Mark Beeson

Another Faithful Man

This is my nephew Isaac. He is the founding pastor of Summit Church in Orlando - a multi-site church family leveraging the love of Jesus against the brokenness in their community. 

Isaac was preaching Sunday and that's when I snapped this picture. I prayed for him during the service. I have great hope for Isaac. He's like so many men - challenged on every side by sin's stranglehold on people dwelling in every nook and cranny of our desperately broken world. I'm not deluded; my nephew is just a man, but he's a man I admire.

Today I got up thinking about Isaac. Then I thought about his brothers and how I admire them too. So I banged out a short list of characteristics I admire in a man. It's incomplete and inadequate, but it's what popped into my head this morning.
 

Characteristics I Admire in a Man
 

• He doesn't take the easy path; he chooses the right path.
   
• He volunteers. That means he sometimes gives without getting anything more than a "Thank You." Sometimes he gives without getting that.
   
• He protects those weaker than himself.
   
• He is honest. If he says it, you can count on it.
   
• He doesn't quit when the wicked and spiteful wound him.
   
• He has a friend or two.
   
• He is patient, but not infinitely so.
   
• He laughs. 
   
• He shows restraint, seasoning his response to the idiotic with compassion.
   
• He does not suffer fools.
   
• He knows God and serves HIM.
   
• He honors his mother and father.
   
• He honors his people, tribe and country.
   
• He is patient, but not with liars, cheats and cowards.
   
• His family has good reason to trust him.
   
• He does his best in what matters most.
   
• He listens to wise counsel.
   
• His great enemy fears him.

1 Peter 5:8-9a   -   Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.

Why Do Some Return to Folly After Tasting Amazing Grace?

 

 

Justin & Tricia Davis are speaking at GCC this weekend. Theirs is a story of mission-drift, betrayal, redemption and a return to The Way of Jesus. Since people learned they were coming, the looming question has been, "How can someone touched by the love of Jesus turn from HIS Way? How does that happen?" I've heard the question many times over the years, and more frequently since announcing Justin & Tricia would be joining us.

Here's the simple truth. People awakened to the love of God are given an opportunity to "deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus" into a new life, but some don't do it. Instead of yielding their plans to God's plans and gladly trading their ways for God's ways, they return to their old habits and life-styles. They're invited to adjust their lives and follow Christ wherever HE leads, but they don't deny themselves to walk The Jesus Way. The results are devistating.

John Wesley said it better. Here's a small portion of his sermon titled "Self Denial." (For Wesley buffs, it's Sermon #48.) If you'd like an answer to the question, this is worth reading.
 

A few instances will make this plain. A man hears the word which is able to save his soul: He is well pleased with what he hears, acknowledges the truth, and is a little affected by it; yet he remains "dead in trespasses and sins," senseless and unawakened. Why is this? Because he will not part with his bosom-sin, though he now knows it is an abomination to the Lord. He came to hear, full of lust and unholy desires; and he will not part with them. Therefore no deep impression is made upon him, but his foolish heart is still hardened: That is, he is still senseless and unawakened, because he will not deny himself.

Suppose he begins to awake out of sleep, and his eyes are a little opened, why are they so quickly closed again? Why does he again sink into the sleep of death? Because he again yields to his bosom-sin; he drinks again of the pleasing poison. Therefore it is impossible that any lasting impression should be made upon his heart: That is, he relapses into his fatal insensibility, because he will not deny himself.

But this is not the case with all. We have many instances of those who when once awakened sleep no more. The impressions once received do not wear away: They are not only deep, but lasting. And yet, many of these have not found what they seek: They mourn, and yet are not comforted. Now, why is this? It is because they do not "bring forth fruits meet for repentance;" because they do not, according to the grace they have received, "cease from evil, and do good." They do not cease from the easily besetting sin, the sin of their constitution, of their education, or of their profession; or they omit doing the good they may, and know they ought to do, because of some disagreeable circumstance attending it: That is, they do not attain faith, because they will not "deny themselves," or "take up their cross."

But this man did receive "the heavenly gift;" he did "taste of the powers of the world to come;" he saw "the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ;" the "peace which passeth all understanding" did "rule his heart and mind; and "the love of God was shed abroad" therein, "by the Holy Ghost which was given unto him;" -- yet he is now weak as another man; he again relishes the things of earth, and has more taste for the things which are seen than for those which are not seen; the eye of his understanding is closed again, so that he cannot "see Him that is invisible;" his love is waxed cold, and the peace of God no longer rules in his heart. And no marvel: for he has again given place to the devil, and grieved the Holy Spirit of God. He has turned again unto folly, to some pleasing sin, if not in outward act, yet in heart. He has given place to pride, or anger, or desire, to self-will, or stubbornness. Or he did not stir up the gift of God which was in him; he gave way to spiritual sloth, and would not be at the pains of "praying always, and watching thereunto with all perseverance:" That is, he made shipwreck of the faith, for want of self-denial, and taking up his cross daily.

But perhaps he has not made shipwreck of the faith: He has still a measure of the Spirit of adoption, which continues to witness with his spirit that he is a child of God. However, he is not "going on to perfection;" he is not, as once, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, panting after the whole image and full enjoyment of God, as the hart after the water-brook. Rather he is weary and faint in his mind, and, as it were, hovering between life and death. And why is he thus, but because he hath forgotten the word of God, -- "By works is faith made perfect?" He does not use all diligence in working the works of God. He does not "continue instant in prayer," private as well as public; in communicating, hearing, meditation, fasting, and religious conference. If he does not wholly neglect some of these means, at least he does not use them all with his might. Or he is not zealous of works of charity, as well as works of piety. He is not merciful after his power, with the full ability which God giveth. He does not fervently serve the Lord by doing good to men, in every kind and in every degree he can, to their souls as well as their bodies. And why does he not continue in prayer? Because in time of dryness it is pain and grief unto him. He does not continue in hearing at all opportunities, because sleep is sweet; or it is cold, or dark, or rainy. But why does he not continue in works of mercy? Because he cannot feed the hungry, or clothe the naked, unless he retrench the expense of his own apparel, or use cheaper and less pleasing food. Beside which, the visiting the sick, or those that are in prison, is attended with many disagreeable circumstances. And so are most works of spiritual mercy; reproof, in particular. He would reprove his neighbour; but sometimes shame, sometimes fear, comes between: For he may expose himself, not only to ridicule, but to heavier inconveniences too. Upon these and the like considerations, he omits one or more, if not all, works of mercy and piety. Therefore, his faith is not made perfect, neither can he grow in grace; namely, because he will not deny himself, and take up his daily cross.

It manifestly follows, that it is always owing to the want either of self-denial, or taking up his cross, that a man does not throughly follow his Lord, that he is not fully a disciple of Christ. It is owing to this, that he who is dead in sin does not awake, though the trumpet be blown; that he who begins to awake out of sleep, yet has no deep or lasting conviction; that he who is deeply and lastingly convinced of sin does not attain remission of sins; that some who have received this heavenly gift retain it not, but make shipwreck of the faith; and that others, if they do not draw back to perdition, yet are weary and faint in their mind, and do not reach the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Luke 9:23   -  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

There Is A Time To Dance

- Lydia and Ruby dancing with the "big girls" at Lauren & Taylor's wedding reception - 

After setting the tone for the evening with a break-dancing exhibition worthy of 1st Place in the "So You Think You Can Dance" competition (which, out of concern for others I courteously performed only in my mind), I picked up my camera and took some pictures of my granddaughters, capturing a few of the precious moments that mark our lives.

Jeremiah 31:13  -  Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well.

My Niece is now Lauren Pence. She's Married!

My days before Exponential were filled with joy. Sheila and I joined our family celebration at the wedding of Lauren Beeson (now Pence and always will be) and Taylor Pence (still Pence and always will be). I was the preacher and I was quite busy with all the responsibilities associated with that privilege, so I only took a couple thousand pictures. Here's one I like. I offer it to the entire "blogosphere" in honor of marriages everywhere. 

May God bless all the wives and husbands working together to build great marriages, strong families and beautiful lives.

Malachi 2:14-15 -  God, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that's what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don't cheat on your spouse.

Justin & Tricia Davis: Coming to GCC This Weekend

I'm helping out with Exponential 2012 and I'm surrounded by people with stories of restoration and hope. It's a moving experience and I teared up listening to Justin and Tricia tell their remarkable story of being sifted. It's a story of God's grace. It's a story about the redemption they experienced - both individually and as a couple.

Justin had an affair with a woman at work ... who was also Tricia's best friend. What followed was a 4-year-journey of pain, grief and ultimately the restoration of their relationship. They are marked by their journey and they use their story of failure, loss and transformation to guide others toward a healthy marriage and family.

Justin and Tricia consider the resurrection of their marriage a great gift and they tell their story to help others toward the healing they've known in their own lives.

You'll want to bring a friend to one of GCC's services this weekend.

Jesus will be there.

Justin and Tricia will be there. 

I hope you will too.

Colossians 1:13-14  -  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Exponential 2012

I've got a few photos from the first day of Exponential. I've added a few quotes and concepts from the sessions. God has aligned my soul with the topic and the mood of the conference. I'm glad I'm here.

In the end, God will not hold you accountable for what you have done. 
He will hold you accountable for what you have done
with what He asked you to do.

 

We're all dying, the question is "What story will be told in your death?"

 

           

Put your thumbprint on the city God has given you. 

 

If you are pursuing the wrong goal,
then your road to success and your road to failure are the same road.

 

          

One of the truest tests of being a servant
is how we respond when we're treated like one. 

 

When the Holy Spirit corrects you in private, repent in private.
If you don't repent in private, you will repent in public.

 

          


There isn't one demon in the universe who is an atheist.

 

Luke 22:31-32  -   (Jesus) “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Are You Trying To Avoid Change?

 

Nearly 300 people accepted my invitation and met me in LaPorte County Tuesday evening. It was fantastic. We're praying about where GCC is going to launch our next campus and LaPorte County is a possibility. That's why we went west, to another time zone for the meeting. We're asking God if this is a change God is inviting us to make.

But change isn't easy, and in light of this exciting possibility, I've been asked about other changes God is leading us through. With the launch of our Early Learning Center and the construction of the Granger Campus Commons, change is all around us. The rapid growth and new worship times at our Elkhart Campus bring more changes. We changed our strategy for baptisms and this Easter we did them inside for the first time in 25 years. Add the new initiative of GCC's 2016 Vision to "launch three additional sites in our region" and some are saying, "I'm not sure I want any more change!"

I understand.

In the best of times we're tempted to disconnect from change and cling to the present. 

But here's the truth.

If you disconnect yourself from change, it'll do nothing to preserve your current situation. Separating yourself from change won't save your present; it will only lose your future.
 

Acts 3:19  -  Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you.

Everybody Is Traveling To LaPorte County

I'm making a big "ask."

Will you travel to LaPorte County and meet with me at the former home of Countryside Christian Church this Tuesday?  (April 17th at 6:30 p.m. Central / 7:30 p.m. Eastern time) The address and map is here.

That's the bottom line of this blog, but if you'd like to know the "why" behind the "what" you can read on...

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

God gave GCC a vision for 2016. After months and months of prayer, Bible study and discussion, we discerned God's invitation to join Him in His work. Now GCC's 2016 Vision is clear.

We're experiencing God together.

Remember the first six of Blackaby's "Seven Realities of Experiencing God?"

1. God is always at work around you.
2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible,  prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. 
5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.

As we've obeyed God and taken steps toward the fulfillment of the vision He gave us, it appears God is giving us another unbelievable opportunity. 

I rarely ask you to attend something on such a short notice, but if you live in or near LaPorte County, or you're amped about God's vision for the church, I really believe you'll want to "make a major adjustment" in your schedule and come to this meeting tomorrow. You'll want to hear about the opportunities in front of us.

I need your help. God reveals his ways through the Bible, prayer, a reasonable evaluation of circumstances, and his church, so we need each other as we discern God's plans. 

I hope you'll modify your schedule this Tuesday and meet with me in LaPorte. Don't forget the change in Time Zones. It's a big ask, but I'd love to see you there.

Jeremiah 29:11  -  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Schedule It

-  Trace Rorie (guitar) and Maddie Helman (vocals) - 

I watched Trace Rorie lead the worship at the Granger campus this weekend and I kept thinking, "Trace is amazing. His music is amazing. His musicians are amazing. His leadership is amazing." And I thought, "How does he prepare himself to do stuff like this?"

Good question, don't you think?

In a world of shared calendars and unrelenting expectations, I learned of a curious and disturbing pattern in my life - a pattern that kept me from more than I knew. It began decades ago with little pocket calendars I filled with appointments; it got worse when I graduated to Day Timers in huge 3-ring-binders and was exacerbated by the purchase of my first Palm Pilot. Now my ToDo list is tied to my virtual calendar and I can access it with my smartphone, iPad or laptop from anywhere in the world.

What was the troubling pattern?

Simple. I regularly and faithfully made appointments with everyone but me.

When I was a younger man, I blocked out time for others. I planned ahead for conferences. I scheduled meetings, programs, events and lunches with other people, but I failed to make appointments with myself.

So here's a bit of advice.

Be courageous. Be brave. Have the audacity to make an appointment with yourself. Schedule the meeting and go to it. Be on time. Don't leave early because there's something else to do. (There's always something else to do.) Give yourself time to get the work done.

Make an appointment to meet one-on-one with your task. Show up and take it on, even if you're the only person in the room. Read. Study. Practice. Learn the music. Master the agenda. You'll be amazed how much you can accomplish when you give yourself time to succeed.

Matthew 14:22-23   -  As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.

A Little More From Ed Dobson

Ed said:

"You are indispensable until your work on earth is done. It ain't over yet. ... So, what can I do with the limited time I have to make a difference?"

 

Psalm 20:4  -  Let God grant what is in your heart and fulfill all your plans.

Ed Dobson's Story

 

Ed Dobson’s story hit me. Hard.

You can hear him tell it in our Sunday service. It’ll rock you too.

A few quotes from one of the services I experienced Saturday night follow.
 

• “ALS is an incurable disease. They don’t know what causes it. Worst of all, it’s terminal.”
   
• “They gave me two to five years to live. That was eleven years ago.”
   
• “When you know you are dying, you leave the warmth of the sunshine and descend to a tomb. You have a decision to make. ‘Do I lay down and give up or do I take one step toward the Light?’”
   
• “I’m not afraid of being dead. It’s the ‘getting dead’ that troubles me.”
   
• “When you know you’re really dying, a boldness comes with it.”
   
• “I have three goals: to speak as long as I can, and when I can’t speak, to write as long as I can, and when I can’t write or speak, to live as long as I can.”

 

God bless you Ed Dobson.

Your story is helping us all.

Psalm 23:4  -  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 
I will fear no evil; 
For You are with me. 

 

Rice in a Tub

Who thought of this?

It's amazing how much fun a kid can have playing with rice in a tub, but I didn't come up with the idea. Amber saw it somewhere and she told Sheila about it. That's all it took. We poured the rice, tossed a spoon and bucket into the tub and watched Ruby play for an hour this afternoon. When she was finished, we snapped the lid on the rice container (keeping it clean and dry) and that was that.

Pretty good idea, eh?

Deuteronomy 1:23a  -  The idea seemed good to me.

Audited Results / The Final Baptism Numbers

 

 

We've gone over the names and counted every person who passed through the waters of baptism on Easter weekend. Each person matters. Each person is noticed and each one counts.

Here is an accounting of the Easter weekend.

Elkhart Campus / Saturday Evening: @ 7:00 = 2, Sunday Morning: @ 8:30 = 1, @ 10:15 = 5, @ 12 Noon = 5.  Total = 13

Granger Campus  /  Saturday Evening: @ 3:00 = 39, @ 5:00 = 9, @ 7:00 = 40, Sunday Morning: @ 9:30 = 76, @ 11:30 = 81.  Total = 245

Grand Total = 258

 

 Revelation 7:9-10 

 I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb.
They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 
And they were shouting with a great roar,

“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
    and from the Lamb!”

A Little Time To Encourage Each Other

Still celebrating Easter's blessings our team gathered to tell stories from the weekend and offer encouragement to each other. After putting so much prayerful effort into the services we needed to meet and take time to share the Easter stories of God's faithfulness. 

Have you taken the time to sit down and reflect on God's faithfulness? Have you listened as a friend told you about their baptism? Have you paused long enough to consider the ways God blessed you and yours this weekend?

If you haven't taken the time to build each other up, I hope you will.

1 Thessalonians 5:11a  -  Encourage one another and build each other up.

A Few Pictures From Easter 2012

I was pretty busy during the services this weekend, but I did capture a few pictures to share. More than 200 people were baptized and several told me it was GCC's most meaningful Easter worship service ever. For many, it most certainly was.

Enjoy the pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Galatians 3:26-28  -  So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

HE IS RISEN!

 

 

It's Easter. It's Resurrection Sunday! We're celebrating HIS victory of death, hell and the grave...and you're invited!

Luke 24:1-6a  -  On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! 

Let The Easter Baptisms Begin!

 

Pastors are being assisted in the pools by members of GCC's Administrative Council so the Easter baptisms are underway. It's all inside and during the services so everyone can see and hear and worship!

We're heading into a fantastic Easter weekend celebration!

 

Colossians 2:11-15  -  Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It's not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you're already in—insiders—not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. If it's an initiation ritual you're after, you've already been through it by submitting to baptism. Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as he did Christ. When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ's cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.

Good Friday

The first time I saw Michelangelo's Pietà I I was 16 years old. I was so moved I stretched out my hand and touched it.

When I stood before it again, I was different, and so was our world. Forty years had come and gone and it was out-of-reach, behind bullet-proof glass in Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. I couldn't touch the Pietà, but it touched me.

As I balanced my camera and pressed the shutter to take this picture, I was moved by the artist's God-given ability, and even more moved by the scene portrayed.

Jesus died for us. HIS suffering for our sin, so beautifully depicted in the Pietà -which means Pity - is simply too much to grasp.

No wonder HIS passion satisfies the debt we owe for sin and wickedness.

1 Peter 2:21b-24  -  Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 

Our Mighty God Has Come Near!

 

 

   Stop in your tracks! Take in God's miracle-wonders!
Do you have any idea how God does it all?

 

In the incarnation, our Mighty God, far beyond our reach, came to us. In HIS Passion, suffering, crucifixion and death he made atonement for our sins. In HIS resurrection Christ became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

Our Mighty God, far beyond our reach, unsurpassed in power and justice has come close, revealing his love in Jesus Christ. So bow to him in deep reverence, one and all. 

Be wise. God is no longer beyond our reach. He has come to us.

Come to HIM and worship HIM. 

Holy Communion is Good Friday at Noon.

 

 Job 37:14-24

Job, are you listening? Have you noticed all this? 
   Stop in your tracks! Take in God's miracle-wonders!
Do you have any idea how God does it all, 
   how he makes bright lightning from dark storms,
How he piles up the cumulus clouds— 
   all these miracle-wonders of a perfect Mind?
Why, you don't even know how to keep cool 
   on a sweltering hot day,
So how could you even dream 
   of making a dent in that hot-tin-roof sky? 

If you're so smart, give us a lesson in how to address God. 
   We're in the dark and can't figure it out.
Do you think I'm dumb enough to challenge God? 
   Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?
No one in his right mind stares straight at the sun 
   on a clear and cloudless day.
As gold comes from the northern mountains, 
   so a terrible beauty streams from God. 

Mighty God! Far beyond our reach! 
   Unsurpassable in power and justice! 
   It's unthinkable that he'd treat anyone unfairly.
So bow to him in deep reverence, one and all! 
   If you're wise, you'll most certainly worship him.

Sheila's Nemesis

Sheila is engaged in a long-running battle with the little masked bandits that raid her bird-feeders with impunity. So when I saw this critter scarfing the seed in a recently filled feeder, I ran out the door (well, to me it was running...actually it was similar to a brisk walk you'd likely see in a retirement home), and I raced to the raccoon shouting, "Hey you! Get out of there!" 

With a nonchalant glance communicating its general disdain, the little rascal climbed up a tree and stared at me, as if to ask, "What's your problem?"

So I took its picture.

Ephesians 4:28a  -  Let the thief steal no more....

Pause For a Moment

 

- Penn's Maya Solomon moments before an opponent's Free-Throw - 

There's a basketball game tonight and apparently millions have plans to watch Kansas and Kentucky play for the national title. People will see some of the best players in the country. It'll be something.

It's a fast-paced game and it seems everyone on the court is moving all the time, but if you watch closely you'll notice something interesting. From time to time the players will pause for a moment and collect themselves. For some it's a cleansing breath. You may see a player looking down, blocking out the chaos of the crowd for just a second or two. It's a moment to rehearse a coach's instruction: "Get position. Get the ball out." 

There is a rhythm layered over the rules of the game and those who feel it are often the most dynamic players to watch, bursting with energy one moment and shifting into a lower gear the next. It's improv at its finest and watching those who've mastered it is like listening to jazz musicians as they bebop and block cords moving from one progression to another, side-slipping a melody or adding a flavor of syncopated ambiguity - displacing "expected beats" by anticipating or delaying the beat by even a half-beat. 

I've heard the four qualities of a great jazz-man are: taste, courage, individuality and irreverence. Similar qualities make for a great basketball player, and maybe a great Christ-follower too. It's not as if the rules don't apply; it's more like the rules exist as a framework for beautiful creativity.

Whether it's basketball or jazz, tempo matters.

Tempo matters in the lives of Christ's followers too. 

Sure there are rules, rules that necessarily provide a framework for the game of basketball, for good music and for a life well-lived. But it's the rhythm found within the rules that makes each life special and beautiful. It's the pause inserted in the pace that makes music, basketball and life more soaring than pedantic.

Holy Week is special. It's a time to pause. Take a deep breath. Remember who God is, what God has done, who you are and what you can do in the light of that Truth.

The rhythm you layer over the framework of Holy Week matters. As you remember Christ's passion, reflect on the Apostles Creed, prepare yourself for baptism, share Holy Communion with your church family, and invite your friends to join you in worship this Easter you'll have lots of freedom to improvise.

You can live these days in beautiful rhythm with a God-honoring tempo.

I hope you will.

Matthew 11:28-30  -  Jesus said, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Dr. Bob's Palm Sunday Invitation

 

In the shadow of the cross, before the empty baptismal pools we'll use during next week's Easter services, I watched Dr. Bob preach the message God gave him for Palm Sunday. I loved it and told Bob I could listen to him preach every day 'till Jesus comes. I love this guy.

Bob invited us to come home - back to our Father, back home to the family of God.

Inviting us to come through the waters of baptism next weekend, he told the story of two Bethel College students. He overhead them talking about Spring Break.

*   *   *   *

One asked the other if he was going to make the long trip home during the break.

"Hey, David. Are you going home this Easter?"

David answered, "No. Home is just too far away."

When Bob heard that reply he thought, "How many people are like this student? How many people think they've made too many mistakes, taken too many wrong turns and wandering too far from The Way of Jesus to come home? How many think they're so far from home they can't ever get back? I'm so glad no one is beyond the reach of Jesus. Jesus not only made The Way for everyone to come home, HE is The Way!" 

Then Bob heard that student offer an invitation: 

"Well, why don't you just come home with me?" 

*   *   *   *

Good question. Let me ask a few more:

• How about coming home to Jesus this Easter?
• How about passing through the waters of baptism as you turn to walk The Jesus Way?
• How about reflecting on the Apostles Creed each day of Holy Week, to help you prepare for Easter?
• How about coming to GCC's Granger campus, or Elkhart campus, for a brief Good Friday Holy Communion service at Noon this Friday?
• How about inviting a friend to come home with you this Easter?

"Will you come home with me?" 

John 14:1-3  -  Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.