Caveman Pop-Ups

Distractions - We all have them at they usually pop up at the most inopportune time. When online the most annoying of distractions are those pop-up internet ads. There is nothing more irritating than researching the NFL.com for my fantasy player’s stats and right in the middle of my search for WR, yards after the catch, a pop-up ad appears and a caveman dances around enticing me for a free insurance quote. Come on…I’ve got serious internet research here. We can all relate to something that interferes with our concentration on a very important task. We might have distractions at work (the talkative co-worker who NEEDS to tell you about their cat’s indigestion problems), or at home (watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island) that keep us from an important task or relationship at hand. We can even allow distractions to take our attention and focus away from God and the fellowship of one another.

As the 2009 NFL seasons is about to begin, many of us can’t wait for Sept. 10th (the first game) and cheer the Broncos toward their next SuperBowl season. Professional athletes understand the value of focus if they want to personally be their best and win. Bret Favre, the ageless QB now wearing purple and gold, said “This is the best place for guys to come and focus on nothing but football,”. He’s right, there’s not much to distract you in Minnesota. Focus, concentration, and effort are key elements to finding success, and even the Apostle Paul used sports to illustrate this point in Philippians 3:14,

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

In our relationship with our Heavenly Father through his son, Jesus Christ, we can allow distractions, anything really, to take away our times of communication (prayer), devotion (Bible study), and worship (personal and corporate). We then find ourselves spiritually malnourished. We can also allow distractions to keep us from coming together with other believers on Sundays, Wednesdays or small groups. We then find ourselves isolated, discouraged and easily influenced by the world.

Do we really see the value of focus, concentration, and dedication in our daily journey with Christ? Do we allow distractions of work, entertainment, kid’s sports, chores, Facebook, fantasy football and even family take our focus off of God and his will for our lives? Distractions are not evil or bad in themselves, but when they interfere with your focus at the most important task at hand, then they can even become an idol – anything that takes the rightful place of God in our hearts and lives.

If you find yourself distracted by specific “pop-ups”, close the window, and install a blocker. You may find yourself re-prioritizing, spending less time with, or even eliminating those irritating, yet enticing distractions. The daily and eternal prize is worth it.

About the Journey Church this Sunday, “This is the best place for guys to come and focus on nothing but God.” – Pastor Tim (never played in the NFL)

Two...No Three is Better

The sun was bright and with the blinding glare of its rays bouncing off the metal roof, the heat drained my strength with an unquenchable thirst, and yet the job needed to be done. Climbing up and down a 30 foot ladder to paint the church’s metal roof added to the tediousness and strain of the job. By myself the task would have taken over a week, and I would have been thoroughly exhausted, not just by the work, but by the slow progress of up the ladder, paint, down, move it 3 feet and repeat. The good news I wasn’t alone, we had a hard working team tackling different areas of the church, and specifically I had a partner right beside me the entire time.

Clyde Fuller my Father-in-Law, never left the base of the ladder as he pointed out areas I had missed, which normally would not be an encouragement as I am working…”Hey, Tim you missed a spot”, but in this case his extra set of eyes was crucial. He also moved the ladder each time I stepped off. That might not seem like a big deal, but just consider the cumulative time in putting down the sprayer, moving the ladder, repositioning the sprayer, then climbing back up. He saved me not minutes, not hours, but days of work. And as a nice topping to the job, it was great to have someone share the work, share the time, share the fulfillment of job completion. Two are truly better than one.

Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together. Eccl. 4:9 (NCV)

This past Sunday we welcomed the newest members of our Pastoral Team, my parents, Rev. Jerry and Nancy Koetitz. It is a tremendous blessing to have the two of them live, work, serve, and minister beside us in Damascus. They have 30 years of ministry experience with a genuine love for the church family and solid Biblical teaching. They will primarily focus on the 50 Yard Line Ministry for those 50+, but will also be integrated into the entire ministry of the church. Two are better than one, but three now that’s an unbreakable bond. King Solomon goes on in verse 12, “…Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” We are blessed with Pastor Steve as well.

We now have a strong Pastoral Team that is not easily broken. The vision, ministry, and work is shared between three. The joy, hope, expectation, and fulfillment is shared as well, and the Lord of the Harvest has called three uniquely gifted, experienced pastors to the Journey Church for the harvest is ready and the workers are being assembled. We have a great mission… a God mission, and now is the time to bring in the harvest.

Thanks Clyde for your example in a Biblical principle and the fulfillment of a job well done, and for Pastor Steve and Pastor Jerry, the work of the ministry is now at hand to prepare, equip, teach, lead and serve. Church family, the Lord of the Harvest is calling you…are you ready?

Soap Suds & Patience

One chore I don’t mind doing during the summer is to wash my car. Okay, some of you need to stop laughing, as you recall the caked on road slime streaking down the length of my van. However, when I have a couple of hours free on a hot summer day, I enjoy filling up a bucket of hot, soapy water, grabbing a big sponge, and giving my Mazda and Kia a nice, long overdue scrub down. Sometimes it takes two or three passes to remove the hardened bug goo and tar, but when it’s done, the vehicles sparkle like Mr. Clean’s head. It’s one of those chores, that allows me the opportunity to clear my head, sweat a little, and when completed I have a tangible accomplishment…it’s fulfilling and relaxing.

As my kids have grown, when they saw me pull out the garden hose on a sunny day, they connected water and sun equals fun, and they would ask, “Can I help?” I would pause briefly as their hopeful faces peered upward, and I reluctantly gave in with a begrudging “okay”. With sponges in hand we began washing each vehicle. Kids were scrubbing all over the vehicle, not keeping with my meticulous plan of rinse, wash, rinse over each section from top to bottom, hood then trunk, drivers side then passenger. It’s a method that works, but for the kids it was more about soap suds, getting each other wet and drawing dirt smiley faces on the side of the white van.

Half way through my once enjoyable chore, I was feeling anything but fulfilled or relaxed as I snapped at the kids “don’t wash the car after you drop the sponge in the dirt…stop squirting me with hose…no, you don’t wash the inside of the van”. Then at the point of complete frustration I stop their summer fun, order them to put down their sponges, and go in the house. Now upset, I have ruined my afternoon, the kid’s afternoon, and Charlene is quizzically starring at me in the doorway with that “what’s your problem” look.

Patience is a virtue. Whoever said that must have been single, living in a monastery on remote Himalayan mountain peak. Within all relationships we find that others irritate, frustrate, move too fast, move too slow, get it too quick, too slow or not at all. These relationships are in the home, at work, at church and community (highways, standing in line at the grocery store). Anyone who is a parent of a toddler, child, or teen certainly understands the elusive character trait of patience.

However, God does encourage us that God-given patience (restraint in the face of opposition or oppression) is a distinction of Love. I Corinthians 13, “Love is patient, love is kind”, and as a Fruit of the Spirit working within us, “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.” Gal. 5:22 We are called to express patience as brothers/sisters in Christ, Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Eph. 4:2-3. Regardless of how others make me feel or what others may do, I am compelled to take a deep breath, slow my pulse and trust in God…to be patient. When I express patience toward another, it is divine love working within me and surprisingly I feel a lot better about the situation, the other person and even myself.

Now, as I prepare to wash the cars and one of the kids ask if they can help or wash it themselves, I say "great", and we enthusiastically wash the car. In the end the car still has streaks of dirt down the side, missed areas, and at times scratches, but my enjoyable chore is shared with my child and the vehicle is nearly 82% clean and I feel fulfilled, relaxed and loved.

Cheeseburger Pizza

Love. It’s a beautiful word isn’t it? We all hope for it, we desire it, we seek it. We need love in our lives. Unfortunately we have used that word in so many different contexts that its meaning has been diffused and the implications have been misunderstood. We use it to describe things or activities we like…I love cheeseburger pizza, or I love watching Luke Skywalker destroy the Death Star. We express love and devotion to our pets, to our friends, family, our children, grandchildren and spouses…and we tell God that we love Him as well.

So, is love just an expression of what we like and identify with in our lives? I like pizza, movies, Fido, my kids and God. Obviously its deeper than that, yet at times we can treat those we love with an unhealthy attitude of “Are you fulfilling my expectation and need for love?” If this attitude defines our understanding of love it will lead to unfulfilled relationships in the home between parent and child, and spouses. If allowed to grow it will eventually lead to frustration, entitlement, resentment and can even lead to separation, divorce and fractured family relationships.

If we look at God’s definition of love for us, Agape, it is self-less, unmerited, and unconditional, steadfast, and enduring. Much can be said of God’s love, and I think we can only grasp a thread of the depth of God’s love for us. If we begin to understand God’s definition of love it helps us redefine love and redirect our thoughts and actions toward those we say we love. God fulfills our need for love, and we can be an expression of His love toward others.

1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.