It seems like most weddings now have a dinner or social time after the event. And, it is almost impossible to go to a wedding today without having wine at the dinner or social time. I am not against wine. The bible talks about wine in both positive and negative ways. And, just like anything….there can be excesses. But this story is not really about wine.

Jesus went to a wedding banquet that served wine. His mother and some of His disciples were there too. We don’t know much about the couple or the guest list. What we do know is that the party ran out of wine. An embarrassment for certain. The lack of wine was brought to Jesus’ attention by His mother, Mary. His actions open up a way for us to see what Jesus wants for our life. Fullness.

It seems like most weddings now have a dinner or social time after the event. And, it is almost impossible to go to a wedding today without having wine at the dinner or social time. I am not against wine. The bible talks about wine in both positive and negative ways. And, just like anything….there can be excesses. But this story is not really about wine.

Jesus went to a wedding banquet that served wine. His mother and some of His disciples were there too. We don’t know much about the couple or the guest list. What we do know is that the party ran out of wine. An embarrassment for certain. The lack of wine was brought to Jesus’ attention by His mother, Mary. His actions open up a way for us to see what Jesus wants for our life. Fullness.

Have you ever used a checklist? I like checklists. They can help keep things organized, can help get things finished and can serve as a barometer of how we are doing. Checklists can help us see if we are missing anything.

Jesus was a checklist guy. There is a story in the Gospels about a man that ran up to Jesus and asked Jesus what it took to inherit eternal life. Jesus gave him a checklist of things. The man checked them off, but really knew there was another thing that he wanted more than eternal life. He even asked Jesus, “What do I still lack?” The man knew and Jesus knew. So Jesus told him. Jesus brought it out in the open. The man was sad. He went away with a box unchecked. Am I missing something, he said? Yes he was.

Have you ever used a checklist? I like checklists. They can help keep things organized, can help get things finished and can serve as a barometer of how we are doing. Checklists can help us see if we are missing anything.

Jesus was a checklist guy. There is a story in the Gospels about a man that ran up to Jesus and asked Jesus what it took to inherit eternal life. Jesus gave him a checklist of things. The man checked them off, but really knew there was another thing that he wanted more than eternal life. He even asked Jesus, “What do I still lack?” The man knew and Jesus knew. So Jesus told him. Jesus brought it out in the open. The man was sad. He went away with a box unchecked. Am I missing something, he said? Yes he was.

Have you ever been around a construction site and gotten sawdust in your eyes? Or maybe at the beach and got some sand in your eyes. I grew up in a town with a saw mill. They cut boards of different sizes and lengths from logs. I got to go there only a couple of times and it was before there was strict adherence to OSHA rules like hard hat, hearing and eye protection. It was a treat. There was sawdust everywhere! As a kid, it only took me a few minutes to have it all over me and my clothes. And, yes, I got some in my eyes. Just like beach sand or the morning eye goo, sawdust in your eyes can make it hard to see, I mean, even a speck.

Scripture says Jesus was a carpenter and the son of a carpenter. He knew about sawdust. I suppose he even got some sawdust in His eyes. One day Jesus was teaching the disciples and other people that had gathered around a hill. One of the things he was talking about was something in their eyes, like a speck of wood or straw. Funny Jesus was actually talking about two separate people with two separate things in their eyes. And He was talking about more than sawdust. It is a timely message for us today.

Have you ever been around a construction site and gotten sawdust in your eyes? Or maybe at the beach and got some sand in your eyes. I grew up in a town with a saw mill. They cut boards of different sizes and lengths from logs. I got to go there only a couple of times and it was before there was strict adherence to OSHA rules like hard hat, hearing and eye protection. It was a treat. There was sawdust everywhere! As a kid, it only took me a few minutes to have it all over me and my clothes. And, yes, I got some in my eyes. Just like beach sand or the morning eye goo, sawdust in your eyes can make it hard to see, I mean, even a speck.

Scripture says Jesus was a carpenter and the son of a carpenter. He knew about sawdust. I suppose he even got some sawdust in His eyes. One day Jesus was teaching the disciples and other people that had gathered around a hill. One of the things he was talking about was something in their eyes, like a speck of wood or straw. Funny Jesus was actually talking about two separate people with two separate things in their eyes. And He was talking about more than sawdust. It is a timely message for us today.

You’re Going to Have to do Better!

You’re Going to Have to do Better!

Have you ever heard the expression, “No Pain, No Gain?” Roots to the saying go back as far as 650 BC, to Socrates, to Benjamin Franklin, to Jane Fonda and the workout video craze. I am not saying it is always true but often in life, obtaining things of value require great effort. Such was the entry of the people of Israel into the Promised Land. The land had great resources but it was full of adversaries. Land flowing with milk and honey had large people in it that had to be overcome. And they were with God’s help.

God wants us in the Promised Land, not the actual land, but in the spiritual Promised Land with Him. And to get there, we face obstacles. We have to overcome some giants in our lives and surrender to God’s will for our lives.

Have you ever heard the expression, “No Pain, No Gain?” Roots to the saying go back as far as 650 BC, to Socrates, to Benjamin Franklin, to Jane Fonda and the workout video craze. I am not saying it is always true but often in life, obtaining things of value require great effort. Such was the entry of the people of Israel into the Promised Land. The land had great resources but it was full of adversaries. Land flowing with milk and honey had large people in it that had to be overcome. And they were with God’s help.

God wants us in the Promised Land, not the actual land, but in the spiritual Promised Land with Him. And to get there, we face obstacles. We have to overcome some giants in our lives and surrender to God’s will for our lives.