More From Brian

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Posted on Friday, November 2, 2007

Is Holiness Optional?

I've been studying the last few days for a class I'm teaching this next Sunday. The title of the class is something stupid like "Do Baptists Teach Cheap Grace?". But the point of the class/issue is the question as to whether I can secure my ticket to heaven and just keep on living like hell. This is a question that I think anyone who considers themselves to be a follower of Christ needs to consider.

As many of you are on the verge of heading back to your campus - whether it's junior high, high school, college or whatever - I would encourage you to be preparing to live your life in such a way that it gives evidence that God has changed your life. Forever. But the question is, "Has He?" Has Christ changed your life? Has He replaced your burden of sin with joy & peace? Has He given you hope where once there was none? If He has, are you showing it? If He hasn't, He can. He will.

So as a Christian, is holiness optional? Can I just take my salvation ticket, cash it in at death and be good? Do I really need to be concerned with lust, cheating, lying, respecting my parents, drinking too much (or at all if I'm not 21), saving myself for the person I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, serving other people.....and on and on and on? Does the way I choose to live my life really matter? Does God care?

Rather than piping you with a lecture or shoving my thoughts down your throat, I want to encourage you to search God's Word for yourselves. Search it, study it, dig into it and seek out the answers. The answers usually don't come quickly or easily. Press on. Questions? You know where to find me!

Romans 3:21-26, 6:15-23
Hebrews 6:4-6, 10:26-29
1 John 1:5-7, 2:1-6

Posted on Monday, July 30, 2007

When It Rains...It Pours!

As people who follow Jesus Christ and believe that He is sovereign - nothing slips past Him, sneaks up on Him or takes Him by surprise - and that Romans 8 is absolutely true in telling us that in "all things" God is working for our good, sometimes our faith is truly put to the test as to whether or not we really believe this. It's easy to say it and think it when life is sunshine and rainbows, but what about when the sunshine and rainbows start to turn to rain? Cold, pouring, slap you in the face rain.

Over the last 6 months my Dad has been fighting sarcoma, an aggressive type of cancer. He's had a major surgery and is on round 6 of chemo. This is all 3 1/2 years after fighting his way out of a coma! My friend Curtis has a neice, Amber, who at 14 is fighting cancer and just found out that they can't operate on the cancer in her leg. It's too severe for chemo, surgery...even amputation won't help it! Clancey's dad has a brain tumor and they've said your days are numbered. Leesa continues to fight cancer. Barb Johnson struggles on everyday with MS. And then, on his 21st birthday, Kelly was taken from us in a car accident. I think I need to stop and take a breath to take this in. [Pause] I know there are many more that I've left out.

When I sit here and try to rationalize things, when I try to make sense of it all, I'm left here thinking that no parent should ever have to bury their child. I wonder why God would take someone like my dad and put him through all of these struggles and trials. I don't have answers for Clancey. I wan't Barb to be able to kick that wheelchair like a bad habit and run and dance and cook and not have to fight it anymore. And in the midst of all my ridiculously inadequate reactions God is still whispering, "My grace is sufficient for you Brian. For you and Clancey and Amber and all of those grieving the loss of their friend. My grace is sufficient and my glory is still the #1 thing on my mind." And I can never explain in human terms why, but that brings me peace and comfort.

If you haven't picked up the new Lifehouse record Who We Are yet, you need to get it quick. Jason Wade has once again written things that seem to express much of what many of us are probably feeling at different places in our lives and hearts and yet, we can't find the words to express. On a track called Broken, he writes these words:
I'm falling apart and barely breathing
with a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain there is healing
and in Your Name I find meaning
so I'm holding on, I'm holding on, I'm holding on, I'm barely holding on to you

When it seems like nothing in this life make sense, it probably doesn't...not to us, anyways. But it all makes sense to the One who created us, sustains us, redeems us, treasures us and bought us with the life and blood of His own Son. In HIS name - Jesus - we find healing & meaning.

When it rains, it pours. And that's when we find peace in knowing and singing, "Your grace flows down and covers me. You cover me." Father, cover us and remind us that you love us. Thank you for loving us.

Posted on Thursday, June 21, 2007

Relevant Magazine

Posted on Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Going the Distance

If you feel it creeping in, if you can sense it beginning to take over your thoughts, you must tighten your belt, strap it on and get ready to fight. Right now you are in the most prime position of your life for leadership potential. The problem: most of us reach it right about the time we're thinking "One more day of this and I'm joining the Peace Corps". I actually heard about a guy the other day who's in his last semester of college - talk about the light being at the end of the tunnel - and he calls home to tell his Dad, "I'm thinking about quitting school." [very long pause for thought] Are you serious? Better question: Are you NUTS?!

Day after day so many people think that Paul was only talking about the end of your life when he said to "finish strong". Granted, he was talking about the end of our lives, but there's a principle here. Whatever you're doing, whatever you're studying, wherever you are, whoever you're leading (or should be leading), FINISH strong! In fact, finish stronger than you started.

I know if you're a Senior in high school you are "so done". I know the burnout is there and you can smell that dorm food already. But don't miss this: you have 4 more months to make an eternal impact on others for the Kingdom of God. Don't check out. Don't miss it! FINISH STRONG!

I have this mission when I'm running races - whether it's a 10K or 10 miler - that once I reach a certain distance in the race, I will passed by NO ONE! That's right. If someone's going to do the passing, it's going to be me. I want to know when I run under that FINISH sign that I've left it all out there. What about you?

Release the hounds!

Posted on Thursday, February 1, 2007