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Being in Position

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  From the time I was a young boy (when I first started playing competitive sports) I remember hearing the words, “You have to be in the right position!” Playing baseball, as a Shortstop, it was vital that I placed myself in the most advantageous position between second and third base. (Fortunately, this was before “the shift” became a thing!) It varied from batter to batter, how many outs there were, if there were runners on base, and so forth. To be the best shortstop that I could be, I had to pay attention to my physical location.             This continues today, as I’ve recently started playing tennis competitively with my daughter. If you watch Mixed-Doubles on TV, it may seem innocuous enough, but let me tell you – there is A LOT going on and to keep track of! Not the least of which is placing yourself in the proper position on the court. Michelle (possibly the world’s most patient daughter) is forever telling me to, “watch your alley” and “get closer to the net.” We’ve played
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What Are You Waiting For?

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On this day before Easter – Holy Saturday – Christians all over the world are anxiously awaiting Sunday. Easter Sunday. The day that our Lord and Savior defeated death once and for all and walked out of the grave. Alleluia!             But on this day, we wait. We know what comes next, though. We’ve read the book! We know we just have to get to tomorrow for the celebration to begin. Those who witnessed Jesus’ death, though, did not know then what we know now. They watched Jesus be crucified on Friday and then didn’t know what was next. Many of them probably thought there was no next. Even though Jesus had said He would rise in three days, not one really understood what that meant. They had been waiting for centuries for the Messiah’s return and they thought Jesus was it. But now what?             And they began waiting again. Some near the tomb. Not thinking He would walk out, but to finish the burial rituals. His disciples went back to work with their thoughts of what the last th
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Location: Milton, GA, USA
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Holy Week - Make it Personal

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  Today marks the beginning of what we call Holy Week.   It’s Palm Sunday and hopefully today you’ve already had a chance to attend – in person or virtually – a worship service. It’s important that we celebrate Jesus’s “triumphant entry” as it is referred. His riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. The Jews and others of His day thought He was doing so to attend the Passover Feast. They weren’t wrong, but they were only partially right. He was also going so that He would be in position to perform the single most meaningful, unselfish and world transforming act in history: Voluntarily going to the cross and being put to death, not for what the Jews accused Him of, but rather, for all our sins. Your sins. My sins. All of them. It had to be that way. No one understood it. Many still don’t. But on the third day, when He rose, He did so so that we no longer had – or have – to be slaves to those sins ever again. Last night I had a very interesting dream. I’ve been having a lot of them lately,
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Location: Milton, GA, USA
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Wisdom Times Three

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  Recently, I’ve found myself studying and reading a lot about wisdom. It hasn’t been an intentional thing, it just dawned on me this morning that much of what I’ve been consuming in terms of books and podcasts have had this underlying theme. I don’t believe this is a coincidence. (You can definitely place me in the camp of “ all things happen for a reason ”, so I generally don’t put a lot of stock in the “ it’s just a coincidence ” explanation.)           What struck me earlier today was something new. I will typically journal (for those unfamiliar, yes, that word can be used as a verb) about what I read during my early morning “quiet time.” Often, it will turn into a prayer of sorts, for myself or others. When I did so this morning, I gained a new understanding of the depth and importance of wisdom, as a concept. This is my attempt to put in into words and share with you what I learned.   Wisdom is a three-fold process of discernment, courage and obedience. If you’re nodding yo
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Location: Milton, GA, USA
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Choosing the Narrow Path

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This is not going to be the typical type of piece that I share. It’s a little longer (please be patient and humor me, and read all the way through) and maybe a little more “preachy” (again, please be patient…)  I was inspired to write this toward the very end of our church service this morning. It has taken me a while to sort out what exactly is supposed to be conveyed in and by these words – I pray that I get it right. It is no surprise to anyone that our world is in a strange kind of place these days. I can honestly say that they are unlike any of my previous fifty-plus years on this earth. For most of the last four months, this has been deeply concerning to me. But recently (and even more-so in the moments as I type this), I have started to have a little bit of a different take… Maybe, just maybe, all that we have been experiencing is not really about “them” taking away “our” freedoms, or “those people” not doing what “they” should have done years ago or “us” finally getting “ou
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Location: Milton, GA, USA
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Who Are You Listening To?

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It comes as no surprise to anyone who reads these pieces regularly that a large focus is placed upon faithful “obedience”. Specifically, obedience to doing what we hear God tell us to do. That, after all, is what “living unfiltered for God” is all about. If we hear God say it, we do it. No questions asked. No dilly-dallying. Just make it happen. Is it easy? Not. At. All. I don’t know about you, but it always makes me feel good when I read biblical accounts of people who are like me. And by “like me” I mean, people who don’t get it right all the time. The examples are legion, which should make us all feel a little bit better. I came across one such example a couple of days ago… I’ve been reading through the Old Testament lately, working my way through the early kingdoms of Saul, then David and then Solomon. Shortly after Solomon dies and Jeroboam takes the throne, we come across a little account of a couple of prophets in 1 Kings 13 . I’ll let you read the whole passage on yo
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Location: Milton, GA, USA
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You Can’t (Don’t) Always Get What You Want

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In these strange times in which we are living, “church” looks a lot different these days. As we’re told we cannot meet in groups larger than 10 – and even that is discouraged – we must find new ways to stay connected to our church and our friends. I am blessed in that our church, Christ Community Church in Cumming, GA, is being very creative and intentional about keeping us all connected. One of the things we’ve started doing is reading the Book of Acts together, as a church, albeit on our own. The connection is knowing that over the course of the next two weeks, we will all be reading the same couple of chapters every day. Along the way, we’ve been encouraged to share any insights and revelations that come about. This piece has been birthed out of that encouragement... In Acts Chapter 3 (part of yesterday’s reading) we come across the following situation… “Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to be
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Location: Milton, GA, USA
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