“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of he surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” (Philippians 3:8 ESV)

Someone has said that character is the sum and total of a person's choices. Life is all about decisions. Every day we make countless decisions about what we will think about, what we will say, and what we will do. In the Bible we see people who were even called by God to make choices. Joshua called the people of Israel in Joshua 24:15 to “Choose this day whom you will serve.” In Proverbs 8:10, the Bible says, “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.” Jesus himself called people to make a choice. In Matthew 7:13 he said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” In Philippians 3:8-11 Paul was talking about a personal and specific choice to know Jesus and the power of his resurrection.

I want to share with you six decisions you can make by God’s grace in 2012. These daily decisions can radically change how you deal with what is already coming around the mountain of life and bring you to better place on the inside, regardless of your circumstances. You can’t make these decisions on your own but only through Christ (Gal. 2:20). The first three we will cover this month and the other three we will cover in the next article.

1.  Surrender Your Crutch

What do you do when you face financial difficulties, hard times, challenging people, family troubles, sickness, anxiety, or depression? Every one of us has turned to something else other than Jesus to manage our discomfort and it’s our crutch. We may work too much, spend too much, eat too much, watch television too much, abuse alcohol, use drugs, or use pleasure to make us feel better. The thing with a crutch is that it actually is an idol. It’s a functional savior we run to before we run to God. It can be a pleasure, a person, a pursuit, or a perpetual attitude. For some of us our “crutch” is something that replaces Jesus. We may choose the x-box or the x-rated but all of us need to say, “It’s time to lay my crutch down-to surrender it to God.”

2.  Slow Your Pace

When I look into the weary eyes of many people that come into our church—I see people who need to slow down. Some people are just addicted to busyness. We use the excuse of busyness by saying, “It’s my job, I have no choice,” or “It’s my kids schedule,” or “It’s the church schedule,” but when we have a chance to just sit and listen to God we find something else to do and to focus on. We need to make a decision to slow down. We need space to sort out all that distracts us, clamors for our attention, and takes our focus away from knowing Jesus in the course of our daily life. That’s why Paul said, “I count everything as loss” in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ. He was making a conscious decision to set God as his highest priority. When we slow down to focus on the Lord we receive peace, patience, simplicity, and clarity.

3.  Unplug Your Distractions

Most of us do it and don’t even think about it. Most of us are addicted to it—the television, internet, cell phones, texting, Facebook, and Twitter. In most homes every evening the flat screen, ipod, ipads, and cell phones are rarely turned off. I have even seen this in our lives as a family of four with two older children. It’s hard to unplug. We get in the habit of sitting in the living room but we are all disconnected from each other and God because we are distracted by our technology. However, if you want to receive that which you need most you have to unplug your distractions. Make a conscious choice to unplug from the technology everyday and connect with God in His word and with your family. What will you unplug from today?

I encourage you and I flat out challenge you to make these choices in your daily life. If you will make the choice to know Jesus and count everything else as loss, you will not regret that decision…ever! See you next time.

For the Fame of His Name, 

Pastor Ryan 

But that is not the way you learned Christ! –assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:20-24)

So, let me ask you a post-Christmas question: Have you thrown away any old clothes yet? In my house for almost the last 20 years, I have thrown away worn out, old clothes that were replaced with new clothes I received at Christmas. We are not talking about clothes that are still good, but clothes that have holes, stains, and just don’t fit me any longer (and never will again!). It seems this time of year more than any other, there is an “exchange” that takes place in many households; literally OFF with the old, and ON with the new.

In Ephesians 4, Paul explains that the Christian life is like the exchange of old, filthy clothes for new ones. He shows us that the life of a Christian is not trying harder and harder to be a good person or just stopping old, bad habits, but living the Christian life is living an exchanged life. There is a continual and constant exchange that must take place as we live the Christian walk one step at a time.

I know so many Christians who are caught up in a cycle of sin-confess-sin-confess, never really changing and always experiencing failure and the pain of defeat while trying to live for Jesus Christ. They think that if “I just try harder” to be more loving, more giving, more patient, or try harder to stop this habit or that habit, then they will be successful. Instead, they find that trying harder and harder leads to an exhausting Christian life that leaves you feeling tired, empty, and full of despair.

Paul says in Ephesians 4:22-24 that like old clothes to be thrown away, we should  “put off” our old life and like new clothes to wear, we must put on our “new self.” In other words, the Christian life is all about “off with the old and on with the new.” If you want to be a different person in 2012, then you are going to have to exchange some things. You are going to have to exchange your old ways of living for new ways. Paul says the way you do that is by letting the Spirit of God renew your thoughts and attitudes (v.23). Exchange the faulty ways you think about things with what God says in his Word.

In verses 25-32, Paul shows how this happens and gives some practical examples. He says stop telling lies and instead speak the truth (v.25).  Stop stealing and instead, use your hands for good hard work and then give generously to those in need (v.28).  Get rid of your anger, harsh words, and speaking bad about others and instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as Christ forgave you (v.31).

Every step you take in the Christian life must be a conscious choice to replace old with the new. You have to exchange your old attitudes for Christ’s attitudes, your bad thinking, for Jesus’ righteous thinking. It’s allowing Christ to live his life through you (Gal. 2:20). Start identifying the old ways of thinking and behaving that are in the closet of your life and start replacing them with the new ways of living that Christ himself teaches you to possess. Instead of saying, “I will never change” and just settling for old ways of living, start saying by faith in 2012 , “Off with old and on with the new!” 

Isaiah 9:6: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor..." (ESV)

When it comes to thinking about Jesus Christ coming in the flesh and why we truly celebrate Christmas, Isaiah 9:6 is probably the greatest passage in the Bible related to the incarnation. The Bible says, that it is this "child" who will be God in the flesh, the predicted Immanuel, the royal son of David who will rule his Kingdom and the nations of the world. However, in Isaiah 53 we are told that Jesus would be "despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief." He knew what it was like to stare pain, darkness, sadness, despair, and suffering in the face and yet was not swallowed up in hopelessness and defeat. He was and is a victorious King and Savior! He is the God-Man who defeated sin and all of it's terrible effects and provides wonderful hope and counsel to all those who swear allegiance to Him.

Isaiah said he is the "Wonderful Counselor." This is the first name given for the incarnated Savior. The name has a promise attached: Jesus is able to counsel and direct those who are in despair. Jesus is able to impart supernatural wisdom and direction despite the darkness of people's sin, feelings, or circumstances. At the time Isaiah was prophet, Israel was being attacked on all sides. Much of the people of God’s physical, spiritual, and emotional depression were brought on by the idolatry and disobedience in their lives. They stopped listening to God and the prophets in whom he sent to them. They gave up all hope and simply adopted a fatalistic philosophy of life, "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" (Isaiah 22). They looked to other things to be a functional savior to them and deliver them from their despair but did not turn to the one thing they needed most: the promise of the Wonderful Counselor to give them the hope they desperately needed. They took their eyes off of God, off of the promised Messiah, and they stopped believing in the promises of God.

If we are not careful, we can take our eyes off of the Lord this time of year more than ever. While we may find ourselves attending church services and singing Christmas hymns and opening presents, we can be filled with sadness, emptiness, depression, and despair. We may find ourselves drinking away all our problems with a bottle or we may find ourselves charging up the credit card in hopes that those things will treat, cover, and hide the pain. Many of us know all too well what it is like to struggle with feelings of depression, especially at Christmas time. If not careful we can turn to ourselves or some illegitimate joy that we think will help the problem, but it in the end it only makes it worse.

Although I advocate seeing a doctor and possibly being on some kind of anti-depressant if a person's depression does not get better, especially if you are doing everything God says to do, I also know that a pill is not the total solution. The Bible says that most of our depression is related to one thing: taking eyes off of the Lord and focusing on myself and my problems. Depression at the heart is a spiritual problem, not just a physical one. While the feelings of depression are not sin, the thinking of depression can be sinful. Anytime we willfully turn inward instead of upward towards the Lord, we commit sin. Anytime we turn to other things to treat the problem and not the Lord, we commit sin. Again, Israel's problem was eyes on themselves, eyes on their idols, and eyes off of God. The result was depression and despair. 

In many of the people I counsel who are battling depression and despair, one common response I hear over and over again, is, "I am not in the Bible. I am not turning to the Lord." While I personally know the battle against depression is long and hard, the first step is turning to the Lord. Lasting and legitimate joy can only come from the Lord. So this Christmas set your hope and eyes on the Wonderful Counselor. Read His Word and follow His advice and you will begin to crawl and walk out of the basement of depression and the pit of despair. Only Jesus can turn your superficial Christmas into something supernatural. Only Jesus can heal the deep hurt and pain of depression. Only Jesus can give you the lasting hope you need when the darkness of depression begins to overwhelm you. He knows what it is like to feel rejected and despised. Turn away from negative thinking and self-sufficiency and remember: there is no emptiness in Christ, only hope! You can find that hope right now if you choose.

For the Fame of His Name,

Pastor Ryan 

Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. (Proverbs 11:29 ESV)

It seems that every where you turn today, you hear the word “dysfunction.” It is a popular term in pop psychology, self-help books, counseling, and even in Christian circles. Many people like using the term “dysfunction” but what does the Bible have to say about dysfunction? In the book of Genesis we see at least six dysfunctional families. They are dysfunctional because they have sinful patterns of thinking, communicating, and behaving. Dysfunction in the Bible is an unhealthy and unbiblical pattern of behavior by at least one family member that damages and hurts all family members. Another way of saying it is: Dysfunction is an ungodly and unhealthy pattern of spiritual immaturity. Everyone has dysfunction because everyone sins (Romans 3:23). We all have sinful and unhealthy patterns of behavior that affect and hurt the ones we love most. The only way to find healing from the wounds and pain of dysfunction is through a genuine and ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ. However, before we can work towards a solution we have to diagnose or identify the patterns of dysfunction we have rooted in us.

In the book of Genesis, we encounter the first family of dysfunction, Adam and Eve. One of the reasons we write these articles is so that you will get in the Bible for yourself. So go get your Bible, read Genesis 2 & 3, and then come back to this article. We will wait for you. Ok, now that you’ve done that, let me outline for you where the sinful dysfunction begins by looking at Adam and Eve:

1.             Dysfunction always begins with deviating from God’s best. (Gen. 2:25-3:7)

Adam and Eve deviated from God’s best when they chose what they thought would be best. They essentially made a decision to be in charge of their lives and told God “We don’t need you.” They deviated from the will of God and broke his commandments and this is where sinful dysfunction always begins in every family. When at least one person in the family think they know better than God and deviate from his plan, mark it down, it a leads to nowhere fast.

2.    Dysfunction happens because of a lack of spiritual leadership in the home. (3:6)

Adam was supposed to be the spiritual leader of his family but instead he was weak and lame. He should have taken a courageous stand for God and led his wife away from temptation and sin but he didn’t. He caved and put his own self-satisfaction before his family. When the man in the home is not being the spiritual leader, the family will pull apart from God and each other.

3.             Dysfunction continues when past shames are not dealt with. (Genesis 3:7,10)

God knew exactly where Adam and Eve were, but he wanted them to confess what they had done so he could heal them. Instead of being honest about their past shame, they hid themselves and made up a flimsy excuse. Whenever unconfessed sin and past shames in a family are not brought out into the light, the wounds of dysfunction deepen.

4.             Dysfunctional pain deepens through blame. (3:12-13)

Adam blamed Eve and God for his present state of unhappiness. Eve blamed Satan. Instead of taking ownership for what the sinful choices they had made, they played the blame game. God wanted them to take responsibility for their sin and their part in messing things up for their family. As a result of not doing that, you can read in Chapter 4 how the sinful dysfunction continued and would bring severe consequences to their family.

The truth is you will give an account to God for your part in your family. You won’t be able to blame others for your lack of happiness. The reason why your family is dysfunctional is because people have made a choice to deviate from God’s best. However, you can make a different choice. You can make a choice to be the one person in your household that decides to get spiritually healthy and leave the happy part up to God. Jesus Christ is the only one who can begin the healing process but you have to start identifying the unhealthy patterns in you. Not in your spouse or your kids, but first in you. This is where the healing begins. Focus on getting right with the Lord and then you will start to get things right in your family. Part 2 coming next month...stay tuned :-) 

For the Fame of His Name, 

Pastor Ryan 

( I am typing this really quick from my phone so I apologize for any errors in grammar and spelling!)

I just went with my family this past weekend to see the Courageous movie. We made it a family event because I was told by some other people that the movie would "really change our lives." Usually when people tell me something like that I shy away and run in the other direction. Really? Change my life? I doubt it. HOWEVER, while I don't believe the movie can change my life (Only Jesus can), I decided to go and see if all the Christian hoop-la over this movie was really worth it. As a pastor, I have my own criteria for critiquing a Christian movie. While I didn't sit in the movie with a pen and paper, I was expecting some important elements in the movie that would put it in at least a category of "impacting lives." So below I have some questions I asked myself about the movie and how it did in satisfying those questions. Hopefully, this little review will help you in determining if it is a good movie to bring your family and friends to or not.

1.  Is the movie realistic to Christian life?

Answer: Yes. This movie deals with real life problems and trials faced by not just Christian families but non-Christians as well. It deals with divorce, death, unemployment, family dysfunction, conflict, broken relationships, etc. You will find yourself relating to many of the people and themes the movie touches on...without a doubt...for sure...this is no glass-stained window of Christianity or some propped-up religious flick.

2.  Are the actors good?

Answer: Yes. The actors are some of the same actors that played in "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof." They all do a great job making you believe in the characters and the story. Since most of these guys are not "Hollywood" actors, I was once again impressed with how they did.

3.  Is the story good?

Answer: Yes. The story has everything you want. It has suspense, action, drama, humor, and a great ending. Beware! This film is a tear-jerker big time and you will at times feel like you are on an emotional rollercoaster but it is not one of those roller-coasters that you want to get off. The story was not just good for me, it was great! I won't give anymore details than that.

4.  Is it a film I want to take my family to?

Answer: Without a doubt. this movie is meant to be viewed together as a family. Especially for fathers and sons. We have many ladies in our congregation that attend church without their spouses. I don't know any of these men per se, but I do know many of them are lost or have some issues with being a godly dad or husband. I think this movie challenges every man to be godly and not just a better husband or dad but a Christ-like man. Regardless of where a man is at in his walk with the Lord, this movie should rock every guy to the core. I think it needs to be seen together to get the full impact of the movie. Not only did we enjoy the movie together, we enjoyed talking about it after. That's what this movie does, it gets you thinking and talking. It provokes every family to look at themselves and really answer some tuff questions.

5.  Is it distinctively Christian? Does it mention Jesus?

Answer: Yes. This movie did have me worried at the beginning because it seemed like it was going to just be a movie that mentions the name "God" and that's it. Today, just saying the name "God" can be so misconstrued. It could mean the Muslim god, the Mormon god, the Jehovah Witness god, or any god, and doesn't necessarily refer to the one true living God of the Bible.  My criteria is I want to hear the name of Jesus. I don't have to hear it but I want to hear so that there is no mistake in people's minds about who we are talking about. The movie did mention his name multiple times and made a clear distinction.

6.  Does this movie present the Gospel?

Answer: Yes. Two specific times I can remember. One at a funeral and then more in-depth in a one-on-one situation in the movie. It clearly presents the gospel and does a better job at it than most Christians do! This was a big factor for me in determining if the movie can "change lives." I still don't think the movie can do that because it's just a movie but the gospel message in the movie surely can!

7.  Can this movie help someone become a godly parent or kid?

Answer: Maybe. As far as how the movie communicates the need for a "resolution" to become a "courageous" parent for God, it does an awesome job. The last 5 minutes of the movie leaves you feeling charged up to be a godly parent and you find yourself saying, "I need to change the way I am living my life and raising my family!" All of that is a good thing but we should caution ourselves. The movie alone or the resolutions alone or the bible studies that I am sure they will come up with as a result of the movies, will not do it alone. Having Christian men you hang around with and have accountability with will not do it alone, as the movie communicates towards the end. All of these things can help but ultimately it will be up to each of us prevent  a shallow and superficial response to what we see in the movie. This movie in a way was like going to church. It communicates a great message but you have to do something with it or you will remain unchanged. It will be up to us to read and obey the Bible and live Christ-like lives. The movie can't do that and a firm resolve cannot do that. While I am sure their will be plenty of people who begin a process of change after seeing this movie, many will just do the, "Oh, that was a great movie!" thing and not really change the way they are thinking or living. This movie can help you but it can't change you. Only Jesus and the gospel can do that. 

8.  Would you recommend this movie? Would you show it in your church?

Answer: YES! If you haven't figured out by now we loved the movie and will recommend it to anyone we know, especially people who are going through family difficulties and lacking a real spiritual leader in the home. I will eventually show this movie in our church to impact the guys that were too busy, too lazy, too fearful, or too financially constrained  to take their family to the movies. I may not get all of them to come and watch but I know I will get some of them. As the movie communicates, some will mock it and some will take the challenge to be "courageous." 

I hope this review helps and you are able to see the movie. Everyone in the theater when we attended applauded and cheered at the end and I think you will too. Just make sure you do more with the movie than that and you pick up your Bible and do what it says, not just what the movie says.

For the Fame of His Name, 

Pastor Ryan