Tag: faith

Categories
Daily Post

Blindside

This past weekend I went to see The Blindside with my family.  What a great movie and a great story.    If you don’t know, its a movie based on a true story about a Memphis family who takes in an inner city boy, provides him with a family and guides him through college and into the NFL as a number one draft pick.

Its a great story of a family doing something that requires faith – reaching out of their comfort zone to impact a person.  What a chance they seem to have taken to open up their home to a complete stranger from a really really difficult background.  Its a great movie that, for me at least, challenged me to continue to move my faith out of the “church building” and into the streets.  If you have not seen this movie, I would recommend that you head over to your favorite theater, get the number one special ( a large refillable popcorn and two 73,434,384,379 ounce refillable drinks) and watch this one, and then contemplate what you are doing in your life that requires you to live out your faith.

Then as this week heads right into its grand crescendo ( did I mention that there are only 3 more days until Christmas), consider this:  God loved you so much that he sent his son to this nasty sin-filled Earth.  He sent him from Heaven to become a man.

1 John 3:16-20 (New International Version)

16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

God loved you, he sent his Son, who then died on the cross, because he loved you.  How can these things move us to put our faith into action – to put love into action.

Let us love, let us find a way to live out our faith.  Take a step today towards  action.   I think God will be protecting your Blindside.

Categories
Daily Post

Faith?

Wow, so the school Christmas programs are over – that means that big day is pretty soon.  There were several comments on my selected present from yesterday, but I could still use some suggestions for Amy.  Add some comments!  Josh’s countdown continues today with , get ready, The Jonas Brothers!  YES!  Not quite NKOTB, but close – Here it is Girl of My Dreams.

I have still been thinking about those shepherds and magi, and the faith it took for them to go to Bethlehem to find this new born king.  So that on top of the fact that I am slowly going through Crazy Love by Francis Chan. ( I say slowly because the book is so challenging I have to stop and think and process after a few pages, but its a great read.  I recommend it for Christmas).

Anyway, I have been thinking about faith.  The shepherd’s faith and my own faith.  Mr Chan asks this question in the his book “What are you doing right now that requires faith?”  Its a really really tough question.  How much faith does it take for me to go to work?  To type this blog?  To do each of my conference calls?  Recently, I ate lunch with a family who a few years ago, packed up, took their 4 children out of an exception private school, and went to China to live and teach for a year.  I sit in awe when I think about the faith it takes to do that!  I am not saying lets all head to China ( or maybe I am), but I am suggesting as you visit the new born king over the next few days, examine yourself.

Examine yourself, your faith, ask yourself – what are you doing right now that requires faith?  I don’t think this is a flippant question.  Its a hard question.  but its one that we all should examine.  So when you are sitting around at night, think about these shepherds,  think about these Magi.  Think about your faith, and then go visit the new born king, and see what that does to your answer to this question!

Hebrews 11:6

New International Version (NIV)

6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

And then check the whole of Isaiah 58.

oh by the way, I still am finding myself singing

Glória in excélsis Deo