Enjoy, and have a Merry Christmas.

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If Jesus built a parking lot for his congregation, he would probably copy one of this spot from a church I recently served.

The property at Cypress Creek is adjacent to our the County Courthouse. That affords the church benefits like: folks leaving the courthouse needing prayer, 24/7 security, & lots of free additional Sunday parking.

But maybe best benefit of all is this parking spot that they get to use (from the County lot).

In all of my travels with executive search work, I have never run across a better reserved spot in a church. For about two years, I parked right next to it every Sunday, and laughed about every time.

I’m tempted to put up signs “reserved for prostitutes,” and another for “sinners,” just to round things out…

Honestly, if Jesus had a parking lot in his church, I believe this sign would be there. There wouldn’t be a sign reserving a spot for the Pastor, or anyone important. There would be a reservation for the unwelcome.

The church is supposed to be a place that doesn’t just tolerate new faces and people with baggage, but actually reserves a place for them. Are you reserving a place for the tax collector in your church? In your heart? Got a better picture that paints the idea? Share it with me and join the conversation.

What if he had settled into a regular job? What if he hadn’t asked the questions he kept asking to make computers and technology better?

What if he had believed the constant message that the world gives to “settle down,” “not rock the boat,” and “be content with the status quo?”

We would all have computers that are as exciting as pleated khakis. We might even still be on flip phones.

I’m glad he didn’t settle. I’m glad he believed in a bigger future and stepped into a bigger destiny.

But….

What if there are other Steve Jobs out there that are settling? What if there are bigger futures that aren’t being lived? Bigger destinies that aren’t being realized?

What if that’s you?

Dream a bigger dream for your life.

God already has.

And He’s waiting for you to step into it.

You are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. (1 Peter 2:9-10, The Message)

At his funeral, one fellow at the center of (and instigator of) the conflicts asked to speak. Nervously, we granted the request. I’m glad we did.

He stood up and delivered.

“You know, we went through a lot together as a church. And I would like to have a lot of those days back. But one thing about Jack was sure. No matter how heated the discussion, no matter how terrible the situation,

Jack was never a part of the problem, and always a part of the solution.”

In all my years of leading churches and funerals, I’ve never heard a finer eulogy.

When they bury you, will they say you were a part of the problem, or the solution?

I’m going to try to live on the solution side.

The way I see it, that’s the side of the Empty Tomb.



Last Thursday, the last two Super Bowl Champions squared off in the opening game of the NFL season. I’m betting ratings were off the charts.

Last Sunday afternoon, countless hours will be spent on the couch, counting up fantasy football points, eating junk food, and celebrating.

And all for a season that is only sixteen games long. No other major league sport has a season with fewer games. No other sport brings in more money. Have you ever considered that? I wonder if we like football so much because it points us to giant battles.

If you’re like me, you love a clash of the titans. And if you recognize that in your own heart, you will be thrilled to see that God’s story is a story of epic battle, with a grand and glorious outcome.

Too often growing up, I thought that religion was boring, but never adventurous. I thought of Jesus as a nice guy, but never a strong guy. I thought of my choices in life as decisions with some consequences, but never as turning points in a battle for my future.

Nothing could be farther from the reality of God and His work in the world. There’s a battle going on. And the Hero and Victor is on your side. Get to know Him in a new way this year, and watch your faith become more of an adventure than you have ever known before.

As we stand on the cusp of the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, I thought I would repost this illustration about the US flag, faith, and undying hope:

If you have ever been to a veteran’s funeral, you have probably seen the casket draped in a United States Flag. I remember presiding over both of my grandfathers’ funerals and watching the servicemen carefully remove, fold, and present the flag to grandmothers at each service.

I often wondered, why do we keep the flag? Why not let the fallen soldier take it with him to his grave? Many times people send mementos to accompany the departed. Whether it was enormous treasures for Pharaohs in Egypt, or horses buried with departed generals, or even a stuffed animal with a deceased child, we have a history of burying belongings with the dead. So why not the flag for the fallen soldier?

Some years back, a friend of mine explained it to me. “We don’t bury the flag, because we believe that even though the soldier has fallen, the flag still flies.”

What a great message to have in mind as we remember the tragedy of 9/11 and celebrate the fact that our flag still flies.

And can’t you see the parallels to the Gospel?

The soldier may have fallen, but the flag still flies. We may suffer losses that are here and now, but the everlasting cause is won. It may seem like Good Friday to you on a day of mourning, but those who know the Savior know that Sunday is coming.

Take a minute today and remember the day that the we were attacked. Thank God for those who have laid down their life to preserve our national freedom. And let that theme guide you to reflect on and give thanks for the God-man who laid down His life to preserve our eternal freedom.

No matter how dark it seems now, the flag of that eternal freedom will never be buried. It will fly in the Heavens for eternity, alongside all of those who have chosen to follow the Way of the freedom giver named Jesus.

Consider the patterns of the Bible. Consider how much God loves for things to grow and flourish:

The Biblical story begins chaotic darkness.

It ends in ordered, permanent Light.

The history of man begins in a garden with two people. It ends in a city with countless thousands.

The New Testament Church begins with a handful in an upper room.

By the end of Acts the church has reached the ends of the earth.

The faith we profess began with a homeless man . . .and is now the most widely professed faith in the world.

The examples could go on and on. Throughout the Bible, we find stories of God growing His creation. Whether it is Abraham starting late with one son and receiving a promise of thousands, or the disciples catching nothing before meeting Jesus and a slew of fish afterward. God is a god of increase, not decrease.

That increase is continuing today. If you search your soul, can you sense that He wants to increase the brightness of your life? When is the last time you asked God to show you a crescendo of greatness in your life?

Ask Him for more out of life. Trust that He will grant you more than you can imagine.

Believe in a God of increase.

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,
but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5)”

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,
but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5)

It immediately brought to mind those of us who are starting back with school, routine, and work as lazy summer days wind down.

Whether you’re like my 5 year old Kindergartener or like me coming off my summer vacation, it’s time to get back to work.

That’s when I thought of today’s illustration.

I cannot take credit for this illustration. It’s an old one, repeated many times. But there’s a reason it keeps getting repeated. Maybe you’ve heard it, maybe not. In any event, I hope it helps you smile, and maybe even helps your message this week.

- William

A young woman brings home her fiancée to meet her parents. After dinner, her mother tells her father to find out more about the future son-in-law. The father invites the young man into his study. “So what are your plans?” the father asks the young man.

“I am a Bible scholar,” he replies.

“A Bible scholar. Hmm,” the father says. “That’s commendable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter to live in as she’s accustomed to?”

“I will study,” the young man replies, “and God will provide for us.”

“Are you planning on buying her an engagement ring; – preferably a nice one?” asks the father.

“I will concentrate on my studies,” the young man replies, “and God will provide for us.”

“And children?” asks the father. “How will you support my grandchildren?”

“Don’t worry, sir, God will provide,” the scholar answered.

The conversation goes on and on like this, and each time the father questions, the answer is that God will provide.

Just before bed, the mother asks, “How did it go, honey?”

The father answers, “He has no job and no plans, but the good news is he thinks I’m God.”

In Shakespeare’s dramas, there were two main types of plays: the tragedy and the comedy. There really wasn’t much middle ground. Either the story was tragic, or comic.

The tragedy’s plot line was simple: things started bad and went to worse. Example: a play starts with “something rotten in Denmark,” and ends with everyone dead in the final scene.

The comedy is a bit different than what we think of in 21^st century America. In our world, a classic comedy would be Animal House. But a truly classic comedy would be something like Much Ado About Nothing. Our comedies involve lots of drinking, very little clothing, and lazy use of language. In a more sophisticated day, comedy was understood as a plotline where there was initial tension and then resolution. In other words, things started off mildly bad and turned out good.

The key to watching one of Shakespeare’s plays was paying attention to Act 3. During Act III, right in the middle of the story, there was a turning point that determined whether you were watching a tragedy or a comedy. [1]

If the turning point was went South, then you knew that the play would certainly end badly, probably with several incestuous revelations and suicides (no, Shakespeare was not from Alabama).

For the comedy, just the opposite was true. In Act III, when the crucial moment arrived, tension was resolved. From that point on, the audience could rest assured that all would be well in the end.

The technical term for this moment is the crux of the play. It comes from a Latin word from which “crucial” is drawn. There’s another English word that is drawn from crux:

cross.

All of history is a drama. There will be a tension between good and evil. We’ll all be wondering whether the end of the story will be despairing or hopeful; – tragic or comic.

And all of history hinges on the cross.

When Christ died at Calvary, the crux was revealed. The cross was the turning point that changed everything. Before that moment, all was undecided, hazy, and the future was uncertain.

Because of the cross, history is actually more secure for us. And even better than in a Shakespearean play. It’s better because we’re not just an audience; – we are the actors.

Of course, the key to living in this drama of life is remembering Act 3, and believing it is the turning point. Without it, the future is uncertain. Without it, calm is impossible. But because of the crux of Calvary, death has lost its sting.

“It’s impossible to feel lonely if you like the person you’re alone with.”

Of course, he’s speaking of self esteem and motivation. But Mr. Dyer doesn’t know how much of a Christian statement he has made. The truth is, if we’re left with only ourselves, we’ll always feel dissatisfaction and loneliness. When we’re finished running our rat race, we’re left looking into the mirror with an all too empty feeling.

Pascal called it the “God shaped hole” in our heart that can only be filled by Him.

That’s what makes the Gospel so wonderful. It’s the message of a God who came to be with us even when we didn’t deserve company, and even in our lonely estate. Because we live on this side of Easter, we live in and age when “God Himself will dwell among us.” And realizing that presence eradicates loneliness.

Here’s my stab at a rework of Mr. Dyer’s words,

“It’s impossible to feel lonely if you realize that the God you’re alone with likes you.”

That’s motivation. That’s Good News. And that’s worth pursuing.

He promises that if you will draw near to Him, He will draw near to you with the good news that you need never feel lonely again.