Monday Morning Quarterback

i gotta admit that i am still tired and pretty disconnected.  sunday was a blur.  but two things stand out to me.

the first is really harsh and you just need to let me be candid.  it is dishonorable to show up to preach as tired as i was.  i know that there were extenuating circumstances.  i know that god understands.  i know that sometimes things just happen and we need to man up and give the best we have and trust god with the rest.

but i still feel like i cheated those who came to break open god’s word with us yesterday.  it means something to study god’s word well.  it means something to be well-prepared.  i think i could have managed my time much better the day before.  but i gave my schedule control over me…rather than the opposite.

on the other hand, the second observation is a good one.  i love the text we looked at (james 4:13-17).  there are few things that i am more fired up about than the concept of the lord’s will.  when we get stuck in the mysterious realm of the lord’s will, rather than the more tangible, knowable, attainable idea of simply obeying what god says, it can be totally confusing.

it can cause us to live in a kind of disciple paralysis.

we spend our time giving token allegiance to the sovereignty of god, by simply paying lip service when we puppet the words “lord willing”.  instead, we need a crash course in reading, studying, and listening to the wisdom and heart of god…and then practicing the discipline of choosing the things that would bring the most pleasure to god.

what would god want?  what would please god the most?  what would extend the kingdom?  what would bring greater influence for the cause of christ?  what are things that are close to the heart of god?  what would cause us to grow deeper and more aligned to what god is doing in my immediate sphere of influence?

these are not easy questions.  but jesus never said that doing the will of god was going to be easy.  but he did say to do it!

some days,  scattering seed is the best thing we can do.  boy am i grateful that god promises to be the one that produces the growth.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.  1 Corinthians 3:6-9

have a great week.  stay tuned this week for the continuing drama of the farras in so cal.  see you next sunday!