Here are the groups from this Sunday. Be sure to check out yours and other groups responses. Try to understand other people's perspectives. Why would they feel that way? Do you fall in one category more than another? Be sure to get involved! Bring your A-Game! Let's debate!

The question was, "what are the effects of sin?" Here are your responses...with some minor changes

Non-Christian Group: (those who don't believe in sin or its effects)

1. The OT laws and rules are not relevant at all today, thus not applicable.
2. The bible is simply a tool used by religious institutions to control people...and sin is a way in which they induce fear in people.
3. The bible contradicts itself about many concepts, including sin, and so sin is meaningless...thus it has no effects.

Pseudo-Christian Group: (those who justify their sin to do whatever they want)

1. Once we're forgiven we are always forgiven...so why change? (Romans 10:9)
2. We have eternal life already...so I can do whatever I want! (John 3:16)
3. There is no sin in our lives. We've been perfected already!

The Angry Christian Group: (those who use the Bible to condemn and incite fear)

1. God is a wrathful God who punishes all sin!
2. All sinners rightfully deserve and should go to hell!
3. Hell is a real place where God punishes sinners!

The Non-judging Christian Group: (those who don't judge since all have sinned)

1. God is a loving God who sacrificed his only Son for us. If sin doesn't matter, then his sacrifice means nothing.
2. We are all sinners, which separates us from God. It's only through Jesus than anyone can be saved, but God expresses that God desires that all men be saved!
3. God's laws are for our own good.

Eat this Scroll

I don't fast as often as I should, but when I do I sense God's presence, or the need for God's presence that much more. It's frustrating feeling hungry and not having something to satisfy it, but I think that's the point. When we fast we experience what Jesus wanted us to feel when he says in Mark 2 that his disciples would fast after he was gone. Jesus wanted us to sense a feeling of emptiness, rather a hunger for his presence - or being with him, when he's gone. Well, now that he's gone, and we await his return, how often do we fast? And what does that look like?

I've heard and read about all sorts of types of fasts, but each one I try fails to compare to the sense of pain I get in my stomach when I know that I need sustenance to satisfy what my body needs. Our bodies need food and water to survive. That's perhaps one of the few facts that is non-negotiable in the world. God created our bodies to "need" sustenance. The feeling that is associated with in our minds, or at least in my mind, is to "crave" food. Not only do I need food, I crave it! I long after it when my stomach is empty. My mind can rarely get off the topic until my stomach stops hurting. That's how much I need it. That's how much we need God. We rarely stop to practice the discipline of fasting, and so it's anything but ironic that we would rarely sense of how much we NEED food, and thus it's equivalent: GOD. This morning, as I fasted, I filled that time with God's word. Take Ezekiel for example.


And he (God) said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. (Ezekiel 3:1-3, emphasis added)


God tells Ezekiel to eat the scroll, he did, and it was sweet as honey. God tells us to fill ourselves with his word. We get sustenance from digesting Scripture. I don't mean simply reading for five minutes and moving on. There is a reason why passages such as Joshua 1:8 and Deuteronomy 6 say that we should meditate on it day and night.

I was reading this morning in Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Spangler and Tverberg about the practice of kavanah. Kavanah is a Hebrew word used within the Jewish culture to distinguish the art of directionally channeling our focus in whatever we do to experience the presence of God. It's us doing our part, but always relying on God's active presence. When we focus on kavanah things or events during our day that were once ordinary become exciting and meaningful! Any moment of any day can be a fearful moment in which God's presence explodes in a joyous presentation of his love, mercy and grace. More so this doesn't have to be self-focused. While God may choose to reveal himself to us as we're intimately seeking him, he may also reveal something to someone else, giving us the opportunity to love someone with the extravagant love of Christ! Fasting can be a catalyst to kavanah, sensing God's presence, taking us into the deep longing for God that we were created for. Our souls desperately need to experience the craving for our Creator as our stomachs crave food. We crave, knowingly or not, the inexpressible and inexplorable riches of God's love that only the Holy Spirit can show us! Oh how I long for that! How I long to be taken deeply into the heart of God's law and the spirit of his kingdom! If we only stopped more often to practice the art of fasting that we may find how much we truly need God.

This Easter...

So I was driving to church the other day, which I usually take the back roads in from the north. I got to a particular corner a couple of blocks away from church and did my usual roll through when something hit me! (no it wasn't my car)...it was a thought. "Wait, isn't there a stop sign at that corner?" I wasn't speaking to anyone but myself, and it was an actual question (I'm not crazy!). As I looked back, there it was...a stop sign...regular sized and all...with red and white boarders...and the word "STOP" right in the middle. "Huh...I bet I've rolled through that sign every time without thinking about it..."

As I thought more about the incident God revealed something to me. I felt him say in my heart "Seth, I hope that this Easter season is not like that stop sign..." My heart dropped as I thought about all the people this year who may casually roll through the season without ever taking the time to examine their hearts within the gospel. So often many of us, myself included (even as a pastor!) have and can roll through moments in life without ever stopping to look around and check for real danger. Perhaps many of us have been lucky rolling through every day stop signs...but what if God really wants to get our attention this year? What if we roll through Easter without stopping to reflect on our hearts and the deep meaning of what Easter represents?

Easter isn't just a celebration. It's not just good time with family and friends. It's not even just going to church and feeling spiritual because we attended a service on Easter. Easter isn't just Christ dying on a cross (Good Friday) and then raising to life (Easter Sunday). So why celebrate Easter? Why should you stop this year reflect? There are plenty of reasons but here are three...

1. That we are desperate sinners in NEED of God! Seems strange right? In a world where the philosophy of self-sufficiency rules why would ever admit that we actually have NEED of something? A great point, and one that many may never get past. But each of us, in the deep corners of heart, know that we are imperfect. We all recognize right from wrong...and we know that we've done wrong. We see it and feel it. We may not feel it deeply all the time because we have the tendency to only view our sin partially. 1 John 1:10 says "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." Yet isn't it true that sometimes, often times, we ask God for forgiveness without ever really owning up to our sin. We broadly and generically say "God forgive me" thinking that God already knows all my sin so that phrase should cover it. Since when is forgiveness something that we've reduced to a generic phrase? God wants to hear the depth of heart, to know that we know what we did and how it specifically grieved him. Further he wants to know that we plan to change our behavior, and that we need his help to do it. Forgiveness isn't something that we simply "accept" from God because he offers it. We desperate NEED it! We need only the gift of mercy and grace that God can give!

David Platt in Radical write "And salvation now consists of a deep wrestling in our souls with the sinfulness of our hearts, the depth of our depravity, and the desperation of our need for his grace. Jesus is no longer one to be accepted or invited in but one who is infinitely worthy of our immediate and total surrender." We are desperate sinners who need to wrestle deeply with the sin in our hearts and to plead God to forgive them. 1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (ESV). What a great promise! But let's not take it lightly. Let's not brush over our sin and say a generic phrase. Let's get real with our sin and confess it fully before the LORD. There is a great warning in Hebrews 9:27, "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment..." That's enough reason enough to begin consideration of why not to "roll" through Easter this year.

2. Easter celebrates the atonement that Christ paid. In Romans 3:25 Scripture says that Jesus was put forth as a "propitiation" - what does that mean? It means this...that Christ exhausted all of God's wrath on the cross...he exhausted the eternal punishment that every single person of all time deserved. Jesus before he was betrayed over to be crucified was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying...to the point that he felt the physical burden he was about to carry and he said to his disciples "...'my soul is very sorrowful, even to death'...and going a little further he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will'" (Matthew 26:38-39). Many martyrs throughout history have sung their way up to the stake where they would be burned. So why was Jesus in so much torment? Jesus wasn't afraid of the nails...nor dying from exhaustion on the cross from having to lift his chest via pressure on the nails just in order to breath each breath. In the garden Jesus felt the physical and spiritual burden of an entire worlds' sin that was about to bore in his body on the cross. In the event of the crucifixion God's wrath was exhausted, spent, done, gone, let go...all in Christ's death...in his body. Not yours or mine...but his body. He took our sin and did away with it. Easter celebrates that God took it upon himself to be the JUST and the JUSTIFIER.

3. Finally, Easter celebrates HOPE. His resurrection from the dead and subsequent going into heaven gives us hope that if we have died with Christ in his body that we will live forever more in heaven in God's presence should we ever die here on earth (which is pretty likely!). We no longer live in light of death...but hope in new life...the guarantee of never-ending time in the presence of the perfect Creator! It also gives us hope to life a new life now! We can take off the old us and put on a new...as Christ has removed our hearts of stone and gives us new hearts...eager to do as he asks. We have died to sin and thus have the power to no longer live in sin any longer (Romans 6:1). Satisfaction in this world...buying things...receiving entertainment, physical stimulation - none of it matters. The only satisfaction for the person with forgiveness of sins is in doing God's will.

Ephesians 2:8-10 sums up well what we've been talking about. We have not received forgiveness of sins via works. We cannot earn God's forgiveness. It's his choice to give it to us. And he gave it in the gift of his Son. Jesus Christ died the perfect death for our sins and we don't simply "accept" his forgiveness willy nilly, we desperately need it! When we receive God's forgiveness it motivates us to live in God's good and holy works, which is what he intended from the beginning (Genesis 1-2).

That's what we're celebrating. We're celebrating our redemption...our forgiveness of sins in the form of the gift of grace in Jesus Christ. He died so that we wouldn't have to. And we should respond. So let's choose to stop at the stop sign this year, and reflect on the great gift which God has given us. Let's reflect this year that we may avoid the disaster of the possible crash and burn when we have no more chances to get our hearts right with God.

Blessings to you this Easter season as you wrestle through the gift of God's grace and what He's asking of you.

Seth

I've been doing a lot of reading lately on discipleship. Rather, what I've been studying is trying to release to baggage of the word and move more towards disciple-making. It's been an interesting process to say the least. And this is only a tiny tidbit of the conversation. It is not intended to give all the answers. In fact this will probably leave more questions. That's good. So let's dialogue about this together.

The more important factor in making disciples is that one must first be a disciple. Now you're probably saying, "Duh. Thanks captain obvious. Why am I reading this guy's blog?" I know it's at the risk of sounding pedantic, but truly this is an issue of belief vs. action. We often say "I totally believe that!" but we don't live it. The truth is that in order to make disciples, one must first, in one's inner most being, live out the things that Christ calls us to (I suggest reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan or Radical by David Platt). But that begs the question: what do I mean when I say disciple? I don't mean: Christian. While all disciples are indeed Christians, that word contains about five centuries worth of messy baggage that I don't want to deal with right now - I know - call me selfish. When I say disciple I mean: Christ-follower. I mean someone who sits at the feet of Jesus daily. Someone who is endlessly praying for others and trying to do the work of God.

But here is the kicker. So often we can try so hard to do the things of God that we forget the first and most simple rule of being a disciple: that only God can do the work in me. In John 15, the famous passage that speaks of "abiding" - which in Koine (New Testament) Greek is from 'meno' (long o) and means: to remain, continue to exist within, sometimes with the hope of expectancy. It's with this in mind that Jesus says "Abide in me, for apart from me, you can do nothing." That is, if we should ever leave, to try to exist apart from Christ, then you begin to do it on your own. We cease to rely on the power of God. We may think that we're relying on God...we may even say that we're relying on God. But the truth is, that apart from "abiding" in Christ - we can do nothing! We must rely on the POWER OF GOD.

In another discussion that Paul had with the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:1-9) - he reminds them in their dispute over who they would wish to follow - Paul says that it isn't man who does anything. Man can plant and water, but only God can cause the growth. So why do we constantly try to do it on our own?

Perhaps herein lies the confusion. We are vessels, instruments by which God has chosen to use for the sake of his kingdom. He uses us to do his own work. So how much "work" do we do? When do I know that I've done enough? When do I rely on God?

We should always rely on God. Even in our works it is God who is working through us. Perhaps Colossians 1:28-29 may sharpen this. Paul says "Him (Christ) we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." We see that while Paul is doing the work, he is reliant on God for the strength to do it.

So here is what God is teaching me. I can do nothing. I need God's power to work within me fist and foremost to BE a disciple, let alone to make disciples. Further, every work that I do is an opportunity for Christ to do a work through me or for me to try and do it on my own strength, reliant on my own abilities and techniques. The latter will fail to produce lasting fruit. So I should never leave the fold of God and try to do it on my own. I must abide in him at all times. I must choose to never leave my primary role in making disciples...to be a disciple myself. Doug Field says that he often found himself trying so hard to "do" the work of God without "being" a person of God. He had left the fold in order to do it himself, despite that he thought that what he was doing was good. He states that he'd rather have one volunteer leader who is trusting in God than ten leaders with great skill who are not trusting in God. Are we trusting in God? Or are we doing it ourselves?

My friends, it is never good to leave the vine. In order to do anything for God's kingdom, we must hold fast to that which is the source of our own discipleship. To be disciple-makers we must first be disciples who cling to their master. Let's sit at the feet of Jesus together, and pray that God may remove us from the equation, allowing us to fully trust in him.

Let's engage and interact with each other by sharing your own struggles with this. What is God teaching you right now? How is the power of God at work in you?

I have been memorizing Philippians lately with a couple of college students, and I had forgotten how much fun and insightful it is to memorize long portions of Scripture. The very fact that one must slow down and process the words is insightful enough. If you haven't tried it...here's your chance.

As I was looking at the next portion to memorize, God implanted a piece on my heart today that I deemed I should share...as it's not my thought but God's.

In chapter one of Philippians Paul shares his joy over the people's partnership with the gospel, as partakers with him of grace. But it extends even into Paul's imprisonment and how it made the other brothers more bold for the gospel. What a strange thought? Would't imprisonment discourage boldness? Rather there is something intrinsically ironic about this situation. Where imprisonment may normally bring fear, to God's ambassadors it brings courage. If we are being imprisoned for it...it was for their sake! Thus the imprisonment sparks a sense of gratitude and response.

But more, what the Spirit really laid on me this morning was Paul's attitude and remarks about death. For indeed to die is gain, but should God allow him to live longer in his fleshly body, then it is for the sake of the brothers! What a glorious perspective! To die is gain, and in fact who wouldn't rather just go and spend an eternity with God in his glory? Paul says "I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better..." but he continues in saying that "to remain in the flesh is more necessary..." why? Because it was necessary for Paul to continue serving and teaching others about Christ, "for their progress and joy in the faith..."

How often when we get some spare time do we waste it on ourselves? Don't get me wrong, everyone needs to replenish themselves with "me" time...but are we really devoting the time that God gives us to furthering others progress in the faith and for others joy?

Paul sends them out with this a word of encouragement, "Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ..." and that they are "not frightened by their opponents.." Let us strive, each of us, to live a life worthy of the gospel. A life that isn't afraid of adversaries, but one that is bold, even if their is persecution. Let us live lives centered on the progress of others faith and joy...the progress of God's kingdom...the fulfillment of Jesus' great commission (Mt. 28).

"Take nothing",,,?

Read Mark 6:7-13


INTRO

So lately my wife Nikii and I have been reading through the book of Mark together. I love Mark for many reasons, one being how simply it portrays the gospel but more so, as a result of the gospel, is Christ's call to discipleship. The book really highlights the call as well as the failures of disciples. It's no surprise that the disciples failed more than they succeeded...but it's a healthy reminder for us who tend to think that all they did was succeed. Granted they had Christ, which we don't...at least in a physical sense, but it's encouraging to think that if the disciples had Christ and still failed and received grace then we can have the same grace.


Reread Mark 6:7-13

Isn't it so easy for us to rationalize and justify our beliefs? What do I mean? I mean this: when Christ calls us to do something we push it aside and think that somehow it doesn't relate to our society. For example: in Mark 6:7-13 Jesus begins to send out his disciples, but he tells them to "take nothing" on their journey. No money. No food. No extra clothes. Just the sandals on their feet, the clothes on their backs, and a staff for walking. Take nothing...really? What is Jesus trying to accomplish here?

I don't know about you when, but it's been a tendency of mine to want to take lots of things when I go to meet with people. I need my Bible, I need my phone, I need my wallet for food, I need my sunglasses, I need my watch, I need my etc. All of these are fine things and sometimes necessary, so why would Jesus call the disciples to take nothing?

Write your comments below...

GRACE

Two experiences this past week that made think about God's grace...

The first was early last week. I was sitting in my car (very noticeably) in a Starbucks parking lot. This particular parking lot, if you're familiar with Boulder, CO, has fairly small parking spaces (maybe a ploy on the city's part to make more people drive environmentally friendly cars...or bikes). But due to the size of the spots I always make it a point to park well within the lines, with an even amount of space on either side so as to be courteous to others (it's not uncommon for cars in Boulder to be parked half way over the line!). This time I was well within my lines. As I sat there, finishing a ministry related text with one of my volunteer leaders, a car pulled in next to me. The driver got out, as did her passenger...who hit my Jeep with his door...to which he said "oops" and walked away....as I was sitting in my car. Really?

The second experience was a couple of days ago. I walked out to my car, with nothing out of the normal. It was a nice day, not too warm and not too cold (I prefer colder weather). I walked down the stairs of my condo and around my car to get something out of the back seat. I opened the door, grabbed the stuff, shut the door, and began to walk away...until I remembered seeing something that was out of place. "Nah, can't be I thought" but I walked back just to check, and sure enough, there was a giant groove in the side of my Jeep. Not like the door had been bashed in, but it was very noticeable. I inspected it and found a gray paint in the groove from the car door that had hit mine. Immediately I looked to see if anyone had left me a note on my car...nothing. Really?

I'm not going to lie...the first minute, sometimes five minutes, after an event like either of the two above can leave me feeling a bit angry (I don't like admitting that I'm not perfect, but pastors have very serious flaws too!). I later told my wife when she came home. I said, "they should have at least left a note!" To which she replied "if you knew who did it, what would you do?" Crap. Kicks to the head hurt...even worse is a kick to the heart. What would I say? As if she hadn't convicted me enough she then said, "what if it was a kid? I see kids toys in that car..." Suck. Can't argue with that (I've been married for what...two weeks now...and I'm already being refined! God bless that woman). I can't yell at a kid...and ultimately I can't yell at a parent either. Why? Because they deserve God's grace just as much as I do.

Read Ephesians 4:29-32. Let the words wash over your heart.

I was reading this morning from one of my favorite authors: Jerry Bridges. Jerry has written I don't know how many books on the topic of grace, and each has been phenomenal, filled with nuggets of very simple but necessary reminders about the truth of grace. It's easy for some to think (perhaps from the evil one's influence, or just naiveté) that the older, wiser, mature Christians have in a sense mastered, maybe if even theologically if not practically, the concept of grace. But that's so untrue. Bridges explains that this is one of the main topics that his mind always comes back to...for the past ten years! For ten years he's been thinking, writing, rethinking, rewriting, about the topic of grace. He explains that often he feels like this topic is like dipping paper towels into the entire ocean to soak it up. It's so deep. John 1:16 says that "from his (Christ's) fullness we have received, grace upon grace." It's immeasurable.

No one likes hearing their father/mother say "sweetie, I lost my job today" or "we've gone bankrupt." Why? Because both demonstrate a serious need for help! When we're bankrupt we have no way of feeding ourselves, paying the heat for the house, let alone the mortgage payment (like a rent payment except for owners). But morally speaking we are all bankrupt. There is so much sickness, gross acts, painful memories that separate us from God's holiness (his perfection). We have no way of saving ourselves. We are spiritually bankrupt. We need help!

That's what grace is...help. It's God's way of giving us the help we need.

Read Romans 3:10-12

What experience can you share that demonstrates the feeling of your "spiritual bankruptcy"?

Do you think it is important to focus on our relationship APART from Christ to understand our need for grace? Why?

Read Romans 5:6-9; 12-21

Do you think that grace is something that you only experience once?

What do you think Paul meant in verses 20-21 when he says "so that grace might reign"?

When you're at school, do you feel guilty? Ashamed? How does that compare to the GRACE that we should feel?

How do you think God wants you to experience grace?

Prayer: Pray with a thankfulness that God has provided you with the free gift of grace!

"'These people honor me with their lips,
   but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain,
   their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"

This a staggering quote from Isaiah 29:13, which Jesus used against the pharisees. Now we read this, knowing full well that the pharisees were kinda like the "bad" guys if we're thinking in movie terminology. Over and over these guys never seemed to get it right. In any movie the "bad" guys need to be somewhat intelligent to make the movie even slightly interesting, or else it's a bust...like Battlefield Earth, potentially the worst movie of all time. Granted the pharisees, every once in a while, pulled out of their hats what they thought was a clever question only to be shut down by Jesus' response.

In our context (Mark 7:1-23) they asked about why Jesus' disciples ate with unclean hands according to the tradition. Jesus's first response was to quote Isaiah...a slightly strict response that would do more than cause a little stiffness in the neck. I imagine their eyes bulging out of their heads like an old Looney Toons cartoon. But the point is that we would be extremely unintelligent to move past this passage thinking to ourselves "wow those pharisees were dumb...glad I'm not like them. Next passage!" In fact, I'm pretty sure Jesus once said something along the lines of how we shouldn't say "man, glad I'm like that person." Just sayin.

In fact, we are more often akin to the pharisees than we think, and we'd only neglect this passage to Satan's delight, for our foul stench would thicken to point of disgust. Jesus' concern was that the pharisees had let go of God's commands to hold to their own. This is surely true today, but what makes this passage so interesting is what he says next: "you have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!" (vs. 9) The Greek makes this more clear. It appears as if they refuse to recognize the authority of the Scripture so that they may cling to their own. It's a "fine" or a "well" way, meaning perhaps "convenient"- that they don't follow or use God's word to a "T" because it wouldn't fit well with their traditions. But here's the kicker...we do the exact same thing!!!! Isn't it true that we often read something about Jesus and his demand for obedience and we brush it off because it doesn't match the way we were raised, or what our church is teaching, or that it simply wouldn't fit into our lifestyle (and we all know that God blessed America...like the song....so our way of life means our consumerism is somehow ordained..????). We have plenty of convenient excuses for not following the commands of God.

All this is convicting to me, and hopefully to you, but what scares me is the quote from Isaiah! Could it be true that we are a people who "honor God with our lips but our hearts are far from him?" Or that we are worshipping him in vain? Truly, I think that's a scary thought if you consider the ramifications.

If this sparked in you a fear of God, then here are some questions you may want to ask yourself:

1. Are you blowing off God?
2. Which commands do you refuse to follow?
3. How might your past/upbringing have affected your unwillingness to change?
4. What do you need to reevaluate in your life?

Pray about it. Steep yourself in prayer and ask God for wisdom. Blessings to you as you continue to be refined by his grace.

Rescue Me: story one

Not too long ago our high school ministry embarked on a spiritual trip down to Lake Powell in Utah. Our goal setting out was to find some solace within the confines of the lake. With the high rock walls surrounding us, it was our desire as leaders to see students connect, apart from technology, with the creator himself and with his creation. Not to spoil the ending, but if you know anything about youth ministry you'll know that very seldom do things go according to plan. This trip was no different, but it was exactly what God wanted.

Upon arrival at the marina, we rented our houseboats, loaded them up (four of them) and began shuttling the rest of the students to the cove by speed boat (you can only travel with twelve people on a houseboat - four houseboats = 48 people...and we had 85 people total on the trip). I was the last boat out of the marina but soon caught up to the boat in front as for some reason it was a bit slower. Here's where the story gets interesting. Not five minutes out of the marina one my leaders sat up front to relax. He's a big guy, all muscle, probably 220. There he sat with his straw cowboy hat over his eyes, like he was reliving an old Eastwood movie. Soon a gust of wind took his hat off his head and into the lake (it was an extremely windy day). I quickly stopped all motors to see if we could by chance grab it beside the boat, but my leader had another idea: jump in after it. He did it almost instinctively. It was his favorite hat. No one wants to part with their favorite hat! Here's the problem....he jumped in without a life jacket....into a quick current lake. You see at the time it seemed natural, even necessary, but despite how strong he is, and how much muscle he has, it doesn't do him a lot of good in the water. He misjudged the direness of the situation, dove into something that was beyond his capabilities, and quickly he realized the mistake he had made. After several minutes of swimming he got the hat and began to swim back, but by that time he was making little progress against the current. With the motors off the boat was drifting quickly too, and every second we seemed to get further and further apart. He had assumed that the boat would stay stationary, but it doesn't. It drifts. You can't drive too close or he might get pulled into the propellers. You can shut the motor off because then you drift. I watched him swim in desperation. His sister and I called out three times "Do you need help?" No reply each time. Finally I saw him spit some water from his mouth, and I realized that if we didn't do something quickly we'd lose something much more valuable than a hat. At that moment my heart was racing. I felt the panic set in. I sprinted to the bow of the boat desperate for a lifejacket, found two, and ran to the back. I tore off the shirt I was wearing (which was a gift from my fiance), threw off my oaks (for all i knew into the water), left my watch on, and without thinking my iphone in my pocket, and I in one bound I leaped from the railing like a bullet into the water. I don't think I've ever swam that fast in my life, let alone against the current. God was propelling me. Safety was my goal. Rescuing was the need.

At that point my leader was simply trying to stay afloat. Laying on his back, and keeping himself buoyant. He reminisced afterwards that he recalled thinking "this could be it..." until he heard me coming with an extra life jacket.

You see, the theme of our Houseboat trip was Rescue Me, and my leader needed rescuing. I'm not putting myself on a pedestal here, because I have no doubt that he would have done the exact same thing for me. The point is though that when we see someone in dire need of rescuing, we don't take the time to think about what we might lose in the process. I didn't take my time to do a checklist. "Let's see here...shirt off...check. Umm, phone of out my pocket...oh crap! good thing I took my time!!!" I didn't have time to think about those things. I just jumped in and swam as fast as I could. Who knows how much longer he could have kept it up? Muscle sinks quick, and despite how buoyant our bodies can be eventually we can't keep it any longer against the current and waves.

I think that this is sometimes what happens in our daily lives. We think something in life is important, we jump in after it, and before we know it, we find ourselves tired and drifting, further away from the safety of where we started. You see, if don't keep ourselves rooted in God's truth, or on the safety of the boat to keep the metaphor going, we find ourselves guided by our feelings. We "feel" like we want this, or we that we want that, but never to consider whether or not it's actually worth pursuing? Was his hat worth pursuing? Despite that it was his favorite hat? It's a hard thing to consider. What are you pursuing right now that is leaving you tired and drifting?

I'm reminded of Isaiah 53:6a which says "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way..." We have all taken side trips, guided by our feelings rather than God's truth, that end us up tired and drifting. And we wonder why we feel far from God? But the good news is this. Isaiah 53:6b says "and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

I think there are a lot of people right now who could hear this message. We need rescue from ourselves. We need rescuing period. The gospel isn't a thing that happens once. Surely once we trust that Christ is the only forgiveness of sins we are saved, but more than that, it's something that we need to continually remind ourselves of daily. How many of us have woken up stressed, tired, drifting, only to say "why should this be? i've already trusted Christ?" We need to continually trust Christ, daily, reteaching and relearning the gospel on a daily basis. So if you're tired and drifting, come back to Christ. Come back to the cross. Come back to the resurrection life.

Are you close to Jesus?

If you were to honestly ask yourself, “how close am I to Jesus” what would be your answer?  Now consider the question, if we could ask Jesus how close he thinks we are to him what would he say? The point here is not to make us feel bad, but to motivate us to change. As believers, deep inside our hearts, buried under our selfish desires, are the desires that God has instilled in us. They are intrinsically tied to faith and hope. The closer we get to Jesus, to his teachings, to his compassion, to his obedience, the more our heart opens up to the Spirit. We cannot be led by the Spirit without first following Jesus! Would you like to have this boldness? If you don’t’ have it, and you want it, what’s stopping you? 

supplies

Here is a small list of supplies you will need:

1. sleeping bag - one that packs down and not just rolled up (you may want a pad - or thermarest too)
2. hiking boots/shoes - these are for the hike - waterproof is better
3. strapped sandals for crossing the river
4. shorts and pants - preferably ones that dry quickly (not jeans)
5. short sleeve shirts and at least one long sleeve shirt - again, not cotton, rather synthetic
6. wool socks (several pairs)
7. flashlight/headlamp
8. your Bible and journal and pens/pencils/highlighters
9. sunglasses
10. hat/bandanna
11. toilet paper if you want/need it (if you bring tp you need to pack it out...meaning you need to put used tp in a ziplock to throw away once back to civilization) or you can bring biodegradable tp.
12. a watch
13. a rain jacket that's packable
14. a sweater/wool shirt for night time
15. stocking cap/gloves
16. Nalgene's/waterbottles - as many as you can
17. Camelback/Platypus (if you have one - or borrow one)
18. Backpack (a daypack is good for the hike up but if you want to bring your backpacking bag great)
19. sunscreen
20. any meds that you think you may need - I will be unable to offer anyone Tylenol, IBprofin, etc.
21. you may want ear plugs to help you sleep at night
22. toothbrush and toothpaste
23. chewing gum can help your ears at higher elevations
24. a great attitude
25. to round it to an easy 25 - bring anything you think you'll need that i didn't list :)

What not to bring:
1. cell phone
2. ipod
3. computer
4. food (we're providing it) - let me know if you're allergic to anything

Backpackers Unite!!!

I'm so excited for this weekend! What a way to celebrate the fourth of July! I'm pumped to get some great time in God's word and in his creation. It will be challenging physically (I guarantee it!), emotionally, mentally and of course spiritually! Make no mistake, this is not a light-hearted trip. It's designed to get the most out of students. Don't come expecting to sit every five minutes. There will be NO COMPLAINING on this trip. All talk will be encouraging and uplifting. You will be challenged. We will push you. But all of it is to see as many as possible make it to the top. It's been my experience that accomplishing feats like this together bond us to God and to each other in a way that no other trip can. It's not a trip filled with "fun" - but rather it's a trip filled with the "beauty" of God's creation. Where did Jesus go to pray? He didn't go play mini-golf that's for sure! He went to the mountains! Being made in the image of God ourselves, there is something intrinsically tied to our very souls that prompts us to be in and rule over God's creation. Please know that our trip will be filled with encouragement and love, so should you need to stop...it's ok :) Should you need to quit...it's ok. But know that we'll push you until you're at your limit. Should push come to shove, we'll not make you do more than you can. We want this to be an encouraging and yet challenging time for all of us...myself included.

Please remember that as a requirement for this trip each student should memorize as much as possible John 15:1-17. It's crucial that everyone prepare beforehand, meditating on what it means to "abide" in Christ as we partake in an adventure to help us understand in a deeper way just how much Jesus loves us and how we can respond by loving him and loving others.

Ok, here's some more info on our fast approaching trip! Initially we had plans to hike up Notch Mountain to see the naturally shaped snow-filled cross in Holy Cross Mountain. This proved to be more difficult as the northern road (Tigiwon Rd.) is closed for the year due to an infestation of beetles. The only other access is south of the Mountain via Holy Cross Jeep Road. As it turns out, the heavy snow fall the past month has deemed the Jeep Road still impassible...I know, dumb right!!! Ha. We would have had to hike in to get to the trail head to even be ready to backpack the nine miles north to Notch Mountain. That said, the snow is melting quickly this week due to nicer weather. You may say, "that's great!" It's really not. The problem is that the route requires that we cross a river a total of five times (just one way!), and with the snow melting the river gets higher and faster! Were I marching into this trip myself with just other experienced climbers I would...but we think it best to not try such a feat this time (I can hear your sighs of relief).

So what's Plan B? Great question! Mount Massive. Mount Massive is the second highest 14er in Colorado to Mount Elbert. Crazy enough, climbing Massive will actually prove to give us more spare time to enjoy creation as we can drive to the base of the mountain rather than have to spend our time backpacking in. While I would love (and prefer) to backpack in, the issues of the river and distance make Massive much more viable (ironically).

Massive rests in the middle of the Sawatch Mountain range, which is located in the center of the Rockies  (closest village is Leadville, CO). Massive is more than a mountain. In fact it's a whole region, with five different summits over 14,000 feet. It contains an entire half a square mile over 14,000 which is more than any other mountain in the 48 states. While Massive may seem intimidating, parents be assured, that while it boasts a summit 14,421 feet in the air (only 12 feet lower than Elbert!), it's not a difficult climb. In fact, by Mountaineering standards (and its rating system), Massive ranks as a Class 2 (actually, much of the route is a class 1 and is only a class 2 whilst walking the ridge) with an RP value of 267.

So what is a Class 2? Another great question. All climbs are ranked on a system with 1 being the lowest (trail hiking) and 5 being the highest (1-4 are single digit while 5 can go up to a 5.14 decimal - an extremely technical climb. The hardest I've climbed is a 5.10). When a mountain has a class 2 it is equivalent to bushwacking or hiking on a talus slope. So rest assured, Massive's class rating is very low.

So what is an R rating? R's are "points" by which Gary Roach (the most looked to source on mountaineering and the source of the information for this post...) uses to evaluate both the "effort" and "difficulty" of a given route, or as he likes to call it: the "efferculty" of a route over a given distance and elevation change, etc. Our route will be on the eastern slope which is the easiest way to the top (267 R points). We'll be on the trail by 5:00 AM in order to give us time to summit and enjoy some time at the top. We want to be off the summit by noon if possible though it can be delayed should there be no imminent weather.

Apart from weather and the mountain itself, the only difficulty will be crossing South Willow Creek (twice). We have to cross it twice at the front of our journey and it is higher than normal. All students will want to bring waterproof shoes if possible. If you do not have any bring a pair of sandals that strap to your feet that you can get wet. I have two pairs of Chaco's that guys might be able to wear. You can wear your sandals across and then put your shoes back on at the other side. If you have gaiters for hiking please bring them! And if you have extra that would be awesome. For crossing the river you'll want shorts on (it will be cold!!!) or fast drying pants. As we mentioned on Facebook you'll want to wear as little cotton as possible as it absorbs and sticks (if you're not an avid climber/hiker please trust me on this). This goes for shorts/pants as well. Wear clothes that can get wet only to dry quickly. Sweat-wicking shirts are best and pants/shorts made specifically for hiking. We'll take a rope and tie it off on either side of the creek to lock in students with carabiners (and a harness if necessary) in case the river is high and fast. We'll always have a leader cross with a student as well so as to help prevent anyone from taking an unexpected swim.

Rest assured, myself along with two other key staff are very capable with plenty of experience in this arena (I've also climbed Massive before...though off trail and much more difficult). Further, my fiance Nikki is a certified athletic trainer (with CPR) and will be carrying her supplies in case of an emergency. We'll also have a GPS, water purifiers, compass, maps, first aid, etc. We are well equipped for this trip!

Each student should look at the list posted on our facebook page (www.facebook.com/encounterym) for a list of what and what not to bring.

My cell number will also be listed should you need though our reception will be poor at best.

Looking forward to a great time in the wilderness!