Let's Talk About Sex

Let’s be honest here.  The title peeked your curiosity, but we need to make this stuff clear, y’all.  We all know by now that the Bible teaches that sex is a good thing within the right context. That it is a unitive act that is intended to bring together (unite) husband and wife in closeness.  

We also know that the Bible commands us to actively practice and pursue purity. In fact, Jesus said when put in lustful situations, we are to remove and throw away whatever causes us to sin (see Matthew 5:27-28).  

But here’s the real point I want to make.  Sexual purity is not just about the physical acts, but about what happens in your heart.  Purity isn’t just about how you behave and react-it begins in your soul.  

Why is sex and sexual sin such a big deal? Well, beyond going against God and His Word (aka: sin), sex outside of the biblical boundaries of marriage is sinning against your own body (see 1 Corinthians 6:18).  

How are we to respond to such temptations?

1. Flee.  Seriously, get away from it. Make like Joseph in Potiphar’s house and literally run away from compromising situations (Genesis 39:11-12, 1 Corinthians 6:18). 
2. Have some self-control for crying out loud. We don’t have to gratify our every desire.
3.  Walk in obedience to God and His Word-the Bible says you will be blessed by doing so (James 1:25).

Jesus, in His grace, will give you the power to be faithful in the midst of aching desire.

Lackadaisical Obedience

There’s something about the beginning of a new year that seems to inspire us to do better; to grow and challenge ourselves.  At the beginning of 2017 I chose a word to dwell on throughout the year.  That word was “vision”. I selected this word based on the first half of Proverbs 29:18 which states “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (KJV).  We have a God-given purpose and vision and I wanted to spend the year striving to turn my eyes to the Lord and follow HIS plan rather than my own. 

For 2018, I have chosen the word “intentional”.  To be intentional simply means to do everything on purpose.  It is so easy to be lackadaisical in the various areas of our lives: our walk with the Lord, relationships, discipling others, etc. 

One of the best ways to sharpen yourself is to be intentional with others.  I challenge you to invest in others.  Sharpen one another. Encourage one another.  Be intentional in one another’s lives.

When we become internally focus and self-absorbed, we become blind to the needs of others.  Even at church it is easy to coast through services, events, and activities without even engaging with one another.  Let’s be honest, things are a lot less messy that way-but that’s not the Church.

I think James says it well.  “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22).  We can know what God asks of us, but, as James states, if we are hearers of the word, but not effectual doers, then we are like someone who looks at his natural face in a mirror, for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

Let’s not forget what kind of people we are in 2018 and be intentional in doing what the Lord has called us to do. 

26 Things in my 26th Year

1.      It’s okay to say “no” to things, but don’t be selfish with your time. 

2.      You’re not right nearly as often as you think you are. 

3.      People matter more.

4.      Be generous with your “yeses”.

5.      Some people are only in your life for a season and that’s ok. (This was probably the most difficult one for me this year…I lost people that I thought would be in my life forever, but you know what?  My life is better because of it.  Some relationships are toxic and it’s totally okay to let go.)

6.      Give God the first fruits of everything.  Your time, your love, your money-everything.

7.      Sometimes (read “often”) God says no and you need to be okay with that; trusting that He knows what’s best. Because…..see the next point.

8.      God knows what’s best. Always. You can trust Him.

9.      Go the extra mile for those that wouldn’t do the same for you. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Every.  Time.

10.   Make purity a priority or you’ll begin to compromise in ways that you never thought you would.

11.   Be intentional.

12.   God doesn’t change, but you do.  Make sure you’re changing for the better.

13.   Seek peace and pursue it.

14.   You need people.  People that are older than you, pouring into and challenging you. People that are younger than you that you can invest in.  All kinds of people.

15.   You really can eat cake whenever you want and that’s pretty cool.

16.   What you say matters.  Words are powerful; use those powers for good.

17.   Be holy.  It’s an active, daily choice.

18.   Give back.  So many people have poured into me over the years, but it’s my turn to pour into others.

19.   Sabbath rest is a real thing and you desperately need to make time for it.

20.   Don’t pass up opportunities just because you don’t know how they’re going to turn out.  Regret feels worse than failure.

21.   Get over yourself.  For real.

22.   Don’t compromise your standards simply because people to do not meet your expectations.  Constantly lowering the bar is what’s led to the society before us today.

23.   You can’t control everything, but you can control your response/reaction to everything.

24.   Choose your words wisely.  If what you have to say isn’t fruitful then it’s probably not worth saying.

25.   One of the best things you can do in hard, difficult situations and circumstances is ask “how can this be redemptive?” and respond accordingly.

26.   Choose joy.

Who Is My Neighbor?

When an “expert in the law” stood to challenge Jesus, he asked him “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”.   (The man knew that all are commanded to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and to love your neighbor as yourself.)  Jesus tells the man to “do this and you will live”. 

Pressing matters a little deeper, the man asked Jesus “And who is my neighbor?”.  In response to this, Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan.  I’m sure you’re familiar with the story, but let’s do a little recap here. 

A man was travelling to Jericho from Jerusalem when he was stripped, beaten, and left half-dead by robbers.  Abandoned on the side of a well-travelled road, several people encountered the victim of this roadside crime-some of those being a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan.
Now us nice, churchy people would love to assume that either the priest or the Levite would be the one to stop what they were doing to see to the obvious needs of this individual, but sadly, that is not the case. 

Instead, the Samaritan is the one to go above and beyond to look after this man.  Note: In Bible times Samaritans were considered lowest of the low. Like people literally went out of their way in order to avoid walking through Samaria. 

Upon finishing the story, Jesus looks to the man and asks “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”.  With the answer being quite obvious, the man says “the one who had mercy on him” to which Jesus replied “Go and do likewise”. 

One of the struggles in our current culture is that Christians are viewed as hateful, exclusive, and critical.  Sometimes even avoiding those that need our love the most. 

In a culture where acceptance and non-judgement has become the gospel of the masses, what does it look like to truly love our neighbor? (PS: Scripture instructs us to love our neighbor as ourselves…think we may be missing the mark here?)

 What about when our neighbor is nothing like us?  Or is a different nationality, race, or socio-economic class?

The Jesus I know and serve calls me to love all people; not just those that are like me.  Who are you in the parable? 

The Priest? Whom “lives by the law” and “belongs to God”, but is unwilling to love and serve His fellow man.

The Levite? Whom is involved in the Church, but unwilling to be the Church.

The Samaritan?  Whom sees no race, tribe, or monetary barriers in helping his fellow man.

May we go and do likewise.

I'm Too Busy to Do Church: Why Doing Life Should Involve the Church

In the last decade or two families within the Church have slowly digressed in their involvement and dedication to the Church herself and their amount of service within it.  It is now common for families to only step foot within the church for 2-3 hours a week.  In fact, attending church once a month is considered being a “regular” attending member.  People, that is a problem.

Why do you think our grandparents went to church on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights-and any other time the doors were open?  Because they didn’t have other commitments and weren’t as busy?  No.  They were in Church every time the doors were open because that’s how they did life together.  When did church no longer equate with life?

That is your community. God puts us together in the Church so that we can help one another work toward the same goal.  Friends, the world does not get to determine how important Church is or how we prioritize it.

The problem is that we no longer view the Church as a place to serve, but as a place to receive.  We’ve turned attending church into a spiritual consumerism of sorts in which we go wondering what we can get out of it rather than what we have to offer. 

John Piper put it well when he said No Christian can be a lone ranger.  We won’t make it on our own.  We need each other to cling to Jesus”.  The Church isn’t about us or what we can get out of it, but how we can help carry one another.  God forgive us for thinking otherwise. 

It’s time for us to stop asking what the Church can do for me and instead ask what can I do for the Church.  For they are our tribe, our people, our family.