Hercules

"Hercules, you've got nothing to say to me, cause you're not the blinding light that I need."
-Owl City, Galaxies

All of us have things in our lives that we can turn into "Hercules"... things that we love and we desire to give our hearts to, but we are always in danger of putting these things or people in a higher place than God.

When we recognize these things in our lives, it is important to remember that they cannot fully satisfy the way God can. They are not the blinding lights that we need. No matter how amazing it is, nothing in this world is permanent. The danger we create for ourselves is that we could potentially put all of our faith and trust into something that is not eternal.

Keep your eye on Him, the "North Star." He will never leave, never disappoint, and never be overcome by the things of this world.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." -John 1:1-5

Spring 2011

I've been meaning to write something about this past Spring semester for a while now, but I've been distracted and/or lazy and/or busy. Anyways here goes.

I'll start from the end (for some reason). The past few weeks I really stressed myself out by working three overnight shifts in the computer lab and worrying to death about everyone leaving for the summer. Recently my best friend and roommate of five years moved out of our apartment, getting ready to move in with his soon-to-be wife Leisa. Of course Ryan and I will still be best friends, but it was definitely a major change to see him leave and not be my roommate anymore. I'm glad we're both still living in Lynchburg for another year though.

Now looking back... there are several aspects of this year that I want to recount:

1. FCC
This has been the best semester at FCC yet! I used to have to drive by myself... for the past few months, there have been times where I've had to arrange two cars because we had so many people. What a blessing it has been! Kim, Jonathan, Jane, Katrina, Christie, and EB helped create a new dynamic at church that I have never before seen. From my ordination service, to Easter, to Youth Sunday... every step I saw God working in my heart and in the lives of others. Truly He is good and is starting a work at FCC that I don't think we would have seen without the help of our volunteers this semester.

2. Life Group
While I was at Passion 2011, I got a vision for my job at the ILRC Computer Lab. I felt that my work there could be used for the Gospel. Now to be working in the computer lab at a Christian university doesn't lend itself to much ministry, but I was determined to find a way. I talked it over with three co-workers... three men of God that I have grown to trust and love. Stephen, Phil, David, and I got together to discuss a Life Group program that we could offer to the c-lab's student workers. We made a plan, presented it to the higher-ups, and offered it to the workers not knowing what the response would be. We had enough response to offer two groups this semester. I decided to have one at my apartment that met on Sunday afternoons. We went through part of Philippians over the course of the semester. I was so encouraged to see God use a vision He gave me and actually create something from it. This group made a huge difference in my life this semester and I hope to continue it in the Fall.

3. CMT
No, not Country Music Television. The Center for Ministry Training. As if two jobs wasn't enough, I decided to take on another role in October. Dr. Wheeler asked me to help his office coordinate internships with the North American Mission Board. Because I knew the it would be great opportunity to work with him, I decided to accept. Getting to work with Dr. Wheeler, Dr. Earley, Val, Ryan, and others from the CMT has been truly amazing. These are all men of God who are passionate about the Gospel and how the CMT can spread the Gospel through church placement, church planting, and by sending our students out into the mission field. I am just now hearing of people who have been placed at churches for the summer, and I'm so humbled to have been a part in helping them find those positions.

4. Impact Georgia
Ohhhhh boy. Impact. Nothing has ever challenged me more. You ever seen a music major try to half-run a business? It's not pretty. Luckily Matt is the man and knows what he's doing (sort of) more than I do (maybe.) Honestly we are both stumbling through this and have no idea what God's going to do with it, but we are trusting Him.

This may need to be a To Be Continued post. I feel like I have more to say, but words are currently failing me. That's all for now!

2011 Sermon

Kevin's Sermon from May 1st, 2011

Psalm 16

It's amazing to me that this journey of faith and trust in God has gone on this long. But when I stop to think about it, I really should not have expected any less. What I am learning now is that life will never be different. I prayed a prayer that God would show me that I would trust Him, and at the time I expected to receive a single revelation. What truly happened was that I welcomed a new way of life... one that forces me to trust God every day. Learning to trust God has not and will not be a short journey. It is a journey I will take the rest of my life.

The hardest thing I've been learning lately is to thank God for the difficult times. As I look back on my life, the times that defined me the most were in the midst of my deepest trials. I have been trying to view hard situations as blessings. I try to see them as growth opportunities, but in my humanity, I don't want to. I want to be bitter about it. But God has been breaking me down and helping me have the faith to trust Him in this way.

Psalm 16 really spoke to me in this area the other night when I read it. These verses encouraged me and I hope they will do the same for you.

7  I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.8  I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.10  For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
11  You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Prayers

When I was at Passion, God gave me the idea to start a small group ministry at work. I'm a supervisor at Liberty's Computer Lab, and for a long time I had felt that I was not able to use this job for the advancement of the Gospel. So I came back and decided to start some small groups. I discussed this with some fellow supervisors, and the four of us made a plan to move forward. I am thankful for this dream that God birthed in me, and for the men I share it with. We answered this call and God used us to start two "Life Groups" with our student workers.

The group that I was leading decided to go through Philippians. We have been going through chapter one all semester, and this past week, we got to verses 27-30. The first part of verse 27 is one of the verses that grabbed my attention at Passion: "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." This verse is part of what inspired me to pursue this small group ministry.

As I looked at these four verses, I kept seeing things that reminded me of our need for others. Anyone who has known me for very long knows how strongly I feel about our need for other people in our lives. I saw words in this passage such as: "I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel" (verse 27). Paul also talks about our suffering for Christ, and in verse 30 says: "since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have." Paul seems to be saying here "I know what you're going through. I know the hard times you've had... I've been there."

As I was praying over these four verses in preparation for Sunday's Life Group meeting, I could not get away from the fact that we needed to pray for each other. I kept thinking about James 5:16... "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." I know we all seek that healing, and I knew we all needed it.

So we prayed. One person would share, and then the rest of us would pray for that person. The second part of James 5:16 says "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." We who are saved by the blood of Jesus are made righteous in Him. Therefore our prayers are powerful and effective. Knowing this, why do we not pray more? Why do we do we not pray together? Sunday's Life Group meeting retaught me this important lesson and I hope to pray with other believers more often.

Control Continued

First off, I don't like to use the internet to complain. Some people do it and that's fine, but it's usually not me. For that reason, I've been struggling over writing this blog post. I don't like to whine because, even in the midst of hardships, I consider myself one of the most blessed people on the planet. As I was talking with God about it, I remembered 2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." The purpose of this post is not to whine or complain, but to show my own weaknesses so that Christ may be glorified through them.

After writing Tuesdays post, I encountered a situation where I found myself doubting God's ability to handle it. I spent much of yesterday afternoon and evening in a frustrated and angry mood. And why? Because I didn't have control. I wanted control. I NEEDED control. I didn't have it, and it drove me crazy. Before, the situation was manageable. I could handle it. But not anymore.

Let's be honest here... what I truly needed was for God to take control away from me. And I'm glad He did. It showed me that He's still working on me.

This is an area where I need a lot of growth. Praying that God will keep helping me work through it!

Control

We're control freaks, aren't we? We would really like to be in complete control of our situations, even when we've seen that fail over and over again.

My continual prayer is that I would give up control. Every day I wake up and I think about the decisions I will make and how they will affect me and those around me. There are some things that are up to me: Will I give today to God and devote myself to carrying His name? Will I treat people with love? These things are internal. They are based on my actions and how I respond to my emotions. But there are so many things outside of myself that I have absolutely no control over, and it is these that I seem to always fight for. Why? Don't I know that God, who spoke a word and created the universe, is in control of all of it?

I am praying today that God would soften my heart to relinquish control of things I have no control over, and that I would follow Him wherever He leads.

Part of the Plan

The Illusionist, which came out in 2006, is a story about a magician who uses his abilities to try to win back a girl he loves. That's the really short version... that's definitely not all there is to it, but I don't want to give away much of the story for those of you who haven't seen it. It's a really good movie and I definitely recommend it. It came out at the same time as another magician movie that had some bigger names in it, so it kind of got overshadowed. If you missed it at the time, it's not too late. But anyway!

In the movie, a lot of bad things happen. The main character, played by Edward Norton, appears to go through many trials. From an outside perspective, things do not really go his way.

However, toward the end of the movie, we learn that everything went according to his plan. Though things seemed bad on the surface, something much deeper was going on. Something that no one could have foreseen. Everything that happened was part of his plan all along.

I believe our lives can be like that. God knows the end result and uses circumstances that seem to us to be negative. We complain that God has forsaken us. We beg Him to help things go our way. We tell Him what we want with our lives and hope that He makes it happen. But we don't know the end. We don't know what He's doing to shape us into the people we were meant to be.

While it may appear to us like things are bad, we may later find that everything He was doing was done to create who we are now. And that's more important than anything we've been through.

Of course, not everything turns out for our good. But that's why we need to learn to live life for God and not for ourselves. We can always count on Him to glorify Himself through us if we allow Him to. It's not an easy thing to give up control, but it is much more fulfilling. When we stop praying selfish prayers and start praying "God, help me do whatever it is that would glorify You the most", He can begin a work in us that is far beyond what we could imagine for ourselves.

A New Chapter

I have been completely blown away by what God is doing lately. More than anything I am learning that He will always do more than I expect and do it in ways I wasn't expecting. There is a lot I want to talk about, but for today I'm just going to talk about one thing.

I was incredibly blessed yesterday to be ordained in the Gospel ministry at my church, and to have many of my best friends and my family there. Pastor Dane and FCC have prepared me for ministry in infinitely more ways than I could have ever imagined. When I first started there in August 2007, I wouldn't have told you I'd still be there today. Yet, three and a half years later, God still has me there, and I am eternally grateful.

A good friend asked me if that day made me feel any different or view ministry in a different light. I had to think about it, and it was hard to put into words. Therefore, I write this post.

In practice, not much is different after being ordained. I was already called to ministry before yesterday. I had already decided that my life would be all about the Gospel. What happened yesterday was a more of an awakening.

I knew the seriousness of the ministry I was called to. I knew that it meant dedicating my entire life to His purpose. But I believe this service truly inspired me to make my entire life look like the Gospel. I am beginning to recognize that God has set me apart for the name of His Son Jesus Christ. I recognize my responsibility to others to present the Gospel and the truths of the Bible clearly and effectively.

What example can I set for my friends? How can I guide them in their walks with Christ? In what ways do I need to pray for someone? What can I do to help bring my church closer to God through our worship services? These are all things more prevalent on my mind. I don't know if anything miraculous happened yesterday, although I believe what Pastor Dane said when talking about the anointing of David: "It is the Spirit of God that prepared and empowered David to be king and it is the same Spirit of God that empowers ministers of the gospel today."

As unworthy as I feel to be set apart for this calling, I embrace it. There is no other way I would want to live my life. I have tried to live it for myself and I am always terribly disappointed. I pray that His Spirit would be on me continually that I might make my life look like the Gospel.

Yesterday's service was a humbling experience, but an empowering one. I know that I have a God who will sustain me. I know I have brothers and sisters in Christ who I can lean on in hard times. Whatever I face in the coming days and years, I have dedicated everything to the name of Jesus Christ.

Thoughts on Jesus (after Passion 2011)

This post was going to be called "Thoughts on Passion 2011" but I thought that would have been against everything that they taught us this week. So thus, the title is "Thoughts on Jesus (after Passion 2011)" or the longer title: "Thoughts on Jesus based on what I learned and how the Spirit moved in my heart at Passion 2011"

First off, I want to say that I'm actually a little excited that Passion's over. Of course I loved it and in some ways I wish it would last forever... but this time, God put so many things on my heart that I want to do and showed me so many ways I want to be different. I'm excited to go back to work and to FCC and to my friends and share what I've learned with them.

Now, I don't want to iterate every little specific thing that I learned. That would be way too much to read, and I'm pretty nice and don't want to ask you to read very much on my blog. To start off, I'll share some of my favorite quotes. (Note: all quotes are paraphrased because I can't write very fast while listening to a speaker)

"We were enemies, but God made peace with us."

"Choose to chain yourself to Christ or something else will chain you."

"It takes the renewing of the mind to discern His will for us individually."

"Whatever He's called you to do is more than you can do on your own."

"There is either more of the Spirit, or more bondage to sin. The mind does not allow us to stay the same."

"Change how you think and it will change how you feel."

"Does your life look like the Gospel?"

"Jesus' mindset was all about glorifying God."

(I'm going to have to write a whole blog post on Andy Stanley's message about Appetites, so I'll do that later.)

"Jesus says to us: 'You follow me? Then I'm all you've got.'"

"Are the Word of God and the Spirit of God enough for you?"

"God's design in loving us is that He be made much of."

"Jesus is praying for us and asks that we would see how glorious He is." (John 17:24)

"...self can never satisfy a heart made for God."

These quotes barely even begin to explain what God did in my life this week. I'm blown away that He loves me enough to keep seeking after me and desiring to use me for His glory! I hope I can make my life look more like the Gospel, and I know that Christ in me can accomplish this. I come away from this experience longing to make everything I do about bring glory to God. It's not going to be easy, and I don't make light of that. Otherwise I know that I will fail almost instantly. But I know that Jesus' power is more than enough to bring this about in my life, and He can do it for you too!