More Than Bread

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At Calvary in our current series "Live Different" we are nearing the end of Jesus' mountain-top message. Which means we are nearing the end of this podcast series, but...we still probably have 8-10 more episodes to go. So buckle up and enjoy the ride! :)

This episode is the most recent message I gave at Calvary. It's a look at the "narrow way with a narrow gate" and the "broad way with a wide gate." It's a challenge to make the "master-choice." It was a pretty powerful weekend at Calvary, maybe God will use it to speak to you as well. If so, I would love to hear what God is doing in your life. Feel free to do the "fan mail" (not a fan of that name :) or send me an email to [email protected]

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As we get into this episode on sex, lust and adultery... you may be asking the question, "How far will God go to love me?" That's the question I'll be answering before we put this episode to bed. And to be honest, my best answer is simply this. The cross is our reminder that God will go so far as to come down and give his life for you to show you his love. God will go so far as a cross to pursue us with all our heart. 

Never forget that truth!

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Our next section of Jesus' mountain-top message is on sex, adultery, and lust. And let me just say upfront, that one of the reasons why this is such a tough and tender topic is because there are so many people crying on the inside. Something you did, something done to you, a decision you regret, sometimes there's this deep sense of hidden inner shame.  You're crying on the inside. And if that's you, you need to hear these words of Jesus within a context of knowing that he knew that this topic could bring so many people tears on the inside. 

And you need to know, there was more compassion in his heart that day on that mountain than your heart could ever contain. Because in the end, it's not really all about sex, it's about knowing and being known by the giver of life!

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Do I truly value relationships? You will hear some form of that question over and over again in this episode. If you want to be the light of the world, if you want to be a real life blessing, if you want to be a reconciler with a heart that won’t quit, you have to make relationships a priority. If you know anything about religion in Jesus day, presenting a sacrifice was a big deal. The common people had the  opportunity to present a sacrifice maybe 2-3 times a year. It was a big deal, big, big deal, not like Sunday worship, or even monthly communion. Jesus said, "If you are right in the middle of even your most important religious tradition and you  remember that someone's got something against you; stop the religious stuff and go make things right. Now. Don't wait. 

Because reconciled relationships matter more than religious routines. So ask yourself, "Do I truly value, even treasure relationships?"

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In talking about his football team, the legendary coach Vince Lombardi once said, "The difference between mediocrity and greatness is the feeling these guys have for each other. If you're going to play together as a team, you've got to care for one another." In some ways, he was just echoing the words of Jesus, when Jesus said that people would know; there would be an unmistakeable recognition that we are his apprentices by the quality of our love and the size of our hearts. When they see that they will know. But let's be honest, sometimes, love hurts and relationships are hard and we get offended.

When that comes we have to choose between murder or reconcilation. And I'm only half kidding. God is looking for reconcilers to be the light of the world.

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If we look at Jesus' example we would have to say that of all his names, Father is God's favorite.  In the Old Testament God was called Father, only 7x.  Jesus refers to God as Father 17x in the Sermon on the Mount alone! The gospels record over 200x's that Jesus called God Father. God's our Father. In Jesus day, those words were  revolutionary. Never before had that been the primary way of viewing God, but it shaped everything Jesus said and did, especially his prayer life.  And then this amazing thing happens, he passes it on to us. "Not only my Father," Jesus says, "your Father. He's your Abba, Papa, Daddy God." 

Prayer may at times be more than, but it will never be less than an on-going and on-growing personal relationship with your Father God. So climb up on his lap and pray!

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Listen God is so good. I understand, every tragedy, every hurt, every funeral and every divorce; every disappointment seems to be marketing for unanswered prayer and unanswered prayers cause us to question the limits of God's goodness. But God's goodness has no limits. Not only can He help you, He wants to help you. Now I have to be honest, there are some prayers He will never answer, because He has something better in mind for us. But as we go back to Luke 18, we are going to see that there is a prayer, we can pray, that God will always answer...and quickly.

"God give me justice over my adversary." Now that prayer may not mean what you think it means, so you should listen and then pray!

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In Luke 18, Jesus tells a story with a meaning, often called a parable. But in this case, Jesus starts with the "why," the meaning.  Often when Jesus told a parable,
he wouldn't give the why. He wanted the listeners to grapple with the meaning without being fed the answer. But in this case, the why of the story is so important that Jesus tells it up front. "Don't miss this." He's saying. "I'm going to tell you a story and I want the story to always remind you of the fact that we should always
pray and never give up. Never forget this. Always pray. Never give up.

Basically Jesus is repeating a message we find over and over again in the Bible. "Don't lose heart." When it comes to prayer, find something good to pray for and then don't stop. Don't lose heart!

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We are God's children. We are not God's friends. We are not God's neighbors. We're His kids. That's what Jesus was teaching about prayer and that's why He said, "When you pray, say Father." Nobody else called God father. Jesus said, "When you pray say Father." Smtms we make prayer so complicated. There are depths to prayer that I may never fully explore or understand. But there is also meant to be a simplicity and an ease to prayer that is the ease of a kid coming to daddy. Papa God. 

Stop tryng to earn it.  We don't come into His presence because we earn it.  We come in because He loves us. We come in because it's home and you are His kid!

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Make no mistake Jesus wants the church to be a place of active, life-giving service and overflowing worship. He  wants it to be a community of grace and truth.  But few things move his heart like prayer. That's why I imagine a smile came to his face one day when one of his disciples came to him. Jesus had been out praying.  In fact it wouldn't surprise me if Jesus had been praying for his disciples, something like, "Father, help them. Sometimes they just don't get it. Father I want prayer to matter to them. I want being with you to matter to them, like it matters to me. 

So I imagine Jesus' smile when I read Luke 11:1, "Once when Jesus had been out praying, one of his disciples came to him as he finished and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." I think that's a prayer that we should never stop praying, "Jesus teach me to pray!"