Anxiety...

We all have it to some degree. It is something that we cannot put our finger on its exactness or origin since it is caused by different things for different people in different places.

For me (believe it or not) most of my formative years I was extremely anxious about being seen by people. To get in front of people to perform, give a speech, publicly answer a question, sing, or play sports was panic-inducing for me. It did not matter what the public arena was, I did not want to be seen or noticed for what I "did".

It terrified me.

I did not want to be laughed at. I did not want to be criticized. I did not want to be put in a position where I may not have the answer. I did not want to fail.  So the best thing for me to do was to fade into the background, avoid conversation and confrontation, or even being seen at all if possible..

For you, anxiety comes wearing a completely different costume.

But what is anxiety? In a word, it is FEAR.

Fear breeds anxiety. Anxiety breeds worry, and from there it is a fast downward spiral that can sometimes be hard to get out of.

But what is the opposite or Fear?

Courage, Boldness, Confidence, Assurance, Faith...Guts

Courage seems to be in short supply these days. There is such a knee jerk reaction by people in our culture to be seen and known as tolerant, inclusive, welcoming, affirming, supporting, knowledgeable and more, all in an effort to seek approval and to be celebrated and in the "in crowd."

The fear and anxiety of what the crowd may say or do to us often influences what we say, how we react and what we do.

I have read about, seen and even met many people, who would call themselves followers of Christ, who have made the choice to express and support ideas that are masquerading as truth in efforts to be left alone, to be accepted at work or in their family, and to avoid conflict.

The culture wars are real and they are raging right now. Sadly, they are leaving many casualties strewn throughout our country and, i believe, in our churches.

But this week, I read a passage of scripture that I know I personally have read many times before, but today the Holy Spirit revealed something new to me. In fact it is a verse that would be very easy for us to pass over in an effort to get to the "good stuff", or the real "meat of the story".

The passage is in the opening chapter of Exodus and I feel you could argue it is about as relevant for the church today as almost any verse in the Bible when we survey the landscape of our culture.

Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

Pharaoh Oppresses Israel
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

I have included the whole chapter for context but did you catch it? Did you notice a high anxiety filled moment? (To be honest there are several of them in this chapter when we sit and dwell on the realities of what Pharaoh is ordering.)

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 

What is interesting here is that there is debated ambiguity about the "Hebrew midwives". It can be read two ways in the original language - It is either Hebrews who are midwives OR it is Egyptian Midwives for the Hebrews.

What makes the most sense, since Pharaoh is calling the midwives in and ordering them to kill the Hebrew boys, is that they are Egyptian. It would be no surprise for Pharaoh to learn that the Hebrews he had ordered to kill other Hebrews did not obey. But for Egyptians to reject the order is a completely different story.

Can you imagine the anxiety of that moment? Standing before the most powerful person on the earth (arguably) and explaining that you were unable to do what was ordered of you. They were women in a world where women did not have the same status as men, and they were at the mercy of a tyrant who could have easily killed them and appointed new midwives to do the job. If he was psychotic enough to kill countless innocent babies, what hesitation would he have to kill two women?

But what does the text say, they feared God and did not do what the King of Egypt commanded them.

Where in our culture today are we as Christians being asked to "obey the king of Egypt"? What demands has our culture put on us that would try to drag us to a crossroads where we would be forced to make a decision on which way to go, which voice to listen to, and to whom we would put our trust and faith in?

It is one of the first really overt instances of civil disobedience we see in the Bible. And what does it say about God's reaction to it.

20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

God Blessed them.

It was not easy for them to stand before this powerful leader and "disobey" But they did and they did so respectfully. And in the end, as we read through the book of Exodus and the rest of the Old Testament, Israel was persecuted and there were still thousands of boys killed at the hands of Pharaoh.

But it is encouraging to me that there were those who stood against the evils of their day.

It is encouraging to me that even when Pharaoh changed tactics and ordered the people (the Egyptians) to take matters into their own hands and kill any Hebrew boys that were born, that there were still people who saw the evil, feared the Lord, and stood for truth, for faith, for good.

I am also reminded in all of this, of a much more famous biblical stand against a king with the power of life and death. You can read about these men in Daniel 3.

The reality is that in this world we will have trouble. There will be times when we are forced to make a decision that pressures us to go against what God has ordained. Either we bow to the powerful "kings" in our lives or we bow to the King of Kings who has called us to live in such a way that we can have the opportunity to point people to the hope we have in Christ.

Here are 3 different verses to consider and ponder on this week as we go though our routines and responsibilities.

What is it that God may be speaking to you as we near being 1/6 of the way through 2024? Are there areas in your life that you have allowed yourself to blend into the cultural background when God has asked you to stand firm for the truth of the Gospel and his Word?

One of my favorite times of day is twilight. Just when the sun is starting to go down below the horizon until just before it gets dark.  There is something special about that time of day no matter what time of year. Whether it is in the winter the way everything seams to have a blue tone to it with a full moon and the snow reflecting the light all around, or on those late summer nights when the sun does not go down until 10 pm here in Idaho, it never fails to amaze. The warmth of the day fading as the sky turns all different colors of the rainbow is just special.

In fact, my kids have called that time at dawn and dusk "rainbow time" ever since they were little. They would get so excited and call the family to the window to witness "rainbow time" when they looked out or noticed the beauty that was in the sky.

Simply gorgeous. and not that different than this picture here:

But have you ever been out on the back porch or been reading or enjoying a board game or time with friends when the sun was up and then all of a sudden realize that it is dark outside and you are straining to see the pages you are reading or the faces of your friends as you chat about the day, or the game pieces on the table?

Even though it has slowly been getting darker over a period of time, it seems like it happened all of a sudden. It's as if you suddenly are aware that things are dark, but the truth is, it has been a slow process of fading light that took place over the course of an hour or more that brought you to this dark moment. When we are engaged with a good book, good friends, good food, and good fun we often fail to notice the subtle changes taking place in our environment.

And it gives us something we can consider this week as we look to grow in our faith and relationship with Jesus.  

We are just entering the season leading up to the celebration of Easter, which is always such a fun and special time with family as we celebrate Christ conquering the grave and providing unmerited grace to the entire world with His death on a cross and resurrection from the grave.

It is a season of BRIGHT SUNSHINE and for many people it is a season where they have walked out of the darkness of their lives into the light of salvation.

Often times though, if we are not careful, we can find the light fading in our lives. We allow ourselves to get comfortable with things that we maybe should not be as comfortable as we are. We begin to pitch our tents close to the line because we can still "see" clearly. We convince ourselves that there is still enough light to enjoy what we are doing and how we are living, and if we are not careful we begin to see ourselves living our lives in the deep end of 1 John 1:8 (which is not the place you want to be living your life)

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. - 1 John 1:8

The danger lies right in that moment.

And before we are aware of it, we find that it is dark outside and we wonder what time it is, and just as we have lost track of time we can lose track of our life.

So many people have ended up down dark roads in their lives and when asked about it, they often will tell you they have no idea how they got there. Even though they may not be able to put their finger on an exact moment, it all started somewhere, and often it is when we allow ourselves to get comfortable with the darkness.

But we have been called out of darkness. When we see light we move toward it and this last Christmas, in the series, "What Child Is This", we walked through Isaiah 9:2-9 on Sunday mornings, looking at the hope that Christ brought when he was born. A hope that shined so brightly that the darkness fled. A light that lit the path for people to move away from walking in darkness. Jesus is that light that has shone so that we no longer have to walk in darkness.

The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
    and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
    and every garment rolled in blood
    will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon[d] his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called[e]
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. - Isaiah 9:2-7

When we become a disciple of Christ, we turn and move from walking in darkness to instead, walking in the light.

1 Peter 2:9 says:  9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

in 2024, the men of CityHope Church have begun an 11 study on the book of 1 John. In all of John's writings he points the division of light and dark. In the book of 1 John,  he writes to the church in Ephesus about the fact that there is a choice to make and we cannot live our lives on both sides of the fence at the same time.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. - 1 John 1:5-8 
God is Light! and we cannot claim to walk with him while living our lives in the darkness. We are called to walk in the light. We are called to Practice the Truth.

I love this phrase because with practice comes failure, with practice comes sweat, with practice comes victory, with practice comes setbacks, with practice comes team, with practice comes coaching, with practice comes increased ability, with practice comes proficiency, with practice comes confidence, with practice we see, in increasing measure, the fruits of the spirt flourishing in our lives (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), with practice we find it easier practice the spiritual disciplines that help us to grow deeper in our relationship with God through Christ, with practice we grow in our faith,

With practice....

And we do this when we walk in the light, and walk in His truth. But how well lit is the path you are walking? When we stumble around in the dark we tend to fall down. When we try to read in the dark we strain our eyes and it is hard to understand what we are attempting to read.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path. - Psalm 119:105

Everything about this passage in 1 John is active. walking, practicing, proclaiming and fellowship. Our faith was meant to be lived and be lived in community where we practice the truth and walk in the light.

So just like at "rainbow time" in my house, when you see that things are getting dimmer and "rainbow time" is upon you, see it as the beauty that it is. See it as a beautiful reminder to move toward the light. to walk in the light and not in the darkness. Let it be a reminder to you for areas where you may have allowed yourself to walk to close to the line (or fully crossing over into it) of darkness.

Let the beauty of "rainbow time" remind you of the amazing grace of God who has called you out of darkness

1. How are your practices going?

2. What are some things that you need to change in your practice routine?

3. Write down one thing you want to be begin "practicing" this week and then make a plan for how you will see that happen and start your journey walking in the light.

The men of our church have started this year studying the book of 1 John. So starting today I will be writing some of my thoughts about this book as we dive deep into its pages over the next 12 weeks.

1 John 1:1-10
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our[a] joy may be complete.

John starts his letter to the believers in Ephesus in much the same way he does in his gospel. He points to Jesus' eternality but also to his humanity. But what is great about this passage is that he is not merely speaking conjecture about a subject he has heard about or read about,  John is saying “look I have got the receipts” This is real. I have the evidence. I saw with my own eyes, I heard with my own ears, I touched with my own hands.

And the best part is.. what I am telling you  is Good News. (i.e. The Gospel)

THE GOSPEL
The gospel is the core of the Christian life. The gospel is the message, the hope, and the firm foundation of those who follow Christ. It's the foundation upon which the church and is built, AND the foundation on which our homes SHOULD be built as well.

But do we know what the gospel is? And a better question might be could we explain it or tell someone about it if asked?

If you were to ask a Christian about the gospel, and what it is, you are likely to get 5 answers from 5 people. Some will tell you it is about asking Jesus into your heart, or they may say it is the plan of salvation or give you a tour of "The Romans Road".

But few will identify the gospel as the good news of God's redemption of fallen man through the person and work of Jesus Christ. But the reality is, that's precisely what the gospel is; it's the announcement of good news to man, that God has not forgotten them, God has provided grace and forgiveness to them, that through his son, Jesus, he has eliminated our inability to "earn our way" to heaven by our own works and strength. (which we never could do).

John Hendryx offers a succinct definition of the Gospel:
In short, the Gospel is the life-altering news that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, lived a sinless life under the Law, died for sinners, and rose again to reconcile them to himself, eternally victorious over every enemy that stood between God and man.

The gospel is not about a lonely God pining over the prospect of an eternity without you. The gospel is not man-centered sentimentality.  God is Holy. God is not in "need" of anything, us included. But he loves us and he has a heart for us. We read in Genesis that when he created us he created us in His image. Hhe created us to for relationship with Him and with others.

Michael Horton says, "The biblical writers chose the word "gospel." The heart of most religions is good advice, good techniques, good pro-grams, good ideas, and good support systems. These drive us deeper into ourselves, to find our inner light, inner goodness, inner voice, or inner resources. Nothing new can be found inside us. There is no inner rescuer deep down in my soul; I just hear echoes of my own voice telling me all sorts of crazy things to numb my sense of fear, anxiety, and boredom, the origins of which I cannot truly identify. But the heart of Christianity is Good News. It comes not as a task for us to fulfill, a mission for us to accomplish, a game plan for us to follow with the help of life coaches, but as a report that someone else has already fulfilled, accomplished, followed, and achieved everything for us. Good advice may help us in our daily lives but it does not save us.'

It is Good News because it does not depend on us. It is about God’s faithfulness, promises, purposes, and100% of the time it is not man centered. It is not about living a better life, being a better you, changing the world, or maximizing your gifting. All of those things are likely to happen when we place our live in Jesus's hands. They are all by products of the transformation the Bible talks about taking place when we realize our need for a savior and allow ourselves to die to self so that we can be raised to new life. But that is not the gospel.

The Gospel is always God centered, Christ centered, and Cross centered, and instead of requiring our living a perfect life with no mistakes, flawlessly following all that Christ has commanded it simply requires repentance and faith.

And when that happens the Gospel produces all of those things I just mentioned and more and  in ever increasing measure. It produces our obedience to the commands we read in scripture. It is the catalyst for the transformation in the way we think, speak, act, respond to others, live our lives, and how we treat others. In a word all of those things happen differently because of the gospel.

We truly are New Creations. As the apostle Paul writes in Romans, the old is gone the new is come.

The gospel is not merely the first step, the gospel is what we as believers orient our entire lives around for the rest of our life. It goes to the heart of everything we think, everything we do, and everything we say.  But this does not happen magically on its own. We have to put our faith into practice. We have to wake up intentionally each morning and plan to orient our day around the gospel.

But one of the biggest battles we face as Americans is our need for distractions.

 The average American consumes 10.5 hours of media every single day now. (tv, radio, social, podcast, etc..) And the reality is that this number is not static. It has been steadily increasing year on year for the last 20 years. And when you take a look at Gen Z as a whole and the average amount of media they consume daily the number actually increases even more.

Here is the problem:  we will never have a Christian mind without reading or listening to the Scriptures regularly because what we allow into our minds greatly influences it. We cannot be profoundly influenced by something that we know nothing about. If we are filled with God's Word, our life can then be informed and directed by God.

And the more we put that into practice the more we see that experience play out. We begin to see our domestic relationships, our parenting, our career, our ethical decisions, and our interior moral life radically look more and more like the gospel. And in turn it becomes more and more evident to the people God has brought into our lives. The way to living out the gospel and to a Christian mind is through God's Word!

The gospel is also NOT just the 2 great commandments. Love God Love People. Jesus tells us plainly these are actually the summary of the Law.

We have to remind ourselves constantly that the gospel is news to be proclaimed. The more that we emurse ourselves in this mindset the more that it will flow from us. It helps to be reminded over and over again that the gospel is God centered, Christ centered, cross centered and GRACE centered.

And that experience matters as we continue to pursue God, His kingdom and His righteousness, and his plan for our lives. 

So this year I want to start spending time with one another and in Gods word in a great way. So that we can be better about living out and proclaiming the GOOD NEWS.

It has been a little while since we have had a big impressive storm take place here in Boise. But when they come through they can pack a punch. I remember a few years ago during a storm where the wind was howling, the rain was pouring down with such a torrent of water and deafening sound, it made you wonder if the trees were going to still be standing in the morning.

It brings to mind a story that was so familiar to me as a child from the book of Luke. I'm not sure about you but sometimes the memories of the Sunday school flannel graph are as clear as day in my minds eye.  

In this story from Luke 2 there was a rock cliff high above a sandy beach with a beautiful ocean view. It was a story of two builders and the location of the houses they were building themselves. Then the teacher, with a lowered voice, would tell how one mans house was destroyed and the other saved, and as the impending doom was about to fall on them, would place the piece of flannel with the tidal wave about to hit the shoreline over the serene ocean. You could almost hear the snapping of timber and the crash of the house.  What can I say, it made an impression.

The story is in Luke chapter 6.

LUKE 6: 46-49
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

In thinking about this parable I also thought of some of the coastal lighthouses that are pounded with waves on a daily basis and have been for decades and even centuries. Yet they still stand. I am not talking about a little bit of storm surge or a rogue wave every once in awhile. These lighthouses are out in the ocean all by themselves, and are pounded with waves up to 4 and 5 stories high! I cannot even imagine the force and the sound that these waves must have as they slam into the lighthouse over and over again.

For that matter I cannot understand how they even build the lighthouse to begin with. 

This parable, now more than ever, feels very real too many believers (and to be honest non believers as well) It seems as if there are storms raging all around us on multiple fronts. And everyone, no matter what side of issues we land, is feeling this tension. From disease that swept the planet, to geopolitical tensions. to national politics and the polices that are being (or not being) proposed and passed, inflation, job security, to the deterioration of the family at levels we have never seen and so much more. The list could go on and on.
So with all of this swirling around us what can we learn from this great parable?

The first is this, both builders experienced the exact same situation. They both heard the same words. Verses 47  and 49 make it clear that both builders heard the words of the Lord. Both men apparently were in the same church service. Both had the opportunity to respond the the Lord. Both had a chance to build and set things up well in advance of the storms arrival. Yet both men end up with very different outcomes when the storm came and the waters rose.

The reality is the storms will come. We will not escape the storms of life this side of heaven. The Lord never promises us a care free, easy life completely free of conflict, stress, trials and heartache. But he does promise us a life that can be lived to the full, and lived with abundance. It is often said the richest men in the world are some of the most miserable.  I hate to break it to you, but the “Life to the full” Jesus is talking about, is not necessarily defined the same way the American idea of “Life to the Full” is.

Some of the most miserable people I know are some of the richest people in America, they are the most miserable individuals I’ve ever seen.      — Chuck Norris

Yup, I just quoted Chuck Norris.

The sad truth is that many people are living miserable lives chasing hard after more and more ____________, (the blank can be filled with anything, and it is different for every person) Rich and poor alike.  Their money and things will not define them when it is all said and done. And for many lost people that is the quest that they are on. One where they find purpose, hope, peace, love, and security. Especially in uncertain times. Their wealth may help them survive a storm from a supply and monetary standpoint. But at the end of it all, the question before us is this:

Where is our hope anchored?

Where is our trust secured?

Is it in our finances? Is it in our 401k? is it in our Americanism? Is it in our government? Is it in our Job? Is it in our social media standing? Is it in how many people are following us? is it in our stuff? Is it in our kids? Our reputation? Our pleasures being met in every way known or desired?

Our, our, our. Me, Me Me

The list could go on and on. There are so many things that we anchor our hope to. And many of them are not bad evil things in and of themselves but when the storms of life come what is it that we find our selves clinging to. Where do we run? In 1929 many people showed in a very public and sad way where their hope lay as they jumped from windows of sky rise buildings in New York as the stock market crashed. They had built their house on the sand. The financial crisis came and as scripture says, “..and the ruin of that house was great.”

Christ is telling us we have to be more than simply hearers of the word. We have go a step further. when we move past simple intellectual assent we move into action. It’s as they say, where the rubber meets the road. Jesus in this parable shows that after hearing the word of the Lord the two builders did two very different things. One put the words into their life. They put them into practice. They other heard them, nodded, and then went about their life as they saw fit.

47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: ….

49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like……..

What will you do with the gospel?

What will you do with Jesus?

The second thing I want you consider form this story transitions from the first. You see, the picture that I got of this story was somewhat incorrect as a child. I have always had a mental picture of this story in the same fashion as the flannel graph I was shown in elementary school. With the wise man high on the rock with his house practically carved into the cliff high above the waves and the foolish builders house built below on the sandy shores only feet away from the waters edge.

In hindsight the image I was given was of the guy up on the rock looking down on the fool below. It (albeit subtly) creates this I am better than you elitist mindset. I am more right than you. I am smarter than you.

In real estate they its all about location location location. In a sense the wise man was smarter than the fool. But it was not because he got the view lot on the cliff while the foolish man got the cheap lot in then canyon.  Not at all. It came down to how each chose to build the foundation. I absolutely LOVED reading this story this week. It was as if it popped off the page fresh and new, almost as if I were reading if for the first time.

Did you catch what I did?

The implication is that both men were building on very similar lots. Both men had the same elements  to contend with. Both men had the same storm assault their front door. Both men heard the same messages even. But what does v. 48 say?

48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

He dug deep

He laid a foundation

His house was stable and secure.

His house was prepared for the storm that was coming. It was not a matter of if but a matter of when.

And when those waters rose, and the storm came it withstood it all. It would not be shaken, because it was well built.

I fear that many in America (and truly around the world) have built very unstable houses. The foundation that they thought would hold true is currently shaking and crumbling before their eyes.
 
I want to encourage you today with good news. It is not too late to begin to build your house on the rock. It is not too late to begin to dig deep and lay foundation stones in your life. A foundation that will not only be for your life but will be a foundation that will have the potential to be a foundation in the life of your family for generations to come.

Corona Virus has been a storm for many people around the world. But it has also caused many people to take  long look what foundations have been laid in their lives. If you would like to begin building a foundation in your life like the one the wise man built I encourage you to first to put your trust in Christ.  You can find out about how to do that in a very simple way here on our website.
 
If you made that decision we ask that you reach out to us here at CityHope by emailing us about your decision  at Info@cityHopeBoise.org. We would love to be a help to you as you start your new life in Christ

As you begin to lay new and deeper foundations, I encourage you to read through the psalms and proverbs with us during this season.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

1. Where in your life have you settled on "building your house on the sand" and where in your life have you made the intentional decision to "build your house on the rock"?

2. How can you begin "Rebuilding" areas of our life on the rock?

3. What will you do with the gospel?  What will you do with Jesus? (Have you done anything with the gospel and with Jesus in your life? if not what is holding you back?)

4. What can you start doing today differently in you life that will prepare you for the next "storm" that may come in your life? Where does construction need to begin/begin again in your life?

"Wisdom simplifies, Wisdom clarifies, Wisdom untangles, Wisdom unshackles, Wisdom illuminates. This is the highest expression of wisdom - To live our lives for others rather than ourselves."        - Erwin McManus

Jesus said that he came to serve. In Matthew 22:34-40, he taught that the whole of the law can be summed up in two statements. To love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. And this begs the question, “Who is our neighbor?” Christ’s parable about the good samaritan answers this question quite plainly. It is not simply the people who look like us, think like us, love like us, actually like us, invest in us, or build us up. It is anyone and everyone who is breathing and has a pulse. And why? Because every human who has ever lived, and every human who has yet to draw breath in their lungs sometime in the future, is made in the image of God.

Stop and let that sink in for a moment. Every person who has every lived and has yet to be born is made in the Image of God. We are all image bearers. There is something inside every person that points to the divine.
 
CityHope Church’s mission statement is this:

To lead people from where they are to where God has called them to be, Because we are about Jesus, People, and the Pursuit of Both.

There is a lot going on in this one simple statement. We as disciples, as followers of Christ, as those who have been called and created with God given talents and abilities and a God given purpose (and by the way, EVERY person has been given these things) and who have dropped our nets in response to the awesome nature of the call and the one who has called us, have not simply been called to enjoy the warm comfort of getting to hang out with our Savior.

WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO BE THE CHURCH, for the sake of the world.

To be salt and light. To be witnesses to the gospel message to the nations. To be the hands and feet of Christ. To GO and to LOVE and to SPEAK the TRUTH in LOVE. We have been called to make disciples. To TEACH them and to BAPTIZE them.

Our call was never ever intended to be a call to a life of passivity. It was never meant to be a call to sit on the sidelines of life. It was also never a call to simply seek the Lord for all of our personal needs, chasing an emotional connection with the end goal being us. Yes it was a personal call, and yet it was never intended to be simply a call to live an isolated cozy life just you and Jesus. It was a call to action, a call to move and be an agent of change in the lives of those whom we have influence with.

As we have found life in Christ we are then compelled to share that with as many other people as we can. This is not something that is for a church service on Sunday’s only. And honestly, not even in a church service primarily. The Bible has a lot to say about wisdom and we as followers of Christ are to be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves. We are to be a people who teach and help lead others toward the truth and wisdom of Christ and the gospel (good news) wherever we are, whenever the opportunity arises. It is called living our lives on purpose with purpose and leading people in and through the ordinary everyday moments of life.

That is why I love the quote that I opened with from Erwin McManus. Because what we have and what we carry (the gospel) is not complicated in any way. It is not a religion of dos and don'ts it is not a list of rules we have to follow in order to earn God’s favor. It is something so simple a child can not only understand it, but in turn teach it to others, and yet at the same time it is as deep and complex as the ocean. Something that we can spend our entire lives pursuing and growing in. It is full of life and beauty.

Jesus himself said Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

For Christ did not send me too baptize, but to preach the gospel - Not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 
        - 1 Corinthians 1:17-18

The world is often confused by Jesus death on the cross, Christianity generally speaking and Christians portrayal of it.

But the worlds misunderstanding of the cross does not absolve us from our call to make disciples and point people toward truth and the power of the gospel message. The beauty of our mission is that no matter where someone in is on their journey, there is room for them to grow in what it is that God wants for their lives. (For that matter, no matter where we are in our journey with Christ there is room for us to grow) The best part is we don’t have to be a preacher or world class communicator to do it. In fact it is better that we aren’t in some ways. We are all on this journey of faith. We call it life, and some of us have been growing in our relationship with Christ for multiple decades and some of us have been on that journey for multiple days or weeks, and some of us still have yet to start the actual journey with Christ but we are still on the road, on our journey of faith, even if it is anti faith. But no matter where on that road the people God has surrounded us with are, or we ourselves are, we are called to LEAD PEOPLE FROM WHERE THEY ARE AT THAT MOMENT.

Someone once said,  “Wherever you are, there you are.”

It is simplistically true, and you can't change that, but you can make sure you don’t stay there and that you can move forward from that point. We have been called to help people move forward by pointing people toward Christ and the wisdom that he offers. So we simplify, we clarify, we untangle and unshackle and through it all we illuminate the gospel through the word of God and the power of our testimony.

Just as Christ taught us, and as we read in Erwin’s statement, the highest expression of wisdom is to live our lives for others rather than ourselves. When we pour into others we are representing Christ. When we love others we are being His hands and feet, when we sacrifice for others were are being the church. when we give of our time and talents and abilities we are worshiping the one who gave us those talents, honoring him with our expression of them for the sake of those around us who have yet to know him. And through it all we ourselves are growing and stretching ourselves beyond what we thought possible. In the middle of it all we see that we too are moving from where we are to where God wants us to be.

This is wisdom.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

1.  What were your thoughts when you read Erwin McManus’s quote? Did you feel inspired, fearful, discouraged, encouraged, confused, or some other emotion? Why do you think you responded this way?

2.  How does Erwin’s quote connect to the two greatest commandments that Jesus spoke to the crowd in Matthew 22?

3.  How can you love our neighbor as yourself? In what ways can you simplify, clarify, and untangle the gospel message for those God has brought across your path?

4.  How does 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 encourage you? Hearing this does it change the way you see your abilities and the call of the great commission in Matthew 28:19-20.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and said to yourself, "I have no idea who that person is?

It still amazes me how fast and often we as humans have the ability to get ourselves into trouble. And to the point where we often look up and wonder how did I get here? The answer in it's most simple form can be said in a single word - sin.

I have heard it said, "Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay." The unfortunate part, is that no matter how many times we end up down that road, we seem to find ourselves traveling it more often than we care to admit.

But sin in our lives is so much more than the choices we make and the actions we take. It is a heart issue. Jesus himself said this in Matthew:

34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.  - Matthew 12:34-35

What we have put in our heart will speak. We may be good at keeping it hidden for the most part but sooner or later what we have in our hearts will be made known. It cannot help but come out.

Solomon knew this as well and wrote this in Proverbs:

19 As in water face reflects face,
    so the heart of man reflects the man.  - Proverbs 27:19

Today as you go about the tasks and engage in the relationships God has given you, ask yourself, what does your reflection look like these days? What is the mirror that God is placing in front of your heart reflecting right now?