 Hey Church Family!
In Acts 1, Jesus tells the disciples that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. I wonder what they thought after hearing that. Were they excited? Because, after all, Jesus had just been raised from the dead. Who could possibly stop that?! He had all the power in the world. Now they were going to get some power too? Cool! But what Jesus says next is the part that changed everything. The promised power wasn't to rule. To be his soldiers. To dominate. To take over. No, it was to be his witnesses. Something entirely different than what they might have thought. A witness is someone who can describe something they've experienced, seen, or heard. They can testify to the validity of an event because they saw it, heard it, or participated in it. The power Jesus promised to this group of followers was to be able to describe what they'd just experienced—namely the resurrection. As we've been on this journey of discovering the real Jesus, I hope you're beginning to see his profound impact in your life. Perhaps he's marked you. He's having this significant affect on you that you're never the same. In fact, you're being made new. You could describe it as new life. You're no longer the same person you once were. The power of the resurrection is so significant, so profound, so meaningful that you've been changed from the inside out. Jesus gives you power to change you, so that you can be his witnesses everywhere you go. Real power always leads to real change. So, let me ask you: how are you different today than you were 3 years ago? How has your faith in God grown? What big step of obedience has he called you to? What would the people closest to you say about your transformation in Christ? These are some tough questions, but well worth the time to answer. I pray that you would experience this resurrection power in your life today. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael
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 Hey Church Family!
Last week, we talked about the difficult subject of death and surrender. Yet, that's exactly what Jesus calls us to do—come and die to truly live. We just don't like death. We are scared to death of death. We like the idea of resurrection. We love the idea of going to heaven. It's just that no body wants to die to get there. Death feels so final. We don't get to talk to people after they die. We don't see them again. We don't know what it's like on the other side. So, we're scared of the seemingly finality of death. When Jesus died, everyone felt the same way. No one was at the tomb counting down. No one expected it. Not even Lazarus, who had been resurrected himself, was there. Everyone thought death was the end for Jesus. In other words, no one thought resurrection was even a possibility. What's more baffling? Jesus TOLD them this would happen. He told them, "Hey, I'm going to die. I'm going to be buried. But I'll rise again." Still, no one expected resurrection. It makes me wonder. If THEY didn't get it, how much harder will it be for us to get it? Think about it. They had Jesus tell them directly. They had seen Jesus perform miracles and signs. They watched Jesus walk on water, raise the dead, and give sight to the blind. They'd witnessed some of the most amazing things in all of history, and still could not wrap their minds around the possibility of a resurrection. How much more difficult will it be for you and me to believe resurrection is possible? Jesus even asked two of his disciples, who had given up hope, "How slow to believe are you?" (See Luke 24:25). It's a question for us. Do we believe resurrection is possible? Or are we slow to believe? To be clear, Jesus' resurrection changes EVERYTHING. Death no longer has the final say in life. Death has been defeated. The grave no longer has a hold on us. Because death is defeated, the effects of sin can be (and are being) reversed. It is safe to say, Jesus' resurrection changes everything. Yet, what I find incredibly fascinating is how few people actually believe that resurrection is possible. I think its a tragedy to never experience the resurrection life Jesus wants for us. My question for you this week is, do you believe that resurrection is possible? And if so, what might Jesus do in your life? Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
Hopefully you're getting a glimpse of the real Jesus. Over the past few weeks we've talked about hopes, worship, sin, forgiveness, and grace. What is fascinating about this journey with Jesus is that, as you begin to understand him more and more—as you get a glimpse of who he really is—he's going to start to talk to you about death. But why? Why does Jesus seem fixated on death? It's not because he likes it. It's simply because he knows that there is a counterintuitive principle at play: Life comes through death. We are death averse. We don't like death. We do everything we can to avoid it. It's unknown. It's a loss. It feels so final. So we do everything we can to stay away from it. And yet, we live by this principle every day. Something has to die in order of us to live. Every time we sit down to eat a meal, we find our sustenance because something sacrificed itself (or part of itself) for us to live. It's this counterintuitive principle of life through death. Jesus understood this principle. It's why in Luke's gospel, Jesus says, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." (9:23-24) It's a question we with which we must wrestle: has your faith journey felt more like a death or surrender? Or has it felt more like something you just accept? That was my life for so many years. It was my life, then I met Jesus. I accepted him, but Jesus was just "part" of my life. He was there to help me make good decisions. He was there when I needed him. He helped improve my life in areas I was lacking. But the reality is, it was still MY life. But this isn't what Jesus is talking about at all. It's going to take a surrender. A death to self. A bowing of the knee of our heart before Jesus can do the work he really desires to do in us. The reason he talks about death is because he knows that there's always a cross before a resurrection. Jesus wants to bring you resurrection. He wants to restore relationships, mend the broken areas, heal wounds, give you hope and freedom like you've never imagined possible. But to get to that, you have to walk by the cross first. Every. Single. Day. So what in your life needs to be surrendered today? Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
If you could sum up Christianity in one word, it would probably be grace. That makes sense. We talk about grace, sing about grace, and preach about grace. What I find fascinating is how much we love grace, but really don't understand it. So, what is grace anyway? A simple definition of grace is this: getting something you don't deserve. In John 8, there is an amazing story of the grace of Jesus. A woman is brought before Jesus. She'd just been caught committing adultery—an act in that day that was punishable by death. Some leaders bring the offender before Jesus, not because they want justice, but because they want to trap Jesus. Their question to Jesus demonstrated they did not care about the woman nor the law. "In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" Interestingly, we're still sort of divided on this. It depends a bit on your background and upbringing. Some of us are more justice-oriented people. We think, "You broke the law, you should pay." Others of us are more mercy oriented and think, "I don't want anyone to receive what's coming to them." We tend to fall into one of two camps—and the religious leaders where trying to get Jesus to pick a side. Jesus picks neither. After Jesus declares that the one without sin could throw the first stone, one by one the men leave. I imagine big thuds on the ground as the stones they had poised ready to throw suddenly fall from their hands. Jesus asks the woman standing there, "Where are they? Has no one condemned you?" Her reply was simple and brief, "No one sir." I've always wondered if this woman knew who Jesus really was. Here she was standing before Jesus, the original law-giver. Here she was standing before Jesus, the only one who was without sin. Here she was standing before Jesus, the only one who had every right to throw the first stone, to condemn her, to humiliate her, to execute her for sin—and yet, his response was simple and brief as well. "Then neither do I condemn you." The reason Jesus said this is because that wasn't his reason for coming to earth. His reason was to save it. To offer grace. To step into our place. Grace is getting something you don't deserve. What the woman deserved was to be put to death. To be publicly shamed and ridiculed. To be made a public spectacle. That is what all of us deserved. Only that never happened to her, and it doesn't have to happen to us either. Why? Because it happened to Jesus. Grace is Jesus stepping into our place. Jesus took what we all deserved, and then he offered new life. Grace is a gift. You can't earn it. You don't deserve it. Grace would no longer be grace if God was compelled to give it because of your good behavior. And grace would no longer be grace if God was compelled to withdraw it because of our misbehavior. In other words, grace plus anything is anything but grace. Our only response to this gift of grace? Receive it by faith—nothing more, nothing less. That's what makes grace so amazing. My prayer for you this week is that you would live into that grace. The words of Jesus to the woman are the words we need to hear: "Neither do I condemn you. Go and leave your life of sin." Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
Last week we talked about sin. This week we're talking about forgiveness. Forgiveness is foundational to the journey of following Jesus, because as Jesus reveals to you the bad news of your sin, he extends to you the good news of the Gospel. Once you understand the depth of your sin, you'll begin to understand the depth of his love and forgiveness and just how far he's willing to go to demonstrate it. There's an interesting interaction in Luke's gospel that demonstrates our response to forgiveness. It is an interaction between Jesus and two people—a Pharisee named Simon, and a woman who was a sinner. Simon had invited Jesus over for a meal. As Jesus reclines at the table, the sinful woman stoops at Jesus' feet, sobbing, letting her tears fall on his dirty feet. She begins wiping them with her hair. She also takes out a jar of perfume and empties it out on his feet. More than pouring out this perfume, she is pouring out her emotion and passion towards Jesus. It's a demonstration of her affection and gratitude for Jesus. Simon, on the other hand, struggles. In fact, he privately ridicules Jesus because of this disgraceful display. Jesus addresses Simon and lets him know that real forgiveness always leads to real love. Simon didn't do anything for Jesus. He didn't welcome him properly into his home with a foot washing. He didn't greet him with a kiss, nor did he anoint his head with oil. All of these acts were signs of honor and hospitality. To refuse them was a sign of dishonor and ingratitude. Jesus informed Simon that this woman loved him by all the acts he refused to give. The reason for her emotional response? Because she had been forgiven much. Simon, on the other hand, had been forgiven little, therefore he loved little. It is interesting then, that Jesus makes the connection between the depth of our love and the depth of our need. When we understand how deep our need is, our love will rise. Love, then, is the chief indicator of someone who knows the cost of their forgiveness. Simon said, "I'm good. I've made all the right choices. I don't need forgiveness." The woman said, "I know I've sinned. I know I've messed up. I desperately need your forgiveness." The question I want you to wrestle with is this: Have you experienced God's forgiveness? Have you been set free from the sin-debt you owe God? We've all rebelled against him. We've all preferred ours wills over God's. We've all willfully transgressed one of God's laws. We've all struggled with our sinful condition. The good news is that through Jesus Christ, forgiveness of sins is possible. Our debt is paid. We are cleansed of our past. There is now freedom in Christ. Have you experienced this? One significant indicator of this forgiveness is your ability or inability to forgive those around you. Do you find it hard to forgive those who have wronged you? Do you continue to hold a grudge against someone who hurt you or someone you love? We forgive because we've been forgiven. And love is the chief indicator of someone who understands the cost of their own forgiveness. I pray that you would experience and know the amazing power of God's forgiveness today. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
Follow Jesus long enough, and sooner or later he will bring up the conversation of sin. Sin isn't something we like to talk about. We'd rather talk about our mistakes. Well, we don't really talk about those either, but it's a little easier to talk about our mistakes than our sins. Why? Because mistakes imply insufficient knowledge. We can claim, "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do that!" The problem is when we make mistakes on purpose. You know what I'm talking about, right? It's those time when you've planned out your "mistake." You knew exactly what you were doing, you knew it was wrong—and you did it anyway. Is there really such a thing as premeditated mistakes? See, the problem with mistakes is that it's not sufficient. We need to talk about a deeper issue. Once you admit you've sinned, you are also admitting something much bigger. Something deeper—that you are, in fact, a sinner. And that's the problem—real sin isn't just an act, it's a condition. All of us struggle with this sin condition. And at the root of this sin condition is a bent inward—to prefer ourselves and our own agenda over anything else. We'd rather do things our way, than God's way. If you've tried really hard your entire life to be a rule-follower, this can be a hard thing to admit because you've been so good for so long. You've followed all the rules—maybe even your entire life. You've avoided all the wrong stuff. You've done all the right stuff. And all the "bad" people who do all the "bad" stuff just need to start doing the "right" stuff to be good. But that thinking fails to recognize that there is a sin condition that even the rule follower must admit. One of the biggest problems for those who follow all the rules is that they can become completely blind to this sin condition. It's what happened to the Pharisees—the group of people who were natural born rule followers. The group of people Jesus had the hardest time with. It's why in Matthew 23, Jesus calls the Pharisees blind. He basically says you can't even see your biggest problem. I hate to admit this, but that was my life. I was a good rule follower. I knew all the right things to do and to say that would help me stay in the category of a good person. I knew several bad people—because they didn't follow the rules. They didn't avoid all the bad things in life. But I was blind to the things going on in my heart—things like pride, lust, anger, and gossip. I overlooked the fact that I was greedy. I overlooked the fact that I was judgemental and looked down on anyone who didn't follow the rules like me. I was a blind Pharisee. My guess is that some of you have struggled with this issue too. Some people know how bad they are. They know they're sinners, because it's obvious to everyone—including themselves—that they've broken the rules. But for others, this is almost impossible to see because we've been so good for so long. Until you're willing to let Jesus open your eyes to how sinful you have been, you'll never meet the real Jesus. Until Jesus reveals to you the depth of your sin, you'll never understand the depth of his love, grace and mercy, and just how far he's willing to go to demonstrate that love, grace and mercy. Until we all see ourselves as broken and in need of a Savior, we'll never see Jesus for who he really is. My challenge for you this week is to be honest with God about this. Were you a rule follower? Or a rule breaker? Are you willing to admit that you've been a sinner in need of a savior? Unless you start there, you'll never move towards meeting the real Jesus. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
As we continue on this journey of discovering the real Jesus, sooner or later you will be asked the question, "Am I willing to surrender everything in order to gain Jesus?" That was the question a young man faced as he was invited to follow Jesus. If you remember the story, he runs up to Jesus—which demonstrates how desperate he was—and says, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus stops him right away and asks, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." What's he getting at here? I believe Jesus is asking the question, "Are you really prepared for what that means? If you're calling me good, then you're placing me in a position to be able to determine what is good and what is not good in your life. Are you really prepared for that?" This guy had no idea. We don't always either. But Jesus looked at him and loved him. And then we're told that Jesus says, "Go sell everything, give to the poor. Then you will find treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." In other words, he's offering this man a trade. "You'll lose everything, but you'll gain me. All of your wealth, status, what you've worked so hard for—gone. But you'll gain me. Is that worth it to you? Does that seem like a good deal?" Jesus understood something we must come to understand: Whatever has your heart, has you. That thing, whatever it is, is the thing you worship. You give your time, energy, passion, devotion, and money to. It has control over you. It is your master. And whatever that thing is, it has you. You worship it. Our problem is that we tend to worship lesser things. Things that are not God. Things that can never satisfy. Things that disappoint and let us down. And we keep pouring ourselves into them over and over again. We've been guilty of this from the beginning. We worship lesser things. The question we need to wrestle with is simple, yet incredibly difficult. Am I willing to surrender everything in order to gain Jesus? Do we truly believe that Jesus is better? The good news is, God responds with grace—he looks at us and loves us. And if we're willing to ask him, he'll reveal whatever gets in the way of him. So be willing to ask. And then surrender it. You'll be glad you did. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
Everyone's story with Jesus begins in a unique way, but one thing is for sure—somewhere along the way, someone introduced you to Jesus. I was born into a Christian home with believing parents. If the church had an event, we were there. I had the privilege of attending a private Christian school where we had regular Bible classes. I knew Jesus from an early age. Well... I knew ABOUT Jesus. I knew the stories. I knew the Bible verses. I knew the songs. I listened to the sermons. But that was about it. I was religious. I had all this good behavior, but there was nothing going on in my heart. Then over time I was introduced to the REAL Jesus. My world was turned upside down. My heart was changed. I was completely changed. And guess what? I'm still being transformed and changed because of Jesus. So who is this Jesus? And what does he want? That's what I want to go on a journey of discovering over the next few weeks. When the first disciples were introduced to Jesus, they were invited to come and see what following him would be like. I love the story as recorded in John's account. John the Baptist points out Jesus to some of his own disciples, and they begin to follow him. When Jesus noticed them trailing behind him, he turns and asks a question. It's the first words of Jesus recorded by John. His question was for them, but it's also a question for you and me: What do you want? (John 1:38) What do you want from Jesus? Are you hoping Jesus will fix something broken in your life? Are you hoping he'll change someone? Are you hoping Jesus will repair a dysfunctional marriage? Are you hoping he'll provide a healing touch? Are you down on your luck and feel like you have nowhere else to go? Nowhere to turn but up? Are you just curious and trying to figure out more about this man named Jesus? Here's what I've noticed: We all bring our hopes to Jesus. We all hope he'll do something incredible in our lives. It's what was true for these first two disciples. But because of who he is, the thing we come to Jesus looking for is nothing compared to the Jesus we find. Jesus is greater. Bigger. Stronger. Better. More powerful. Wants do even more in your life. Wants to mend and heal not just your situation, but ALL situations and problems. He's the Alpha and Omega. He's the beginning and the end. He's the Son of God. The Prince of Peace. The Wonderful Counselor. Everlasting Father. He's the Bread of Life. The Light of the World. The Lamb of God. The Righteous Judge. He's our healer and helper. Our Messiah and Lord. He's our only Hope. So often we underestimate this Jesus we're following. We have no idea what he's capable of. And so, as we begin this journey of discovering the real Jesus, I challenge you to wrestle with this question this week: What if Jesus could do something far greater than you imagined he would? Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
Will tomorrow be terrible or wonderful? It's a question we all wrestle with. But especially the next generation. Sure, we had things to deal with in our generation, growing up. Things seemed both terrible and wonderful then too. But this generation faces change and new information at lightning speeds. Tomorrow looks both terrible and wonderful. What are we to do? My prayer for us as a church is that we would help this generation become confident enough to keep following Jesus, even if their tomorrow is terrible or wonderful. Instilling confidence is a life-long adventure. Helping people become confident enough to keep following Jesus is based on curiosity—because we don't know everything there is to know about following Jesus yet. There is still so much to discover! And, it's placing our trust in someone—Jesus—not just simply believing something. Peter learned the hard way that sometimes there comes a time in our walk where something about our faith doesn't work out the way we imagined. Peter was certain he knew what would happen to him and to Jesus. He was certain that Jesus was the liberating King. Because of this, he was also certain he would never deny Jesus. He was so certain that he argues with Jesus and blurts out, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you!" (Matthew 26:35). This certainty changes, however, when he watches Jesus hand himself over and never fight back. Jesus was beaten and mocked, and never defends himself. Jesus was spit on and ridiculed and refused to retaliate. Jesus acted nothing like Peter thought Jesus should. Jesus was nothing like he imagined. I don't know if you've ever experienced that—perhaps a moment when you imagined Jesus would do something for you, but he didn't. Or you imagined that because you walked with Jesus you wouldn't experience any troubles or problems. Or perhaps you imagined that your faith was solid, only to feel like everything fell apart when people at church—fellow Christians—treated you poorly. Here's what I know: If our version of Jesus doesn't line up with our expectation, we may have to go back and rediscover what Jesus said. It's not that Jesus changed—it's that our version of Jesus is off. And so, we may have to go back and rediscover the real Jesus. Here's my point. We don't know what tomorrow will bring for the next generation. But I want nothing more than to help the next generation trust and follow the real Jesus. I'm talking about the Jesus that changes lives. The Jesus that transforms us from the inside out. The Jesus that takes dead things and makes them come alive. The Jesus that seeks out the lost and makes them found. I want to help the next generation discover THAT Jesus! That's something I can get passionate about! Here's how we hope to accomplish this as a church:
It's all because of Jesus. We're committing ourselves to be ambitious for other's sake. I'm excited and I hope you will join us in this journey. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
Have you ever wondered how to grow deeper in your relationship with God? It's a question I get asked from time to time. I get very excited when I am asked the question. I usually ask some probing questions in order to find out a little more. Often, I will begin with questions about prayer and scripture. If you want to grow deeper in your relationship with God, prayer and scripture is a great place to start. On a deeper level, however, prayer and scripture will only get you so far. The reason is that prayer and scripture are one dimensional. Don't get me wrong—prayer and scripture are vital and necessary for a growing relationship. It's just that one glance at much of Jesus' teaching has far more to do with our relationship with the people around us than it does with scripture and prayer. In fact, one clear message found throughout Jesus' teaching is that our right relationship with God is demonstrated in our right relationship with each other. For example, if you harmed one of my kids, guess who's going to have a problem with you. If momma bear doesn't get to you first, it's gonna be papa bear. And until you make things right with my kids, things will never be right between us. You can praise me. We can meet together, eat together, work together. You could even contribute money to my retirement account—but none of that would matter until you fixed what happened between you and my kid. But if you loved on my kids, made them feel encouraged and excited about life, or if you demonstrated that you cared deeply about them—then you and I are going to be on great terms. I think God's view is a bit similar to that. Our relationship with God isn't right if we fail to have right relationships with one another. We can worship him, sing songs to his name, even contribute money to the church—but if we're not living in right fellowship with one another, our fellowship with God is hindered. (For more on this, see Matthew 5:23-24; 5:43-48). We're called to be ambitious for others' sake. The words of Paul ring out, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" (Philippians 2:3-4). When you have compassion for one another—when you serve each other—God changes you. Part of how God transforms you is helping you get past yourself and caring about other people. How do we do this? This past week I challenged each of us to do three things over this coming year:
Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
What is your why? It's a weird question, but a good question with which to wrestle. Why are you the way you are? Why do you do the things you do? Why do you to the places to which you go? What is your why? How you answer that question really matters. It even matters as a church. What is the church's why? Why does the church do what it does? Why does the church say what it says? Let me remind you: Our why is all because of Jesus. In Acts, the early church was crystal clear about their why. They were quick to recognize everything they saw was a movement of God—it wasn't about them. It was all because of Jesus. Jesus healed. Jesus saved. Jesus transformed. Jesus rose from the dead. It was ALL because of Jesus! Our reason for gathering, for being sent out as a church—our reason for the work we do and the mission we are a part of is all because of Jesus. Just to name a few of the reasons it's all about Jesus, we:
Our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. In other words, we want more and more people to know about this man named Jesus—until the whole world hears! Our work starts right here in Topeka, but it extends to every continent on the planet. This past week I challenged each of us to do three things over this coming year:
Together in Christ, Pastor Michael   Hey Church Family!
One of the most discouraging feelings in the world is from a lack of purpose. If you've been at a place in your life where you asked the question, "Why am I here?" you know how discouraging it can feel. Unnerving. Disheartening. Even if it was brief, or just for a short season—to have no sense of purpose or reason for existing can leave one feeling hopeless. Purpose is what drives us. It's what answers the questions, "Why do I get out of bed? Why do I go to work? Why do I stay in this family, or marriage, or job?" More than that, purpose defines for us a sense of right or wrong, good or bad, success or failure. When you misunderstand your purpose, you are in no position to be able to tell whether or not you are doing well or poorly at accomplishing your purpose. In other words, what makes a good dad, mom, husband, wife, child, student, boss, employee? It's hard to tell if you don't know your purpose. In Genesis, we are told that God formed Adam out of the dust, breathed into him the breath of life, and then placed him in the Garden of Eden to "work it and to keep it." (Genesis 2:17) This is our reason for being here. This is God's original purpose for you and me. We were placed where we are on purpose. And that purpose was to work it and to keep it. But what does that mean? It means we serve. We serve those around us. We serve with all that we have. We give our very best. We use words that provide life. We tend to our spiritual journey with Christ. When we work it, we serve our homes and our families. It also means we keep watch over our homes and families. In other words, we place some clear boundaries around what we let in and what we keep out. We guard our hearts to ensure envy, jealousy, guilt, and anger do not take root in our hearts or in our homes. We're thoughtful of the way we use technology and the entertainments we allow. When we keep it, we protect our homes and our families. My challenge for you this week is simple, yet difficult. When it comes to your home, do you work it and keep it? Do you serve your home? Do you protect your home? Do you guard your heart? This is the way of Christ. This is why we were placed here on earth. We were given the homes we have to work it and to keep it. If we can do this, there is incredible hope for our homes. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
It was a privilege to attend my first General Assembly with my family. Seeing the church come together from around the globe to prayerfully seek God, to worship, and to celebrate all that God has was an incredible experience. Thank you for joining with me in prayer for these meetings as they continue throughout the week. I am grateful for the Church of the Nazarene. I am grateful for the rich history and heritage of calling people to holiness. I am grateful for our leaders who challenge us to make Christ-like disciples among the nations. I am grateful to be a part of a global church. I am grateful that God uses people like you and me to accomplish His will on our earth. Let's continue to pray for the remainder of the general assembly business meetings. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
If we are going to follow Christ with integrity and if our homes are going to be places that honor God, we must take a look at one major home wrecker: technology. While this is nothing new, the prevalence of social media and the non-stop exposure to the internet have created a new battlefield in our homes. One of the most challenges areas we face as Christ followers is setting clear boundaries. We generally don't like boundaries because they feel confining. But boundaries do two things: they keep the good stuff in and bad stuff out. We need boundaries. Our lives where meant to have boundaries. God places many boundaries on us and encourages to live according to his parameters. Life inside the boundaries God sets is wonderful. Life outside those boundaries is often painful—eventually. The same is true with technology. We don't want unregulated use of technology in our homes. This week we looked at a few boundaries to consider. I'd encourage you to spend some time thinking about how your family could use some boundaries on technology in your home. The goal is to benefit from our devices, not build our lives around them. I'd also challenge you to ask a heart question. Because boundaries aren't enough. Sin breaks everything and our relationship with technology is broken. It's why we need to poke around in our hearts and ask a deeper question—what am I attempting to find through technology? Is it rest? We can only truly find rest in Jesus. Is it connection? We can only find community in His Church. Our relationship with technology just might be more of a heart issue than we care to admit. We can easily stay where we are, or we can move forward—but we can't do both. I pray that this challenge will bring about some new light in your journey with Christ, and lead you into a growing relationship with him. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael   Hey Church Family!
Our families shape us in profound ways. Our homes deeply matter to us. When it comes to our homes, most of us experience a mixture of both good and bad memories. There were experiences that were joyful and incredible. And there were some experiences that brought pain and hurt. All of these experiences have made an impact on who you are today, and how you function in your home. In John 5, Jesus asks an interesting question. It's a question that seems so simple, easy and obvious. But when you take some time to really think through what he's asking, Jesus' question is anything but simple, easy or obvious. He asks a man who had been dealing with an ailment for 38 if he wants to get well. Picture the scene. There's a guy who had been suffering with a problem, a condition, a situation for 38 years. He'd tried everything to get well. He tried to get into the pool when the waters stirred. But there was no one there to help him. And when he did get in, someone sneaks in before him and was healed first. And Jesus shows and asks him if he wants to get well. Interestingly, the man never answered Jesus' question. Instead, he gave all of his reasons for not being healed. This causes me to wonder how many excuses I give Jesus. We all have excuses for the reasons we are the way we are. "I can't help but get angry at this person—everyone else would too." Or, "I'll start tomorrow. Today just got away from me. Things will be different tomorrow." Or, "If I gave that up, everyone would think I'm crazy." It's a sad reality for many of us. We say we want to be healed, or get well, or quit, or break the cycle, but so often we have many reasons as to why we haven't been healed, or been made well, or quit, or broke the cycle. There are so many reasons we give, that many of us have actually become used to the brokenness, living in it, and becoming comfortable with it. It's easier to stay broken than to be healed. The problem with this is that we don't grow. We don't mature. We stay stuck. What I often see as a pastor is not a 38 year Christian, it's 1 year Christian who have been stuck doing the same thing 38 years. Do you want to get well? The very next thing that Jesus says is drastic. It's big. He tells this man, "Get up!" In other words, I want you to do the thing you haven't been able to do for 38 years. "Do you want to get well? Then, get up!" A miracle happened. This man's healing came when he stood up. Imagine what would have happened if the man responded, "Oh, no I can't do that. I haven't done that for 38 years! Could you just help me get into the pool the next time the water is stirred?" He'd still be there, stuck in his own brokenness. His healing came when he was obedient to whatever it was that Jesus asked him to do. This causes me to wonder—what is Jesus asking you to do? What drastic thing must you do to receive the healing you need? Could it be that you need to change your job? Do you need to get rid of your smart phone and trade it in for a "dumb" phone? Do you need to rework your weekly schedule so that you spend time on the right priorities? Do you need to step out and join a small group? Do you need to serve on a ministry team? We can easily stay where we are, or we can move forward—but we can't do both. I pray that this challenge will bring about some new light in your journey with Christ, and lead you into a growing relationship with him. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael Hey Church Family!Family is something that shapes us in profound ways. We all come from somewhere. We all have a history. Essentially the story of you doesn't begin with you. You have a family into which you were born. You have a home-town which a culture that shaped you. You have family dynamics that created who you are today. In other words, your past directly affects your future.
A sad reality for many of us is that our past shows up in our present as baggage. A childhood bully who regularly called you names, a high school best friend who betrayed you, a parent who was overly critical of your failures, or a parent who wasn't present—all these events and experiences shape us in profound ways. Unfortunately, the option that many of us choose is to carry the hurt and pain of these experiences with us—sometimes for years or decades. Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us to lose the baggage that keeps us from being all that God desires for us. So then let's run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let's throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith's pioneer and perfecter. The reality is you cannot be healed from what you're unwilling to face. Neither do the things we ignore improve. I'd like to encourage you to reflect on some questions in an effort to allow Christ to bring about some healing. The healing comes when we notice how our past has shaped us, but then allow Christ to instruct us on what to do with it. We look back at our past, not to dwell in the pain, nor to find the person we can blame for the way we are. Rather, we look back so that we can begin to take responsibility for the choices we make moving forward. Here are some questions to think about:
I pray that this challenge this week will bring about some new light in your journey with Christ, and lead you into a growing relationship with him. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!Family is something that shapes us in profound ways. Family is complicated. It's also deep. There are incredible highs and depressing lows when it comes to families. Our families can bring out the best in us and the worst in us. They can make us fee great and horrible. For many of us, family is a mixture of both.
As you think about your family, there's an important question I'd like you to wrestle with: What is your hope for your home? What do you want to see happen? It's a significant question. Do you hope for peace? For your kids to grow up and become productive members of society? Do you hope to survive? Do you hope to stick around long enough? What is your hope? We all have hopes for our families, but what do you do with them? The best answer— give them to Jesus. Jesus wants our hopes and our dreams. He also wants our homes. Not because he's possessive, but because he knows that our hearts can quickly shift our affection from him to our hopes or even our homes. He knows that as long as our hope for our home holds on to us, he can't have us. Jesus offers one simple solution: lay it down. Surrender it. Because he knows that life—abundant life—comes through death. It's the power of the cross. Things that die at the cross don't stay dead. They are miraculously resurrected. Its why he longs for us to give ALL to him. Do you know what happens when we hold on to our hopes for our families? We end up walking away sad. (Just ask the rich young ruler in Mark 10.) We end up left out of the life God wants for us. If we seek to control and hold on to our hopes, we will never see all that God has in store for us. So, my challenge for you this week: Wrestle with the question, what is your hope for your family? Then give that hope to God and allow him to take it. He just might have something far greater to give you. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
Ah, graduation season. I can remember my own it like it was yesterday. Graduation season is special because it signals a significant milestone in a person's life. One chapter is closing and a new chapter is beginning. As we think about this season of graduation, we're reminded of some important life lessons. For example, don't rush God's plan. Often graduation is a rush to get to. Remember wanting to graduate so quickly so that you could just move on with your life? Any sort of waiting seemed impossible or worthless. Certainly not beneficial. Have you ever been too quick to do something, only to realize that had you waited a few more minutes or days, things would have turned out better for you? When God gives a promise, you can count on him to keep that promise. Attempting to fulfill God's promises on our own timetable always brings pain. Just ask Abraham and Sarah. And Hagar and Ishmael. When you rush God's plan, it never leads to the life God desires for you. So, don't rush God's plan. Another thought in graduation season is to listen to the right voices. Who you listen to really matters. It's why, as parents, we are picky about who our kids pick for their friends. When I was a youth pastor, I often had teenagers come up to me frustrated with their parents who seemed out of touch with reality. All the teenagers wanted to do was what their friends wanted—so why wouldn't their parents let them? I often asked, "Why would you ignore the voices of the people who love you and care deeply for you—like your parents and your youth pastor?" If you only listen to the voices who tell you what you want to hear, you'll end up in place you don't want to be. Just ask Rehoboam (see 1 Kings 12). Who's voice are you listening to? There are many lessons to learn at graduation season. I'm curious what lessons did you learn? What do you wish someone had told you at your graduation? What advice did you ignore? What lessons do you think of when graduation season comes around? How have you changed since your High School graduation? Where do you see God at work in our young people today? I pray you have a blessed week! Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!In this series called Simple, we've looked at the invitation that came from Jesus: Follow Me. Jesus invites you and me to follow him. And the truth is we don't know exactly where he will lead us. That was certainly true for the first disciples—it will certainly be true for you and me.
What is incredible about these first disciples' journey is that as they followed Jesus, they came to believe in who he was. In fact, Peter says it like this in John 6, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Believing that Jesus is the Holy One of God is significant. Through is death and resurrection, Jesus made us right with God. He stepped in for us and offered himself as the atoning sacrifice. His resurrection brings new life to all who believe. When you believe in Jesus, you believe more than his humanity—he was the Son of God. You believe more than his teaching—that he has the words of eternal life. You believe that he offers eternal life—that he is the Holy One of God. Some of you can remember the time when you came to believe and know that Jesus is the Holy One of God. You can remember the place, who was there, and when it all happened. I encourage you to tell someone today about that moment. Let someone known when you came to believe in Jesus. If you're not confident of that moment, I'd like to encourage you to consider that question. Do you believe that Jesus is more than just a good man and a great teacher? Do you believe he is your Savior? If so, I invite you not only to follow, but also to believe. I pray you have a blessed week! Together in Christ, Pastor Michael Hey Church Family!As a pastor, it is one of the saddest conversations I will occasionally have. From time to time, I meet someone who will say something like, "I could never step foot in a church." It saddens me because somewhere along the way, this person became convinced that church is only for good people. Somewhere in their past—whether from a Sunday School teacher, a pastor, or a maybe even a parent who meant well—they came to understand that God only likes good people. People who follow all the rules. And since they drifted or think of themselves as a "bad person," the church and God have very little for them.
However, throughout the gospels we see that the "bad" people—the most unlikely people, liked Jesus. The people we think would want to avoid Jesus, were drawn to him. And even more shocking than that: Jesus like those same unlikely people. The people Jesus seemed the most comfortable around were the ones the good, religious people tried to avoid. Perhaps that's why they liked him. We see this in the story of Matthew's call to follow Jesus. Matthew was a tax collector. Simply put, he was the worst of the worst. Everyone hated him because he made his living from sin. He broke all the rules. He was a constant reminder to the Jews that they were not in control of their own destiny as a nation. Still worse, Matthew made himself wealthy off of this type of living. Needless to say, very few people liked him. But Jesus liked him. In fact, Jesus saw great potential in Matthew. Jesus saw in Matthew what we all want Jesus to see in us—the possibility of being his follower. We all want Jesus to see in us the potential to learn from him, watch him, grow closer to him. So Jesus calls Matthew to step away from the tax booth and follow him. The invitation to follow is so simple. Yet we make it complicated. Jesus extends the same invitation to you and me: Follow me. Here is a thought on which to reflect: The more we as a church remain focused on following Christ, the more people will feel in our presence what they felt in Jesus' presence—fully loved. I pray you have a blessed week! Together in Christ, Pastor Michael Hey Church Family!We are people of the Resurrection. We have a hope that God will one day do for us what he did for Jesus. We will be resurrected in such a way that death, disease, and decay can no longer touch us. God will undo the effects of sin in our lives. It will be a wonderful day.
But we don't just look forward to that future day. We also live the resurrection today. You and I can experience resurrection life today. New life, today. New hope. New peace. New joy. New satisfaction. All because of Christ's resurrection. As people of the resurrection, there ought to be something different about you because of your relationship with Christ. There ought to be something that has died and was buried with Christ, and in its place, a new resurrected life, with Christ, in its place. People ought to look at you and say, "Something is different... what's going on?" To which you and and ought to be able to say boldly, "Yeah, the old me was crucified with Christ and was buried. I've been raised to new life in Christ." The thing that keeps so many of us from experiencing that new life now, is the way through which we experience new life. You see, Christ only experienced resurrection by first going to the cross. And if Christ went to the cross, so will you and I. There is this counter intuitive principle that shows up over and over in Scripture: life comes through death. What kind of death? What does that look like for you and me? It looks an awful lot like laying aside the rights to be lord and master of your own life. It looks a lot like surrender. It looks like giving over control. It looks like Jesus praying in the garden, "Not my will, but Your will be done." Here are some questions to reflect on as people of the Resurrection: If you have experienced new life in Christ, how are you different from before? What has changed in your life since Jesus came into your life? What do you need to surrender or give up in order to deny yourself and follow Jesus? What have you given up in order to follow Jesus? Was it worth it? I pray you have a blessed week! Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
It's almost time! Join us Thursday or Friday evening for our 2nd Journey to the Tomb. Both Thursday and Friday evenings, you will walk through various areas of the church and go on the journey Jesus took to the tomb. We'll start at the Lord's Table, with communion. Then we'll travel to the garden where Jesus prayed, "Not my will, but Your will be done." Then we'll journey to another room to reflect on his arrest, the painful bruises he received, the crown of thorns, the jeering of the crowds, the cross he carried, the final breath he took, and the tomb he was laid in. Each stop along the journey there will be an opportunity for you to remember and reflect on the significance of all that our Savior did for us. It's a wonderful experience, and I encourage you to come and invite a friend to join you. Then, join us at one of our Easter services on April 9 at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM as we celebrate the incredible miracle of Jesus' Resurrection and the new life we have in Him. We will also have the opportunity to celebrate baptism and the new life several folks have found in Christ. I trust that your Easter weekend will be a time to remember Christ's sacrifice and to celebrate Christ's victory over the grave. Together in Christ, Pastor Michael  Hey Church Family!
Character is the will to do what God says is right, regardless of the cost. Character is what we want everyone around us to have—the people we live with, the folks we do business with, the individuals we do life with. We're all for character. But we struggle with our own character flaws. Character is an inside-out work that God wants to produce in our lives. In fact, many of us have tried really hard to produce character, only to fail over and over again. That's why God tells us in Romans 12:2 that transformation only takes place by renewing our minds. Renewing our minds results in character transformation. We've also said that renewal is a two step process: Taking off the old, and putting on the new. God wants us to take off the old ways of thinking, old thoughts, old attitudes, and old patterns. And he wants to replace them with His truth, His promises, and His thoughts. God knows that if we can see this world as He sees it, we wouldn't resist His rule and reign in our lives. If we could see ourselves, relationships, sex, marriage, finances, our jobs, and all of life the way He sees it, we would understand that He has our best in mind. We need to saturate our minds with His truth. We need to memorize His truth so that at the moment of temptation, we can declare—as Jesus did—"It is written." It's replacing the lie with the truth. So let me ask you: have you been filling your mind with God's truth? Or have you been filling it with social media? Are you memorizing God's Word? What makes memorizing God's Word difficult? What specific truth from God’s Word do you need to lean on and memorize this week? We memorize what's important to us. Make it a priority to memorize God's truth this week. Here's a prayer for this week: Lord, give me the wisdom to know what's right and the courage to do what's right, no matter what. Have a blessed week! Pastor Michael Hey Church Family!
We've been talking about character. We've said that character is the will to do what God says is right, regardless of the cost. We've also said that, when it comes to our character, God's desire is for each us to look like Jesus. Our model is Christ. He wants us to act like, look like, love like, have self-control like, be patient and gentle like Jesus. Jesus is the model. And the method for character transformation is renewal of our mind. In Romans 12, Paul lays it out: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2) Renewing the mind results in character transformation. Renewal is a two step process: Taking off the old, and putting on the new. If you've ever refurbished old furniture, it is the same process. You take off the old paint, ripped upholstery, and broken pieces. Then you put on new paint, new upholstery, and replace the broken pieces. The same is true for our minds. God wants us to take off the old ways of thinking, old thoughts, old attitudes, and old patterns. And he wants to replace them with His truth, His promises, and His thoughts. God knows that if we can see this world as He sees it, we wouldn't resist His rule and reign in our lives. If we could see ourselves, relationships, sex, marriage, finances, our jobs, and all of life the way He sees it, we would understand that He has our best in mind. Renewal breaks down our resistance to His will in our lives. The problem is we often settle for lies and live those lies as if they were true. Lies about ourselves, relationships, sex, marriage, finances, our jobs. God wants to remove every lie we've held to and replace it with his truth. So let me ask you: what lies are you tempted to believe? What lies do you use to justify your behavior? What lies have shaped your reactions to people or situations? And what lies have fueled your temptations? As God begins to reveal lies that have become strongholds in your life, the lie will begin to crumble and lose its power over you. Jesus said that truth will set us free. Here's a prayer for this week: Lord, give me the wisdom to know what's right and the courage to do what's right, no matter what. Have a blessed week! Pastor Michael |
AuthorNotes from the Staff @The Woods Archives
March 2023
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