Author: pastorjonathan

Christian,Husband, Dad, Pastor, Mentor, Volunteer.

50 Reasons: To Show His Own Love for Us

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, discipleship, VideoLeave a comment

The other day I mentioned that I would be reading Piper’s book “50 Reasons why Jesus Came to Die” between Easter and Pentecost. You can get the scoop here.

To Show His Own Love for Us

Perhaps the hardest part of the gospel for me is the personal nature of what Jesus did.  It is true that He paid the price of the sins of all who believe and so in a very real sense he didn’t pay for my sins alone.  But my sins were included.  This became very familiar for me when I heard the song, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us,” again this week.  The part that really grips me is the line, “Behold the Man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders, ashamed I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers.  it was my sin that held him there, until it was accomplished, His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished.”

I have the Kendall Payne version on my iphone and listened to it about a dozen times today.

An Open Letter to All My Legalist Friends

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, Just Thinking, Kingdom of God3 Comments

Recently I have been bombarded by all sorts of people with legalistic agendas.  To be fair most of what I have seen or heard in recent days hasn’t been aimed at me directly.  However, some of you are making it difficult for me to share Jesus with my other friends because they think that you represent Him.  They don’t know that your legalism is a vice and a sickness that actually keeps you from Him.   I’m intentionally avoiding the particulars and get to the heart of the issue which is demanding more of others than God does.

1. Its not about YOU (or ME), its about US.

Sometimes you ask me to do things or put away things that aren’t prohibited in Scripture.  Some of these things are great ways to connect with others and are really morally neutral.  Many of these things Jesus did himself.  But you get this idea in your head that if I do things differently than you that I must not know Jesus (or at least that I am not right with Him).  However, on many of these issues, your the one who is changing His Word to make it say what it doesn’t say.

2. I’ll Gladly sacrifice ME for the sake of US, but please don’t ask me to do it for YOU.

What I mean is this.  I don’t want to be a stumbling block to you.  I don’t want to cause you to do anything against your conscience.  I will gladly not do some things that might offend you so that we can hang out.  But when you go around saying that everyone must think the same way that you do on an issue (and your thoughts don’t exactly line up with scripture), then you are asking me to be conformed to your image, not Christ’s.  Again I love you and will lay down my freedom for you, but I will not subscribe to your extra biblical ideas.

3. Don’t forget that HE loves THEM

Somehow I think that in the process you have forgotten that God loves people.  Don’t get me wrong on this.  Doctrine is important.  But perhaps the biggest truth we can know about God is that He loves people.  Some of you are good at communicating your cultural rules as a standard of holiness but you have forgotten to mention that God loves people.  Please let me remind you.  He says it plainly in His Word.  Just read it.

John 3:16-17, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4-9, Ephesians 5:1-2, 1st John 4:10-16

I really am hoping the best for you.  Truth be told, I fight legalism too.  Its easy for us to come up with extra rules (especially if we don’t struggle with the new rules).  We can feel confident that we haven’t broken the rules we’ve added.  The problem is that our rules aren’t always God’s rules and we need to know the difference.

Why We Hunt Easter Eggs, but Don’t Do Santa

3 Things You Should Know Before You Judge Your Friends

50 Reasons: To Show the Wealth of God’s Love and Grace For Sinners

On By pastorjonathanIn Uncategorized1 Comment

The other day I mentioned that I would be reading Piper’s book “50 Reasons why Jesus Came to Die” between Easter and Pentecost. You can get the scoop here.

To Show the Wealth of God’s Love and Grace For Sinners

Today I am reminded of God’s amazing love and grace.  Piper does a great job of illustrating the supreme value of Jesus versus sinful humanity.  It is not as though we are worth the price that was paid for us to know God.  We are not valuable as sinners who are living in rebellion to God.  But God is a God of love and grace and chose to sacrifice the infinitely worthy for the most unworthy.  That God would go to such great lengths to save us reveals his love and grace for us.

Father, Thank you for pouring out your love and grace on us through Jesus Christ!  You are worthy of all praise, honor and glory.

A Student’s Unspoken Plea

On By pastorjonathanIn spiritual disciplines, student ministryLeave a comment

This is a you tube version of a video we showed the students tonight.

The Newest Song on My Ipod

A Satire on Youth Ministry

50 Reasons: To Achieve His Own Resurrection From the Dead

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, discipleshipLeave a comment

The other day I mentioned that I would be reading Piper’s book “50 Reasons why Jesus Came to Die” between Easter and Pentecost. You can get the scoop here.

To Achieve His Own Resurrection From the Dead

I am reminded again today that without Jesus death, there would be no resurrection.  The resurrection is proof that Jesus did what He said he could do.  I could comment more here, but I found these words from the Apostle Paul more compelling…

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
(1 Corinthians 15:12-24 ESV)

Father, thank you that Christ was not only crucified on our behalf, but that he was raised from the dead.

50 Reasons: To Learn Obedience and Be Perfected

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, discipleshipLeave a comment

The other day I mentioned that I would be reading Piper’s book “50 Reasons why Jesus Came to Die” between Easter and Pentecost. You can get the scoop here.

To Learn Obedience and Be Perfected

Have you ever really thought about the obedience of Christ before?  I think about learning obedience and the first thought that comes to mind is “quit being disobedient.”  Piper does a great job in drawing out that Jesus didn’t have any “disobedience” to get rid of.  He was perfect.  So how do you learn to be obedient if you are perfect?  Answer: You continue to do what you are asked to do, even when it is difficult.  Every step to the cross was a step of obedience to God’s plan to save sinners.  Christ was perfect, not only because he didn’t sin, but also because he always did the right thing.

Father,  I was reminded today that Christ is doubly righteous.  Not only was he without sin, but he was also completely obedient.  Your plan to use the cross to reconcile us to Yourself is becoming more and more clear.  Thank you for your amazing love and great plan to save all who would call out to you.

50 Reasons: To Please His Heavenly Father

On By pastorjonathanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The other day I mentioned that I would be reading Piper’s book “50 Reasons why Jesus Came to Die” between Easter and Pentecost. You can get the scoop here.

To Please His Heavenly Father

Today I am reminded that it was God’s plan to crucify Jesus for my sins. I guess too often I struggle with believing God would want to save me. I know all too well just how much of a sinner I am. I am aquointed with guilt. I have a hard time imagining that God would plan out my salvation or that Jesus would willingly embrace suffering on my behalf.

But there it is in Isaiah 53 that it was the will of God. God desires to rescue me from my sins!!! It is His plan! Where I have fallen short, Jesus was perfectly righteous. He has stood in my place, embracing suffering even from the hand of God.

I wonder if It Is Gods will that many of us might suffer for the sake of spreading the gospel. I am reminded of Dr. Piper’s message entitled “Doing Missions When Dying is Gain.” Take time to listen if you haven’t already.

Father, thank you for loving me. Thank you that Jesus would be obedient, even obedient to the point of death. I feel so unworthy most days.  Thank you that where I was disobedient, Jesus was obedient.

50 Reasons: To Absorb the Wrath of God

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, discipleshipLeave a comment

The other day I mentioned that I would be reading Piper’s book “50 Reasons why Jesus Came to Die” between Easter and Pentecost. You can get the scoop here.

Today is Easter and day one of the journey. If you haven’t done so already, you will want to read the introduction.

To Absorb The Wrath of God

I was reminded today that my sin is not trivial. The bible tells us that we have all sinned against God and that sin has a consequence. Because of our sin we are defective. We were made to glorify God, but instead seek our own Glory. Though we are made in the image of God we are broken. We are not only broken, we are offensive. We spend our whole existence not only failing to Glorify God, but also with an audacity to love other things more.

Why we hunt Easter Eggs, but don’t do Santa

On By pastorjonathanIn Family, parenting4 Comments

Just the other day I put out an update on Twitter inviting people to an Easter Egg hunt. Apparently this took a few followers off guard and I immediately got a response to the gist of “you don’t do Santa, but do Eggs. I’m confused.” Over the course of a few days others have amplified their concern that we might be living a contradiction. So let me clarify.

First. Santa is not bad. We watch Santa movies at Chistmas with everyone else. We just don’t teach our children that he is real. So we aren’t Santa haters, we just aren’t Santa believers. I don’t think my kids will miss Jesus in the midst of this because we are believers in Jesus and He is a big deal in our house year round. In fact we are always looking for ways to share with others about him.

Easter is a bit different. I don’t know many children whose parents teach them the Easter bunny is real in the same sense that they teach about Santa. I don’t think any one is trying to teach our kids about fertility by hosting an egg hunt. It is just fun to hide something and go look for it. I don’t think the real resurrection message is threatened by hunting for Easter Eggs.

Again we teach about Jesus every day in my house. I read a bible to my daughter because she can’t quite read herself. We discuss the things she sees (on a 4-year-old level) through the filter of God’s love for people. She goes to bed every night singing praise songs. I model prayer for her at least once a day sometimes more. She prays 4-year-old prayers on her own.

I’m not worried that she will miss Jesus for the bunny. I’m more worried that she will miss the real message of the Resurrection because we are at home with family instead of out there with our community telling others about Him! I’m more worried that my kids might perceive me to be more passionate about talking with others about SEC football or the latest movie than I am about Jesus. My real concern isn’t eclipsing Jesus with other holiday fanfare, it’s the other days of the year that concern me the MOST!

So we decided we could hunt Eggs and tell others about Jesus at the same time. An Egg hunt Is a great way to meet parents and children, to develop relationships and share the good news of the Resurrection. So we’ve been praying for weeks for an egg hunt, we passed out invitations to our neighbors, and while she hunts eggs and makes new friends I’m intentionally set up to share the gospel.

In short. We found a way to tell others about the resurection through an Egg hunt.