Freely given? Come on, there must be a catch, right? No. Freely given, but in actuality, costly to obtain on both sides. It cost Jesus His life and for us to appropriate it, it will also cost us our life. We trade our life for His. When we reach that point it’s an absolutely amazing offer. Do I have to clean up my life? No. Trade your life, with all your stuff (even your religious rules), for Jesus’ perfect life. That’s freedom.

So, who is it a scandal to? Most often to the religious. To those who’ve forgotten who they once were, or who have never actually received grace. Maybe they have just adopted a religious lifestyle and joined their goodness to Christ’s. Maybe they are now taking credit for the grace of God still at work in their life. Ouch. I do that sometimes. Jesus, forgive me. It’s all you, all the time.

Maybe the scandal is that we would offer anything less than our entire lives to Christ. Although it may be better said this way: the scandal is that we would offer anything less than our death to Christ. I believe this is it. He gave His life and we are often satisfied with just adding Him to ours, compartmentalizing Him or putting Him in our pocket for when we need Him. We try to give Him the leftovers of our life (time, energy, money) instead of the first, and best, parts, or better yet, our whole lives.

That’s the scandal. That I am satisfied with so little when He has already given so much and has more in store for me. That I freely obtain this costly grace and expect it to cost me nothing. That I am satisfied to die just a little and not continually die day upon wonderful day.

I’m undone. I have so far to go, yet His grace sustains me and carries me forward. What He began in me, He will continue. The race I began by grace will only truly continue by grace. Glorious, amazing, undoing, stunning grace. Jesus, You are amazing!

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“…because the times in my life when I have been most happy haven’t been the times when I’ve had the most money or the most freedom or the most anything, but rather when I’ve been in love or in community or right with people.”

– Donald Miller, ‘Searching for God Knows What’

On Sundays we gather as Living Hope to celebrate our love for God and one another and hear the preached word. We catch up with friends we haven’t seen throughout the week and welcome guests who are checking out us and Jesus. Sundays are also the time we are reminded of our who we are together as Living Hope Church: a local church to St. Joseph and Maryville, a member of the Newfrontiers family of churches that stretches around the world, and as part of that great cloud of witnesses which stretches down through the ages.

Community groups are smaller groups of people that gather in homes throughout our community to ‘live life together.’ They ideally consist of 15-20 people who meet together as a community group once per week. They share a meal or a snack (depending on the group), enjoy a short time of worship together (this can be in song, the reading of a Psalm or a poem depending on the talents and gifts resident within that group), explore how what was taught in the previous Sunday’s preach can be applied and worked out in our everyday lives, break bread (communion), and finally, pray together and for one another.

Most groups last approximately 1 1/2 hours officially, but as friendship grows, you may hang out late into the evening. Childcare will be arranged as needed depending on the group.

Community groups are where we care for one another. We do this in practical ways, like preparing meals for a new mother and her family, helping with that move into a new house or apartment, making hospital visits, and the like. They are where we share “the stuff of life” and bear one another’s burdens in love.

Should you join a community group? The answer is yes! Father God created us to live out our Christian life in community. God exists in perfect community and He designed us to live in community with Him and others.

As we learn to live our life together in these community groups, our hope is that our lives are changed more and more to look like Jesus’. As this happens, we then look outside ourselves – which we are always called to do, it’s not one or the other, it’s both – and invite our friends, neighbors and co-workers to join us in this new community. We believe everyone is looking for connection, friendship and deep community. It’s how we’re made.

I very much encourage you to join a community group and be a part of the mission we are on together: Connecting people to Jesus, His church and the world.

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Proverbs 16:9 says this, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”

Plans are good, and I am finding that in my own life, they really do make more room for God to do as He wills. I would like to point all of us to some resources to help us have a plan for reading the Bible and engaging God in His word this year.

It’s the year 2010, so why not use that to help us engage with Jesus? I’m asking and praying that each of us take 20 minutes a day to read our Bible and 10 minutes to spend in prayer and contemplation upon what we’ve read. How does that sound? That’s 30 minutes of each day solely devoted to Jesus! Let’s have true 20/10 vision in the year 2010 with the help of God’s Word. Let’s do it together!

Now, what should I read during that 20 minutes?

Below I will point you to three different sites that can help you plan a systematic plan to get through the whole Bible, the New Testament or whatever part you plan to get through in a year. I believe that most us (with 20 minutes a day) can get through the whole Bible in a year. So, pick a plan. Without one we tend to read what we like and know and give up once we’ve run out of things to like!

1. YouVersion

YouVersion has a multitude of plans. You can get plans delivered to your email or to your phone, etc. You can adjust plans, pick the amount of time you want to take, on & on & on. It’s crazy. Give it a look.

2. The ROAD Method

The Journey out of St. Louis has developed the ROAD method. It’s read a 3 days, then take a day off plan. Sweet! You can get a downloadable, printable version of the plan directly off their website. As well as printed and video overviews of the books you’re reading. Darrin Patrick, who leads The Journey, is a friend of ours and he will be speaking at our Mobilise USA conference in January. It’s online, it’s free, thank you Journey.

3. The SOAP Method

The SOAP method from New Hope in Hawaii (I think I need to go there to personally check it out…haha) is another great choice and one that we have promoted a lot in the past. Several of you have been reaping the benefits of journaling. This plan teaches you how to use the SOAP method and will link you to their reading plan is designed to take you through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice in just one year.

I highly encourage you to write down your thoughts, either using New Hope’s SOAP method or Journey’s ROAD method. These are essentially the same methods, but with different names. Both emphasize (and we agree) picking one verse to concentrate on, observing it in context, deciding how to apply it to our life and then doing so, and writing out a prayer based on what God has showed us.

Another practical way to make our Bible reading more effective is to deepen our understanding of Scripture itself. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart is a great book that focuses on understanding context and the style of writing each book is written in.

We have access to all the tools we need. We have access to the same Spirit who inspired the writers. We have access to the Father through the Son. What are we waiting for?

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But all that nonsense aside, I am stoked about the message of Joy. Jesus was birthed in joy, we are birthed in joy. Jesus endured his death for joy and at our death as Jesus-followers we are received by the Father with joy. And in between…as Jesus was anointed with joy…I believe so are we…and it is our privilege as those purchased by the joy-giver to live in joy. This is our birthright. We will have troubles, but Jesus promised joy in the midst of sorrow…just like He experienced! So…if you’re reading this and you’re close to St. Joseph or Maryville…join us at 10 in the Joe or 11 in the Ville! Hope to see you!

This dog hopes to see you also. I’m learning to post pics in my blogs…and trust me, I’m still learning. But I love dogs, so here’s the first attempt!

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It’s Thanksgiving morn. We play a game at our house…a very cold game…a game where we see how far into winter we can get before we turn on the furnace. Sounds like fun…doesn’t it? Not! But we play. It’s November 26th and we’re still holding the course. You need to know this. We do have a wood-burning stove and one electric-oil space heater. Didn’t even want to know the temperature as I got out of bed, but the stove is now burning wood (though not producing heat yet) and the space heater is plugged in. It must be colder out than in because the dog is now scratching at the door to come back in. I peek at the thermometer on the porch…30 degrees fahrenheit. Oooooh…much colder than it was 2 weeks ago in Guadalajara The beat goes on. One of these mornings soon…someone (read Jeff) will accidentally bump into the thermostat and the furnace will kick on. I am thankful for wood and the stoves that burn it, electricity and oil heaters…and natural gas and furnaces. I’m not sure I believe people when they say they’d rather live in the olden days.

I don’t want to make this too long, so here’s a few people and things I’m thankful for. Dad-God, Jesus and God the Ghost (That term makes me smile). They rock. Never leaving me. Never forsaking me (even when I do really stupid stuff). Always with me. Thanx! Every other good thing in my life flows from them. My wife. A good wife is a gift from God. I’m just glad I was finally smart enough to see that and ask her to marry me. I’m glad she was patient enough to wait (I was dense…still am at times). The boy and the girl…my amazing kids. Even though we only have 2 biological kids…my quiver is way full. They are amazing. They aren’t perfect…but then neither is their earthly dad. They love Jesus and one day we will shoot them out into this world and I know they will change it for the fame of Jesus. The dog and the cat. I’m so glad God made pets! My parents who still love me unconditionally. My last remaining-alive (is that a word) Grama who is 90.

I am thankful for Living Hope church (the people…since church is people). They are gracious and kind and  have hung in with me for the last 4 1/2 years as God has allowed me to lead them. He is doing amazing things amongst us and I know the best is yet to come. Tommy who sat on my lap all those years ago and said, “Jeff, you’re coming with me.” Bob who guided me through my first 2 years at the helm of Living Hope. A nameless local pastor (for his protection:) for enduring my idiotic late-night movie choices.

And…it may sound weird to some of you…but I’m thankful that God allowed me to have cancer. If you are currently battling cancer, my prayers are with you. It is evil. But God can use all things for His glory. It woke me up. I was a lazy christian. I was satisfied with just being an attender of a local church. Let everyone else do the stuff. I would coast until heaven. Let other people tell other people about Jesus. Dad-God got my attention. I’m thankful He’s a Dad who disciplines those He loves.

There’s so many more people, but that’s enough for today. If you’ve made it this far…thanx! Here’s a good short blurb from Mark Batterson on heaven. Worth a minute’s read! And I cant wait for his new book PRIMAL!

Right now I’m thankful for the cinnamon roll which the girl is warming up in the microwave. She didn’t think it was funny when I asked her to warm it up for me by telling her she was so good at the microwave:) Oh yeah…and so thankful for coffee…and chocolate cows (milk)…and…football (I’m ready)…and…Happy Thanksgiving!

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10:00 am in St. Joseph, MO
11:00 am in Maryville, MO

SUN, NOV 29 — A God Who Gives
SUN, DEC 6 — One of Us
SUN, DEC 13 — Restoring the Broken
SUN, DEC 20 — The Joy of Forgiveness
WED, DEC 23 — This is Love (St. Joseph only at 7pm)

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