painfully challenging me of late...

- Proverbs 30.7-9....Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is my Lord?'

- I may die today. Arrange my life around what matters the most. Begin now!

- Life is a vapor.

- A man by his sin may waste himself, which is to waste that which on earth is most like God. This is man's greatest tragedy and God's heaviest grief.' - Tozer

- Christmas is intended to spark a revolution. It's a conspiracy. I am praying that my life is arranged around what matters the most. Chan writes in Crazy Love, 'a friend of mine has a particularly wise perspective on this subject (death). He was asked if he weren't spending too much of his time serving and giving away too much. His gentle but honest response was, "I wonder if you'll say that after we're dead."

- Read Proverbs 30.7-9 again.... It's a revolutionary prayer. A conspiracy!

I love you guys and I am praying for an incredible Thanksgiving across our fellowship. I am also praying that we show up next weekend with tons of food in hand and many homes having food through the season because we worship @ EBC. "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat." - Jesus

Happy Thansgiving,
Mark

I've been thinking about character in light of Daniel. Daniel 6.4 says that Daniel was incorruptible. There was nothing corrupt about him and he was not negligent. If character really is the willingess to do what is right, as defined by God, regardless the personal cost, then Daniel was loaded with character.

I am thinking that it would be pretty amazing to have something similar said about me. I have an aspiration that I am asking God to bring about in my own life. I am asking Him to draw me into such a radical intimacy with Him that there is simply nothing corrupt about me. Even more importantly, I am not negligent. My life is captured by the desire to actively live out the glorious presence and Person of Jesus Christ! When I see hungry, I am not negligent. Thirsty... no negligence. Suffering... zero negligence. Apathy, I bring life. Needs..... no negligence.

So, I'm praying that God will compel me toward a life of character, conviction, and truth. I long to be incorruptible. I don't think that is remotely feasible apart from a depth of intimacy with Jesus Christ. I know that I cannot possibly hope for life incorruptible apart from the context of community. Character is forged in the life of the Christ follower most profoundly in the community of faith. It could be quite fun and quite world changing to share life with a bunch of people who long to be transformed by the life of Jesus Christ. Let's go for it!

Christ is life. Life is a conspiracy. The next few weeks will be incredible around EBC!!! Life Conspiracy is here!

By Grace.... For Glory,
Mark