This is from Jimmy Valvano, the coach who led NC State to the NCAA basketball title in 1983. Nearly ten years later he died of cancer. "If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day" ... Cancer can take away all my physical ability. It cannot touch my mind; it cannot touch my heart; and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever". Posted from WordPress for Android
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We were studying Acts 9 in our elders Bible study this morning. Acts 9 tells the story of Saul's (Paul) conversion to Christianity. In one simple statement Luke tells us that Ananias baptized Saul and then moves on with the rest of Acts. Never again do we hear about Ananias. Do you ever wondered what stories Ananias might have told years later, stories around the dinner table when people are sharing highlights or bragging points? "I taught the second graders in Sunday School last week", one guest might say. "I baptized Paul. Maybe you've heard of him". We don't know if Ananias ever baptized anyone else. In the world of multi-level marketing, however, Ananias would have a tremendous down-stream. Never underestimate or under-appreciate what a single person can do when they are obedient to God. Posted from WordPress for Android
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Discipleship -- the art and process of becoming more like Jesus -- requires a nimbleness of mind, attitude, and spirit. While I'm not a dancer nor the son of a dancer, it might be best described as two-stepping. Step one - moving downward, burying our old self in an act of spiritual crucifixion. Step two - moving upward by setting our sights on things above. This nimbleness is not easy. It requires a thoughtfulness that isn't always light-hearted or easily reckoned with. It asks us to adjust our habits, which is more than turning over a new leaf -- it's often the rooting out of a dead influence and beginning the process of planting and nurturing a new one. Dancing and discipleship. Nimble. Two-stepping.
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In my communion meditation this weekend, I referenced Paul's conversion story in Acts 22 as a good model for relating with God. Three times in the book of Acts this story is told. In Acts 22, Saul (soon to be Paul) asks Jesus two questions: Who are you, Lord? (v. 8) What shall I do, Lord? (v. 10) These questions are in the proper order. So often we want to jump straight into what God wants us to do without first asking who it is we are dealing with. "Who are you, Lord?" ought to be our first question. Before we can create we must know the Creator. Perhaps we prefer action over contemplation because action seems to be accomplishing something. What we may not realize is this: getting to know God is action enough. As Christ-followers, our actions / strategies / movements / dreams must spring from the well…
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Ten years ago I was sitting with John Johnson planning worship for my third Sunday with Covington Christian. Within 30 minutes we had relocated to his living room, glued to the television. When the cloud of dust and debris came spilling down the street, it seemed surreal. Today, on this Sunday, I am reminded not only of the cross but also the resurrection. Death is not the final word. Hope transcends. Hope lives. Posted from WordPress for Android
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