Don’t let your hearts be troubled

Confusion will be my epitaph

As I crawl a cracked and broken path

If we make it we can all sit back and laugh

But I fear tomorrow I’ll be crying

Yes I fear tomorrow I’ll be crying

                 – Peter Sinfield from the song “Epitaph” by King Crimson

What is your life like on this side of eternity? Well first, we know it can’t be all bad because we know there is an eternity on the other side. There is life over there; there are people over there; there is a God over there and His Son is there waiting for us. Imagine if you didn’t know that and you believed there was nothing on the other side of this life. I think of the line from the King Crimson song, “Epitaph,” Will no one lay the laurel wreath when silence drowns the screams? What a tragic way to think about the end.

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John 3:17

 

Driving through town today, I passed a man carrying a sign that simply read “LOVE,” with the reference, “John 3:16” under it. It pleased me as I thought about it. I have seen lots of John 3:16 signs at sporting events, and other large gatherings — even embedded in the black patch some football players wear under their eyes — but I can’t recall ever seeing that reference coupled with the word “love.”

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Head vs. Heart: A Tale of Two Roads

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. — Psalm 119:11

James and Michael both knew this verse by heart. They were faithful churchgoers and dedicated men who desired to follow Christ. Yet their lives couldn’t have been more different.

The Road of the Head: James

James was a man of the Word — at least intellectually. He knew scripture well. Ask him about doctrine; he could walk you through church history or quote entire passages from memory. His mind was sharp, and his knowledge impressive.

But there was a distance — not just between James and others, but between James and God.

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Awake thou that sleepest

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:8-16 KJV)

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The surrendered man

Surrender doesn’t mean passivity. Men who let go of control often step into bold, Spirit-led action. Just look at Peter stepping out of the boat (Matthew 14:29-31). The man who surrenders control learns that faith means acting even when the outcome is uncertain. It means taking Spirit-led risks. That might mean saying yes to an unexpected ministry opportunity, starting a new venture, or reconciling a broken relationship. Faith-driven action doesn’t promise comfort, but it always calls us toward God’s purpose.

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Control, and the courage to let go

If you’re a man like me, particularly one shaped by evangelical culture, you’ve probably been conditioned to believe that control is a sign of strength. From an early age, we’re taught to take charge, stand firm, and rely on our abilities. The world says masculinity is measured by dominance and self-reliance — the macho, Rocky image. But Jesus? Jesus says something altogether different. Jesus talks about surrender.

What? Surrender? That sounds wimpy. Actually, it’s not wimpy at all. This surrender is not a relinquishment of responsibility but acknowledging that true power, wisdom, and success come from God.

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Avoiding that sinking feeling

But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. Matthew 14:30

It had been Peter’s idea. After choosing common sense over adhering to Jesus’ request to feed a thousand people the day before (How were they going to do that?), Peter leaned on his heart’s understanding this time, that if Jesus said to come, His word would empower him to walk on water. So he called to Jesus, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

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The Mainstreaming of Christian Culture

The Jesus Movement was born out of a youthful countercultural movement that was against the Vietnam War, for civil rights, championed sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll, and was not very kind to the older generation. So the Jesus Movement carried over some of that same spirit of rebellion while seeking a higher, deeper spirituality through Jesus that few were experiencing at that time. Much of the success of the Jesus Movement among those who were not Christians was due to the fact that Jesus Christ Himself in history was a countercultural figure. Hippies and druggies gravitated to Jesus because they had never seen Him in this light before. The biblical Jesus already stood for many of the values the counterculture had embraced.

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Two to remember

Your Vanguard leadership team met as we always do on Thursday morning and our discussion led us to some conclusions that I think are important to share with the whole community today. These are strange and unprecedented times we are living in. We are a global community, but as illustrated by those of us living as Christians in the United States, I think we are all experiencing pressures we have not felt before in our lifetime. There are alliances between politics and religion that can easily lead to distortions of our faith should we submit to these pressures without scrutiny. So to help guard against that, we came up with two simple priorities to keep forefront in your mind and heart.

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Spring Training Weekend

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Outside my window, across the street is the campus of a community college. Beyond that, probably about a mile away, is the airport with a plane taking off every minute or two. The airport building from here looks like Noah’s ark just landed on Mt. Ararat. I notice the birds are flying around chasing each other in pairs. It’s that time of year. Beyond the airport are the low-lying mountains of Phoenix, Arizona. You guessed it. It’s warmed up to spring training time and I’m here to watch three games by my Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

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