Great New Christian Music

Check out the great videos below by the new Christian band 'Curtis'. I love this new version of an old favorite!!

Now watch the music video of this song from their newest CD, "It's All Because of Love". My nephew David Jacob May is playing the keyboard.

Check out the Curtis Band's channel on YouTube!!

I Like Being Married

I like being married. That statement produces a veritable smorgasbord of responses and reactions when spoken aloud. Depending on the hearer's opinions or previous experiences, I have been the subject of coy smiles, unbelieving laughter, and unmitigated contempt. Why should such a benign statement spark such emotional responses?

Could it be that many are not finding their marriages to be wedded bliss? Neither do I and my spouse. Might it be that some are discovering to their chagrin that marriage is work? My wife and I came to that conclusion ere we were scarcely out of town on our wedding day. Would we be correct in supposing that many had a skewed dream of what marriage would be, and the dream-bubble exploded soon after the nuptials, covering everything with a sticky mess? I must confess I had delusional aspirations for our married life that I have found to be unrealistic and even unhealthy. We do not have a perfect marriage. I hasten to add the overwhelming cause for that lies with me. However, I enjoy the ongoing challenge and pursuit of being married, and wish to offer a few suggestions I feel contribute to our continuing success.

• The most important element in our pursuit of marital success is commitment. My wife and I determined long ago, before our wedding day in fact, that we were in this thing for life. There are no loopholes and no escape clauses. Our only recourse is to do and be what is necessary for success in the relationship. If there is any way out, it is too easy to quit.
• Second, I choose every day to love my wife. Sometimes I must choose to love her every moment! I choose to love her when she is dressed to kill and I choose to love her when she is killing me trying to get dressed. I choose to love her in the heat of passion and I choose to love her in the cold of apathy. I choose to love her, to quote some timeless phrases, "for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part". The pivotal word in this entire paragraph is not love; it is choose. Love is a decision and a commitment I make of my own free will. I am resolved to choose daily to love my wife. No matter what.
• Third, I choose every day to pursue. I choose to pursue Christ. I choose to pursue a vibrant relationship with Him that transforms me into the best husband possible. I choose to pursue the things that build up my wife. I choose to set myself far aside. I must never give up the pursuit; for there will always be improvement that can and should be made. My wife is a priceless gift from God and is worth every effort I make and much, much more.
• Last, I believe. I believe what the Scriptures teach concerning the marriage relationship. When choosing a metaphor to illustrate the incredible relationship Christ has with His church, God chose marriage. Just as in Christ's relationship with His church, there is in our marriages the potential for unblemished purity, unrivaled holiness, unbroken commitment, unequaled sacrifice, unbridled love, unfathomable strength, and uncontainable joy. If it were not possible, our painfully honest God would have told us so. I believe it is possible.

I have not completed this journey. But these few concepts guide me like a tall and shining beacon guides wayward ships toward home and safety. They are, I believe, the foundational steps to realizing the best God has for us in our marriage relationships. I am not satisfied with where I am in my marriage; there is much progress that needs to be made. But I like the pursuit. I like being married.

BSFL Sunday School commentary for the week of April 18, 2010

The Right Motivation     2 Corinthians 5

 

Which of the images above best describe your motivation for pleasing God?

In his book "The Shape of Faith to Come" (Broadman, Nashville, 2008), Brad Waggoner reveals that only 37% of adults who attend a Protestant church at least once a month claim to live their lives to please God. What do the other 63% live for? What do you live for?

As believers we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. His death on the cross satisfied God's righteous judgment upon our sin. Jesus took our place. We no longer need to fear death or being separated from God. We owe Jesus everything! Therefore, we are to make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. God's redemption and blessing are without cost; but He will hold us accountable for how we used our redeemed lives for His purposes. This judgment Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 5:10 is for believers only. Our sin has been forever judged at the cross. This judgment is about our stewardship. We will receive reward or be embarrassed before the One who died for us.

The Apostle Paul was convinced that he (and we) would stand before God in judgment, but he was also compelled by the love of God. That God would sacrifice His only Son to die for the sin of others completely astounded Paul. Such a love should be received; and such a love must be proclaimed! The term "compels us" in 2 Corinthians 5:14 is the word used to refer to people suffering with diseases in Matthew 4:24 and Luke 4:38. Paul was literally sick with Christ's love! That is why he made the comment about "being out of our mind". Evidently some accused Paul of being crazy, due to his actions in serving Christ. Indeed, even when later standing before King Agrippa for judgment, Paul tried to convert him and was told, "You are beside yourself! Much learning has made you mad!" (Acts 26:24-29). Paul's love for Christ, and being overwhelmed with Christ's love for him, drove Paul to lose himself in the service of Christ. Do you love Jesus enough to serve Him, no matter what or where?

God's purpose for us all is that we be reconciled to Him through the sacrifice of Jesus, and that we in turn spread the Gospel (Good News) of this reconciliation to everyone. Paul used the word ambassador; we are ambassadors for Christ. We are Christ's representatives here on earth. The only way people will hear of Christ's great love and sacrifice is if we share it with them. God is indeed appealing to the world of humanity through us. We plead with people on God's behalf. Ours is a Gospel of rescue! We need to be more desperate in our efforts to share Christ with the world around us.

Fear, guilt, and manipulation will only motivate for a short period of time. After a while we will no longer fear, stop feeling guilty and grow tired of being manipulated. Such impure motivations only lead to frustration, doubt, anger, and desertion from the cause. We will be judged by God for our service to Him; but we will also be held accountable for our motivations. Do we serve Christ out of love for Him, concern for the lost, and a desire to please Him in all things? Or do we serve for lesser reasons?

BSFL Life Truths Sunday School commentary for the week of March 21, 2010

Selfish?     1 Corinthians 8,10

When believers insist on their own rights with no thought of how their actions will bring glory to God, the body of Christ suffers. Love for fellow believers and the pursuit of God's glory trump every right we have as Christ-followers. Therefore, we must evaluate all our perceived "rights" in terms of how they impact our fellow believers, and how they bring glory to God and advance His Kingdom purposes.

The issue in view at the church at Corinth was eating meat that had been offered to idols. For those with a history of idol worship before coming to follow Christ, they had vivid memories of pagan sacrifices and the demonic spirits often associated with such sacrifices. Naturally, they wanted to distance themselves as much as possible from all former pagan practices. For them to eat meat purchased in the marketplace that had been sacrificed to idols was a gross stain on their faith in Christ. Other believers viewed this issue from a logical standpoint and knew that dead idols can have no effect on meat. The meat was just meat and was perfectly acceptable to eat.

The problem was not as much with the meat as it was with attitudes. Those who knew they could eat the meat without sin were puffed up with their knowledge, and prideful, viewing the other believers as immature and weak. They lorded their superior knowledge over the others. The believers who could not in good conscience eat the meat saw the others as sinful and loose in their standards. Who is right? Who needs to give ground?

While we have few arguments over meat these days, there are plenty of other issues that believers get hung up on. You can probably name a few right now. How would you evaluate your choices as they relate to their impact on the spiritual growth of others? Many believers do not consider their actions or how they affect others. They insist on having their way with no consideration for others at all. The video below is a comical yet accurate portrayal of their actions.

Do you live your life in a way that benefits others and brings glory to God? Or do you stubbornly insist on having things your own way and pleasing yourself? Your answer indicates who is more important - Christ or yourself. If Christ is more important, we will only act in a way that brings others to Him and pleases Him. Our own desires and rights do not matter in light of our allegiance to Him. After all, think of all the rights Jesus gave up to be the sacrifice for our sin?

Christians at different levels of spiritual maturity will always see things from varying perspectives. We cannot focus our energy on arguing over who is right. For the sake of unity and Kingdom advancement we must instead focus on giving way in love and submission. Let the following Scriptures speak for themselves. May they be our guide in Christian liberty and responsibility.

"Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother to fall."  1 Corinthians 8:12-13 (HCSB)

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory. Give no offense to the Jews or the Greeks or the church of God, just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."  1 Corinthians 10:31-33 (HCSB)

"For although I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, in order to win more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win those under the law. To those who are outside the law, like one outside the law—not being outside God’s law, but under the law of Christ—to win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some. Now I do all this because of the gospel, that I may become a partner in its benefits."  1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (HCSB)

Growing Love That Lasts a Lifetime

Due to the positive response following the recent message series "Making Love Last for a Lifetime", and for those who have requested more help in the area of relationships, I have written down some of the teachings from the series, plus some extra help with each topic. A link is provided at the end of this material where it can be downloaded and printed in its entirety for easier usage. Review each topic, its basic truths, and then complete the assignments, including the scriptures for memorization. The key to realizing lasting and positive change in your relationships is the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. He will work through prayer, God's Word, and our efforts to transform us and fill our relationships with love that lasts a lifetime!

Section Three: Growing Love That Lasts a Lifetime

"Love....bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

1 Corinthians 13:7-8 (NKJV)

In the movie 'Fireproof', Caleb Holt's friend Michael Simmons makes the following statement: "Do you know what that ring on your finger means? It means that you made a lifelong covenant. The sad part about it is when most people say 'for better or for worse', they really only mean for the better."

    I.        Love 'Bears All Things'

The word 'bears' literally means 'to cover silently or protectively'. When our spouse or child makes a blunder we are faced with three choices:

• Express our disappointment to the point of demeaning their character and deflating their spirit.
• Belittle them for embarrassing us, thereby transferring your shame to them.
• Minimize their hurt, shame, embarrassment, and pain by lovingly protecting them and supporting them.

"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

 II.        Love 'Believes All Things'

Love is always eager to believe the best. Love gives the benefit of the doubt.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

 III.       Love 'Hopes All Things'

We must embrace hope in our relationships! In 1 Corinthians 13:13 hope is linked to faith and love as the greatest Christian virtues. Hope allows us to love someone in the present while banking on a better future with them tomorrow.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

 IV.        Love 'Endures All Things'

This phrase literally means 'to remain under the load'. Take a look at the most common wedding vows:

• Love
• Honor
• Cherish
• Forsaking All Others
• Richer or Poorer
• Better or Worse
• Sickness and Health
• Until death do you Part

These vows are bristling with commitment. Love that lasts a lifetime means commitment. Commitment means you never leave your partner, especially in a fire.

Suggested Actions:

• PRAY - Pray for the strength of the Holy Spirit to confess all negative actions toward your spouse or children as SIN. Ask God to grow a greater love in you for your spouse. Choose one of the four attributes above and focus on it for a week.
• MEMORIZE - Memorize all of the Scriptures printed above. Saturate your mind with the Scriptures. Find additional verses to memorize that deal with sacrificial love, particularly Christ's love for the church that is the model for our marriage relationships.
• ACT - Choose one of the four attributes above and focus on it for a week. Share these truths with your spouse and tell them of your commitment to love them for the long haul.

Suggested Resources:

The 5 Love languages, by Dr. Gary Chapman. Northfield Publishing. ISBN - 0802473156.

This material in a downloadable file (Microsoft Word 1997-2003)