Shepherds- No More Same Old, Same Old

Here is the podcast from the second message in the Pardon the Interruption: Life Lessons from the Characters of the Chrhristmas Story series.

To listen now, click on the podcast icon below.


Shepherds- No More Same Old, Same Old (Length 17:56)

Message

Often times Christmas can become the same old, same old with the parties, the gift buying and the family traditions. This is O.K. except when when the same old, same old prevents us from seeing Christ in the season. This message shows that like the shepherds who were divinely interrupted and shook out of their same old, same old we too need to listen for God this Christmas season, do what God says, and worship Christ.

Series

This message is from the series "Pardon the Interruption: Life Lessons from the Characters of the Christmas Story." The characters in the Christmas story experience divine interruptions like the ones represented in the lives of Zechariah, the shepherds, Mary and Jesus. Are we open to God's interruptions in our lives or will it be Christmas as usual? During Christmas and at all times, God stands ready to interrupt our lives and fill them with his love as he did the characters of the Christmas story.

Fizzit Mama

One of the things I get in my inbox on a regular basis are writings and collections from the sermonfodderguy- Keith Todd. According to his signature "The Sermon Fodder list shares a daily dose of Christian humor and modern-day parables for personal enjoyment. Our material is often used as sermon illustration material by pastors and Sunday School Teachers."

You can check it out more thoroughly by visiting sermonfodder.com. The little vignette below was too good not to share. It is wonderful how a story or illustration like this can say in two minutes what some of us talking heads seek to convey in twenty minutes. I hope you take something away from what is below like I did.

Fizzit Mama

A friend of mine recently shared a little "parable in real life"that God sent her several years ago. When her son was quite small, he had a small stuffed gorilla that he wagged around with him everywhere -- and I do mean EVERYWHERE -- he went. She could sometimes sneak it away for a quick laundering during nap time, but Heaven help her if her son awoke before his friend "Rilla" was out of the dryer! As such '"loveys" will do, Rilla's seams gradually began to weaken and his stuffing began to leak. As she tells it, "Poor old Rilla was in desperate need of some corrective surgery, not to mention a stuffing transplant. One day, John waddled up to me and held up his battered, beloved Rilla and said, 'Mommy, Rilla's broked.' I explained that I would be happy to fix Rilla up -- a little new stuffing, some seam reinforcement, and he would be 'all better' again. John held Rilla out toward me, and said 'Fizzit, Mommy!' But, when I reached down to take the little gorilla in my hands, I found that it had a two-year-old firmly attached to it. As all parents know, a tug-of-war with a two-year-old is frequently a losing proposition, and is ALWAYS accompanied by loud cries and copious tears. Finally, in exasperation, I said, 'I can't fix it until you let go of it!!!' And just at that moment,the Spirit of God tapped me on the shoulder, as it were -- and I realized that God was waiting for me to let go of several things, too.

"This is one aspect of Christianity that I suspect will always be astruggle for many of us-- "tis not I, but Christ liveth in me". It's so hard for us to get out of his way and let him "fizzit" in his own good time, because we're living in the present moment and He is living in eternity. Waiting on the Lord, whether it is for healing, for understanding, or a much needed job, is not an easy task. But, I truly believe it is essential for all of us to be as patient with Him as He is with us.

Redeeming Technology

Mark Batterson over at evotional.com has shared the seven keys to kicking it up a notch that he presented a at a church planting conference recently. Here they are:

1) Create Culture
2) Cast Vision
3) Redeem Technology
4) Study Culture
5) Do Ministry out of Imagination
6) Be Yourself
7) Enjoy the Journey

I really like number three- redeeming technology. I think redeeming technology is so crucial for the church today. The church is charged with sharing the greatest message ever told- the good news of Jesus Christ. It makes sense that we would avail ourselves of every tool at our disposal to share that good news. This includes technology. Using technology to present the age old message of Jesus crucified, dead and risen is redeeming technology. It is like the cliche goes "the message stays the same, how we present the message changes." If we truly want to make and empower radical followers of Jesus Christ we must do so in a way that will connect with those we are trying to reach. I think Paul did that with the Athenian philosophers in Acts. Leonard Sweet once said something to the effect that in our churches we ask children to come for 45 minutes to an hour of Sunday school and we expect to hold their attention and capture their hearts with the greatest story ever told by using flannel graph characters when these kids know how to navigate the Internet and use interactive Cd-Roms by the time they are five. Hmm?

We always must remember why technology is used in the church. It is not because it is cool, or because the megachurch across the country is using it. We use technology in order to draw people closer to God so that they can experience the love of Christ in their hearts, be changed on the inside and go out to serve Christ. That is what redeeming technology is about.

Snow Rant

Caution you are about to enter a rant zone.

People- clean off your cars. I mean really!! With the snow this past week in Virginia the "I am to lazy" to clean the snow off my car monster has reared its ugly head. In case you couldn't tell this infuriates me. Clean the snow off your car!! What is so hard about that??

Oh, I know- you are in a rush to get to work. I know you left your brush in the garage right underneath the box of beach stuff you take every summer to the Outer Banks. No, I am sorry, you thought the heat in your car would melt it off before it turned into ice after being on there for three nights in a row of 20 degree temperatures. You thought it would be gone before it flew off the top of your Camry into someone else's windshield.

Unless you drive a tractor trailer, a big van (not an SUV) or are physically unable, there is just no excuse for leaving snow on your car. It's just lazy.

You see there is a theological issue here. If you are leaving snow on your car because you have to get to work earlier, because you are just too lazy to dig out the scraper or you just don't care then you are making yourself the center of the universe. Guess what? The Bible says time and time again it is not about you!! It is about having enough consideration (i.e. love thy neighbor) for other drivers out there doing their best to avoid black ice, other cars careening into them, and snowplows. They don't need snow from someone else's car blowing in their face or huge ice chunks flying off to hit their windshield. Enough.

Peace.

Zechariah- Guess What I Am in Charge

Here is the podcast from the first message in the Pardon the Interruption series. To listen now, click on the podcast icon below.


Zechariah- Guess What I Am in Charge (Length 17:38)

Message
This message introduces the theme of the series- how God interrupts our lives to demonstrate his love, power and majesty. This week we looked at how God interrupted the life of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, to show Zechariah who was really in charge and in the midst of doing so demonstrates His love to Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. So too God interrupts our lives and teaches us that he is in control. When we learn that lesson it is a comfort.

Series
This message is from the series "Pardon the Interruption: Life Lessons from the Characters of the Christmas Story." The characters in the Christmas story experience divine interruptions like the ones represented in the lives of Zechariah, the shepherds, Mary and Jesus. Are we open to God's interruptions in our lives or will it be Christmas as usual? During Christmas and at all times, God stands ready to interrupt our lives and fill them with his love as he did the characters of the Christmas story.

Christmas Lights

As it gets ready to snow here in Virginia and as we hurtle to Christmas I wanted to share with you this video that has been circulating on the blogosphere. You do well to have high speed for this one (does anyone but us who live in the country and are doomed with no cable/ dsl not have high speed anymore- go to high speed you will never go back!). Turn up your speakers. I thought I was doing well to get up a few lights this year but this is pretty amazing. Click here to see it.