Excel Still More

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In 1859 Charles Dickens wrote "A Tale of Two Cities" about the French Revolution of the late 1700's. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. If you lived anywhere near London or Paris, you knew what that meant. The world was filled with turmoil, different classes, and unpredictability. Dickens notes that it is always like that in every culture, and often within most people. Most people fight the power of both darkness and light, hope and despair, on an ongoing basis. 

Did you know it should not be that way with Christians? God did something that changed everything. One day disciples are in a house crying and hopeless. Shortly after they are in a house standing up in confidence and joy. What made the difference? And how can that difference live in your life? The resurrection of Jesus won't due as a part of the Christian's life. It must become the centerpiece of your life. Jesus defeat of death changed everything forever. It should change you.

You can live in a world of duality and uncertainly, but do so with confidence and joy. This can bring immeasurable peace to your life but also may draw other people to Jesus Christ!

- Has a generation ever existed that was stable, predictable, just and fair?

- So why are we often so surprised when we see that ours is no different?

- More importantly, what does it say about us if that same duality exists in us?

- What has God done to change things forever and add eternal peace to your life?

- How does the resurrection infuse your present life with purpose and direction?

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I'm really enjoying a new book, The Slight Edge, by Jeff Olson. I recommend it to you. It is purely secular but gives tremendous tips that believers can use in every part of life. 

His early material drives our study today. He speaks of a life cycle, a wavelength of living that falls to desperation, then goes up to stable, then back down again. Over and over again, up and down, but limited by sufficiency and never really attaining success. How do we break that cycle?

There are two crucial keys to continuing the upward trend and keeping from falling back into fear and desperation once again. If we can keep a real, forward looking, deep passion in our hearts - and - use that to keep doing the things that we already know will work.. the sky is the limit!

- Do you know the cycle that ranges between rock bottom and head above water?

- Why do some people do better, but only until they are back on their feet?

- What emotion is behind getting active in daily disciplines?

- What must replace that emotion of true transformation is to take place?

- If you can do well daily, motivated by love, for the rest of this year, what is possible?

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Everybody has heard this phrase: "It is not how you start, it's how you finish." Do you believe this? And how does it make you feel about the rest of the life God will gift to you? So many of us define ourselves by what has happened, or even who we are now. But Christ has not yet returned. Our time with our family and friends is not yet over. What does that mean to you? Is it an optimistic, grateful feeling in your heart? We ought to look at time as a brilliant gift to make things better. It should never be seen as a curse.  God is looking to see who you become when He is ready for your time to be up. Aren't you glad he has afforded you more days to grow?

Well, I guess that depends on what you are planning. Do you plan to use that time to change? Are you letting the past go, either good or bad, and defining yourself by your aims, not your past? Today we talk about how the beginning matters, but not nearly as much as the end. Of course, you and I don't know when that end is coming, so there is no time to waste!

- What does "It's not how you start but how you finish" mean to you?

- If you have failed in the past, or even today, what does it mean for God to give you more time?

- If you have had great success to this point in your life do you feel good about using more years?

- How important is the finish line to God, and how is that reflected in your life today?

- What happens when we start using our view of the future as the driving force for the present?

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Happy Thursday to you! Two quick things to share.

I will be at the Campbell Road church of Christ in Garland, TX June 17th-19th. Friday night at 7pm. Saturday beginning at 10:30am. And Sunday beginning at 9am. Come join us as we sing and pray and study renovating our spirits to go on beautiful missions of mercy in Jesus' mighty name.

Today I want to share with you one of the most beautifully encouraging songs I've ever heard. Everything God has made around us, and everything God did in sending His Son, declares His glory beyond comprehension. Today we hope to be grateful. And to look at the planets proclaiming His majesty and say "So Will I." Look at the extend Jesus went to honor the will of God and love those around Him and humbly proclaim "So. Will. I."

God of creation
There at the start
Before the beginning of time

With no point of reference
You spoke to the dark
And fleshed out the wonder of light

And as You speak
A hundred billion galaxies are born
In the vapour of Your breath the planets form
If the stars were made to worship, so will I
I can see Your heart in everything You've made
Every burning star
A signal fire of grace
If creation sings Your praises, so will I

God of Your promise
You don't speak in vain
No syllable empty or void

For once You have spoken
All nature and science
Follow the sound of Your voice

And as You speak
A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath
Evolving in pursuit of what You said
If it all reveals Your nature so will I
I can see Your heart in everything You say
Every painted sky
A canvas of Your grace
If creation still obeys You, so will I

So will I
So will I

If the stars were made to worship, so will I
If the mountains bow in reverence, so will I
If the oceans roar Your greatness, so will I
For if everything exists to lift You high, so will I
If the wind goes where You send it, so will I
If the rocks cry out in silence, so will I
If the sum of all our praises still falls shy
Then we'll sing again a hundred billion times

God of salvation
You chased down my heart
Through all of my failure and pride

On a hill You created
The Light of the world
Abandoned in darkness to die

And as You speak
A hundred billion failures disappear
Where You lost Your life so I could find it here
If You left the grave behind You, so will I
I can see Your heart in everything You've done
Every part designed in a work of art called love
If You gladly chose surrender, so will I
I can see Your heart, a billion different ways
Every precious one, a child You died to save
And if You gave Your life to love them so will I

Like You would again a hundred billion times
But what measure could amount to Your desire?
You're the One who never leaves the one behind

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Have you ever read the Francis Chan book, Crazy Love? It will challenge you. He really makes us look at our life here in America and if we let our prosperity harden our hearts and keep us in a lukewarm state. Actually, it is a super challenging read and exposes a lot of work needed in most of us. But it also asks you to renovate your heart. If we can develop a heart for crazy love for God, and crazy love for people - loving them like God loves them - we can reach incredible charitable heights.

Today I ask you to go on a journey with me - a journey to more giving, more kindness, more charity, freeing up our time, energy and money to do great work in the kingdom and for the name of Jesus. 

- Have you ever wondered if "lukewarm" is a description of parts of your own life?

- How can God love and save us when we are so underdeveloped in comparison to His glory?

- What happens when the love of God fills your heart and changes your life?

- How would your conduct to others change if you loved them like God loves them?

- What if we had the immediate heart of Zaccheus when we thought of Jesus and His grace?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Today is a hard one. I need to talk to you about the school shooting in Uvalde, TX on Tuesday May 24th. An 18 year old young man shot and killed 19 kids and two adults. 17 others are currently in the hospital with injuries. Sadly, this is not an altogether isolated event. Increased violence by damaged, angry youth is more apparent every year in our country. What is happening and how can we fix it?

Politics is something to discuss, but not today. Prayer is important to emphasize, but is that the limit of our ability to help this world?  Most of us would say that this world needs Jesus. That is certainly true. Do you pray about that? I do. But have you considered that God is ready to that if you are? Community among believers gets us through the darkest of things. Do the people in this world also need that community in love and in Christ to cope with their damaged hearts and minds? Yes. You and I are the tools God wants to employ to reach them. Let's look into how that might happen in your life today. 

- How have you handled the terrible news of the school massacre in Uvalde, TX?

- Do you wish more people in this country had a relationship with God?

- Could even the most troubled of youth be brought to the light by love and community?

- Okay, so what role will you play in that?

- Is it the world's job to come find us, or are we ready to be like Jesus and go to them?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Today we turn our gaze toward the future. One day you and I will leave this earth. When we do, most likely, the letter of our lives will be fully written and handed to our family and friends to live with for the rest of their lives. We aren't sending a letter back to ourselves but forward to our family. The question is, what will be written there? Will we seed hope in them? Will they draw joy from the choices in our lives, eternal and heavenly joy? Or will we leave them with doubt and fear?

We can't go back into our past to change what has happened, we can only do what is right now. The same is true for what will come in our future and how our legacy will live on after us. We will have zero control then. But we can do the right thing today, and tomorrow, and increasingly to the end.

I want to share three phone calls I have received in my life. Three times I had to store away my thoughts of someone who had passed. I still hold within me those same feelings. But what did they leave me with? What was sealed forever in the hearts of the people they knew and loved? The results represent options for you. I hope you will listen carefully and decide what kind of phone call you want your loved ones to receive when you are one.

- May 19th 1992 - The passing of my grandmother

- November 15th 1996 - The passing my best friend's mom

- July 14th 2008 - The passing of a sweet sister in Christ

- What will your passing represent in terms of: outside of Christ, once in Christ, or NOW in Christ?

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What would you write if you had the chance to pen a letter to your younger self? What changes would you make? Would you try to avoid bad decisions? Would you direct yourself to lucrative investments? Okay, cool. But what if it risked what you have now? Would it be worth it?

We are going to dig in on all of those questions today. To help guide us through, we will be reading and considering the lyrics from the Mercy Me song, "Dear Younger Me." I have added the lyrics to the song below. It takes a surprising, and somewhat humbling honestly, turn at the end that has me thinking through a lot of things. I hope it has that affect on you as well.

A pursuit into changing the past can make us feel worse about our life today. You know, wishing we could change things but having to live with the fact that we cannot. But there is a much, much better outcome available that will - spoiler alert - seed everything great thing in knowing Christ!

Dear younger me
Where do I start
If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far
Then you could be
One step ahead
Of all the painful memories still running thru my head
I wonder how much different things would be
Dear younger me,

Dear younger me
I cannot decide
Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life
Or do I go deep
And try to change
The choices that you'll make cuz they're choices that made me
Even though I love this crazy life
Sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride
Dear younger me, dear younger me

If I knew then what I know now
Condemnation would've had no power
My joy my pain would've never been my worth
If I knew then what I know now
Would've not been hard to figure out
What I would've changed if I had heard

Dear younger me
It's not your fault
You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross
Dear younger me

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

Every mountain every valley
Thru each heartache you will see
Every moment brings you closer
To who you were meant to be
Dear younger me, dear younger me

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Do you remember what it felt like to start something amazing? Do you remember the first day of marriage? Or what it felt like to be washed in the blood of the Lamb? Wow, that was truly the best. For those who are exploring new things and feeling the joys of discovery, drink in every ounce of that! As for the rest of us, let's not give up the dream of daily joy and the emotions of gratitude. 

To enjoy the gift of fresh and excited eyes, we need to identify the qualities we once had and reach for them again. To help with this, let's look at a beginner embracing new hope in contrast with a long timer who had lost that spark. You can choose to be that first person again, no matter how long it's been. In fact, because of how long God has blessed you!

- What is the beginner's gift and how does it feel to possess it?

- What happens over time that keeps us from the feelings we once had?

- How does remembering desperation bring us to place of rejoicing?

- Why is honesty and openness a wonderful quality that we all need?

- What part does gratitude play in keeping you as joyful as the first day of blessing?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

First, special thanks to Kinsey Fountain for a terrific idea!

Second, thank to Bob Goff for his quote and life and work. 

There is a deep and different richness when our value is connected with our acts of kindness, not what people say about our acts of kindness. We all crave validation, and we live in a social media age, where likes amount to value for a great many things in our lives.

But what if we figure out how to Be Secretly Incredible? Maybe you can be more loving and generous, for the sake of the act and the people you help, with zero need for or desire for accolades or affirmation. Bob Goff will show us how. His sentiments perfectly echo the teachings of Jesus in the sermon on the mount. Let me tell his story and see if he can inspire you.

I also want to share four little ideas that are transforming my thinking. I hope to be more personal, emotional, and connected in my acts of good will in the name of Jesus. A short progression of thoughts can make that real for you. Then, if people find out about it, that's perfectly okay. They will want to be like you, and that's a great reason to have your good deeds known!

- Why do we care so much what other people think about the good things we do?

- How can we find value in our personal work, not just in collective or institutional actions?

- How can you sit down with your family and find the way God wants to use you?

- What would a life without generosity limits, led by relationships, be like for your family?

- Is it okay for people to see what we do if our sequencing is correct?  YES!