Paul hit a red-light–straight from the Holy Spirit. And if Paul hit a red-light, we’ll probably hit one or two in our lives as well. You have plans? Great. James 4:13-15 says, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’–yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” Red light. I can plan, but God’s plans are always where the Grace is.

God has a specific place for us. A specific church, a specific job, a specific state, county, city, or township. It’s a place where our relationships will flourish, our hearts will be fulfilled, and where God can most effectively channel His Grace through you to someone or something. The adventure is that God gives us the latitude to obey. But to obey, we must first listen.

Notice…:

1. …God didn’t send Paul to the place he didn’t want to go (I’ve heard some say something absurd like, “Don’t say you don’t want to go to China… THAT’S EXACTLY where God will send you…” That my friend, isn’t found in the Bible.)
2. …God didn’t close the door to those regions through a circumstances
3. …God didn’t bring warning to Paul of treacherous upheavals in those places from an escapee.

But God did speak to Paul’s heart through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit spoke directly to Paul saying, “I have a place for you, and this isn’t it. Keep moving on.” I think in the same way, some of us may be in an area of our lives where the Holy Spirit is saying the same thing to us. For others, the time will come, and we’ll get the same red light–perhaps not in regard to ministry in Asia, but that red-light may be God saying…

• …Don’t get in this relationship.
• …Don’t take that job.
• …Don’t buy that car.
• …Don’t leave.

In Paul’s case, obedience to God’s leading eventually caused him to be in the middle of God’s place for him. In our case, obedience to God’s leading will eventually cause us to be in the middle of God’s place for us.

Have you noticed the mind-shift between our parents’ generation and ours when it comes to work? There are a few things my dad never has enough of… firewood, tools, and time. I’ve never known my father to not have a project, and he doesn’t suffer from hyperactivity–the truth is, he’s a very driven person. Examining our generation (as a 20-something), I’m noticing varying  trends–I’ve been around young adults who don’t stop, and young adults who never start; young adults who have ideas and no energy, and young adults who have energy and no ideas; young adults who expect everything to be handed to them, and young adults who expect nothing. Somewhere in the middle lies sanity.

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you keep away from any brother in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

First, this is a great scripture to learn the power of knowing how to study the Bible. When looking at words like tradition, and idleness used together, it’s easy to bring in an assumption that Paul is writing of someone who is spiritually stagnant. However, reading the entire context of this scripture, it’s easy to see that Paul is writing (and God wants us to get) something else.

In the original Greek, the word tradition means “a handing down or a giving up,” conveying the idea of Paul personally “delivering or transmitting something to someone.” In this case, it wasn’t that of some insane ritual one uses to attempt to be right with God; rather, it was a tradition of hard work. Looking at the rest of the chapter, Paul says that those living in Thessalonica should “imitate us… with toil and labor we worked night and day to not be a burden to anyone.” He’s saying he personally handed down a work ethic.

Knowing this, here’s my quick exhortation

Don’t be the person who demands more than gives, who expects things out of others that you wouldn’t expect out of yourself. This type of person drains those above him, below him, and on the same level–family members, leaders, and friends. It blows my mind to attempt to think of how my father could work (at times) 70+ hours a week and keep up with everything it took to maintain a nearly pristine house and still be a good father. Some of us need to look at the example of people like my father and learn something.

On the other end of the pendulum, I’m purposing in my heart that my working grace will never amount to more than my family grace. Some 20-somethings need to learn to work, but others need to learn to play. In Ecclesiastes 2:18, Solomon, looking back at his life, said, “I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man that will come after me, and who knows if he will be wise or be a fool?” There is a point where we can “have work,” but there’s also a point where work can “have us.” It’s possible to get so caught up in work/school/life, that we miss out on life. We can overwork to fill the lack in our sense of security, identity, worth. But our compulsions can have us looking back at life and saying, “I wish I would have enjoyed myself a little more.” (By the way, there aren’t many 20-somethings that I’ve had this conversation with, so if you think you’re here, you should probably ask the opinion of a leader in your life.)

I’m purposing my heart to get in the middle of the extremes–to work hard, AND enjoy the ride. What about you?

I was about to perform a wedding ceremony a while ago, and right before the groom and I walked to the front, the groom’s uncle said asked him, “Are you sure you want to do this? Marriage is a long time… It’s not like dating…”

Have you ever noticed how many people attempt to come into our lives to attempt to influence us? Regardless of how blunt or subtle, I’m sure there have been thousands in my life–from friends to teachers, coaches to family members, counselors to pastors. In 26 years of my life, I’ve been given marriage advise from people who aren’t married, parenting advice from people who aren’t parents, ministry advice from people who aren’t in ministry, and life advise from people who aren’t happy. But how do I know which advise to listen to and who to follow?

Hebrews 13:7, which says, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” Did you notice it says, “consider the outcome of their life” before it says to “imitate their faith”?

This is why I followed Pastor Larry Bettencourt for 6 years and still consider him a spiritual father to me today. This is why I’ve followed Pastor John Nuzzo for 8 years, jokingly saying to Lauren that he’ll have to pry me away with a crow-bar to get me to stop. This is why I knock on Pastor Craig Debower’s door and Pastor Jody Bartell’s door for wisdom and advice. This is why I’ve listened closely to advice about parenting from Pastor Steve Moore. This is why I seek time with Dr. Phillip Richards and Scott Fletcher. This is why I deeply cherish Mike Steidel’s encouragement. As I look at the outcome of the life experience of these men, I say, “I want my marriage to be like theirs… I want to be as good a father as they… I want my kids to be like theirs… I want to love people like they love people… I look at the fruit of their lives, and I want to imitate their faith.”

The next time someone gives you advice, I challenge you to consider the outcome of his or her life before you imitate his or her faith. Hope that helps!

…God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying “Abba! Father! (closest translation of ‘Abba’ is Daddy)” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:4-7)

Before I met our son, Noah, I remember thinking, “What am I going to say to the little guy?” In one of the first times I was alone with  him, I looked at him and had an overwhelming sense of awe at how much I could love him (and I barely knew him)–expression became simple. “I love you so much. I know you can’t even understand it right now, but nothing will ever change my love for you.” At that moment, I realized the love of the Father was the same, and asked, “God… THIS is how much you love me?”

I thought I understood the love of God, but I really didn’t. For the first time, I can say I understand (at least in part) that the love of God is completely undeserved. The only thing Noah had to do to get me to love him was to be born, and guess what, I loved him even before he was born. In the same sense, the book of Galatians relates that same unearned love is exactly what God has given us. The entire book of Galatians is written from this context: God knew you and loved you before you did one thing to earn his love.

I challenge you to read through the book of Galatians and attempt to disagree. God is crazy about you, and Romans says that while we were still without strength (to do ANYTHING GOOD), Jesus died for us. Walk in the unearned love of God, and realize you may fail, but God is always, ALWAYS pursuing you!

I’ve found that my theology was useless when I…

1. …cared more about a subject in the Bible than I did people
2. …found myself arguing about the Bible
3. …had a greater desire to see what I believed point to me, rather than point to God
4. …didn’t care who I “stepped on” to get my point across

Why was my theology useless? Because in each case, I cared about me and not people. Having a deepened theology should ignite in us a deepened passion for the cause of Jesus.

In Romans 15:4, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For what was written in our former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” The word instruction in the original Greek is the word, “didaskalian,” which is translated teaching, instruction, or doctrine. Get this: If it’s good doctrine, then it produces hope. Hope for who? For people! If it’s bad doctrine, it doesn’t produce hope. The point of good doctrine is to ALWAYS produce hope! Does arguing about the scripture produce hope? Nope. If you’re carrying around good doctrine, then people will see hope in you.

Paul wrote to Titus, “But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him… (Titus 3:9-10)”

As Mark Hankins quoted about this story, “What God did in Christ is big enough to swallow who you used to be.”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

In the original Greek, the phrase “all things” means ALL THINGS! If we’re “in Christ,” then all things in our lives have become new. The beautiful thing about the Gospel is that it speaks so epically about the freedom that we have “in Christ.” Were you a porn addict? Were you a dealer? Were you a thief? A liar? Well, you’re not anymore. You may have done everything they say you’ve done, but you are not who they say you are.

Of the “In Christ” life, Paul wrote in Philippians 2:12, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” He didn’t say, “I press on to make it my own so Christ would make me his own. He didn’t say, “I press on to make it my own just in case Christ might make me his own.” He said that his worth, esteem, righteousness, and life stemmed from one belief, that Christ has made “me” his own.

Are you His own? Then what God did in Christ is big enough to swallow up who you used to be.

When I met Lauren, I knew that if I wouldn’t marry her, I’d be an absolute moron. She had every trait that I was looking for, and now, the longer we’re married (three years this August), the more I realize that she meets even the things I had no clue that I needed.

Quick Litmus Test: If you’re a Christian, the Bible clearly says, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers…” If you’re dating someone who isn’t a Christian and you are, don’t ask me to pray for your relationship. I’ll pray, but I’ll pray that you actually obey God’s Word.

One mistake I’m finding that most people meet when they’re looking for a potential husband/wife (that’s the point of dating), is that they are looking at things too broadly (“I want a Christian, who’s ambitious, and fun to be with…”), which are extremely broad. The complaints of people in marital trouble usually are usually very specific:

• “He doesn’t listen to me.”
• “She cares more about her friends than she does me.”
• “He’s judgmental.”
• “I can’t trust her.”
• “He checks other women out and doesn’t think I even see him.”
• “She always says one thing, but does another.”

We tend to look on the external a lot more than the internal. Dr. Henry Cloud wrote, “We look at worldly success, charm, looks, humor, status and education, accomplishments, talents and gifts, or religious activity. But then we experience the pain of being in a real relationship with them, and come up very empty handed. (Safe People, Page 21)” There’s no doubt that the outside matters, but begin assessing his or her character, rather than merely his or her external traits.

Ask questions like the following:

• How do I see this person treating people?
• How does he or she treat people when I’m not around?
• How does this person interact with the opposite sex?
• Does this person genuinely care for people?
• When they make a promise, will they actually follow through?
• Does this person avoid responsibility?
• Does he or she abandon relationships?
• Is he or she highly critical?
• Is he or she extremely judgmental?
• How does this person handle their finances (finances, not sex, are the main reasons for divorce)?
• Do they have unrealistic expectations?
• Can he or she communicate when in disagreement?

Those questions are not all-encompassing, and to be honest with you, I’m on the negative end of more than one. My question for you is, after answering one of these questions negatively, how willing are you to fight for a good relationship? How willing is that person to work on the things that hurt you? How willing are you to ask these questions about yourself?

I could write on this for another hour, because there’s so much more. Perhaps I’ll follow up tomorrow. Comments? Questions?

On Our Way To The Hospital from ZackBlair on Vimeo.

Waiting For Noah from ZackBlair on Vimeo.

Our First Moments With Noah from ZackBlair on Vimeo.

“This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. But I received mercy…” (1 Timothy 1:15)

I realize that so often, I forgot from where he’s brought me. I remember the emptiness. Being in a crowd of 5000, yet feeling alone. I’d never expressed the way I truly felt; rather, I tried to mask emotion with relationship after relationship. Then one day, Christ found me. I’d never felt more alive. I’d never felt more purpose.

If I asked everyone who would read this the sorrow that happened in his or her life, I’m sure there would be some answers that would shock us. But we’ve been rescued. We don’t have to wait to die for hope to come–hope is here now. My prayer for us all is that we remember…

Maybe you’re reading this and you’ve lost hope. No matter where you are in life or what you’ve done or have come across, if Jesus died for me, a broken, alone, person who left others broken and alone… then he did for you, too. Your life can be more. You can get out of this rut and fulfill the God-given potential you have in your life.

“…But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1: 16)