Boulevard of Broken Dreams

"I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known....My shadow's the only one that walks beside me...Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me." Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer for Green Day, says a few statements that are so true for millions of people today. People are searching. Real people are really searching. Where are some answers for my life? Who will love me? We will listen? Who will give me their attention? Let me ask a question and let's be perfectly honest with ourselves. Can they come to any church in America and find what they are looking for? True Christianity would say yes. Our Americanized, "do church", ritualistic religion that we have made says "NO"! Times have got to change. Our social clubs need to burn, our selfish natures need to melt and our hearts need to be broken. Come on! Seriously, what are we doing? Pastor Wake up! Youth pastors... wake up! Christ following bankers, teachers, doctors, policemen, construction workers, secretaries; can we all get real for a minute? Our God calls us to make the most of every opportunity; so what are we doing? People die. People really die! Let's start really caring about people. As we go throughout our days. The gas station workers, waitresses, co-workers, the hundreds of people we come in contact with daily; love them. Please, let's get real.

Where is the Christian church?

Where are you church? when a kid is walking down the street dribbling a ball and has no friends; where are you church? When the crack-whore that lives 10 minutes from you and is getting ready to over-dose; where are you church? When the dad that does not know how to be a dad is frustrated and is 2 seconds from leaving his family; where are you church. I do not mean to come across in a hatred way, but church; you suck. where are you at? With the prostitute; where are you; drunkard, gossips,sinners, cutters; where are you church? You are the only one that can give them hope, so let me ask you one question where are you. Where am I? - Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise, but as wise, making the most out of every opportunity because the days are evil. - People are making unwise choices and are suffering. Make a wise choice today. Love someone. Help someone.

Wisdom is better than beer.

Wisdom is better than beer.

I love my wife. I think husbands should. Last night we were lying in bed and I was wanting to read what God said about marriage and our roles for one another, because I really want to love my wife more and honor her more. So we then turned to Ephesians 5. I wanted to pick up a little context so I read a little before the verse and then landed on a verse that consumed our conversation for the rest of the night. We did not end up talking about marriage, but about reality.

Verse 15 and 16 says that we are to "Be very careful then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every oppertunity, because the days are evil". We were talking about reality in real life. Many people live as if reality is not real, and therefore live in an unwise way. Is it true that people live their lives in debt and are numbed by the effects? People attempt to get filled by the botttom of a bottle? People give themselves over sexually to whomever and some cases whatever they want. People are entrapped in their lies and have convinced themselves that their lies are now true. There is a world living in fantasy land.

If God is going to be most glorified in me when I am most satisy in Him, then the wise way to live would be to get rid of everything it takes or add anything it takes until I am satisfied in Him. People see in the drunkard that alcohol is most glorified in them, when they are most satisfied in it. They are living unwise lives when they look to stuff in this world to fulfill their purpose. I need to live in wisdom today. Today live wise. Live in reality. Wisdom is better than lies, idols and debt. Wisdom is better than beer.

Salvation is here!

Ian put faith and trust in Christ tonight. As I continue in my role as a Student Pastor, God is doing some cool stuff. Ian is a street kid. He comes with his neighbors, when he comes to church. That was exactly where I was in my life. I hate to say it, but it has been awhile since I have lead someone to Christ. It feels amazing to be used by God. God was amazing tonight, as he came in the youth room and redeemed Ian. Praise God!

Am I a church planter or a Christ follower?

Lately I have been spending a large amount of time thinking, talking and praying about church planting, because I want to change the world. I have a few neat oppertunities in the near future. The only problem is, is that church planting has consumed my mind. I need to confess that first and foremost I am a Christ follower. I think when we get hung up on "stuff", even good and holy stuff. Stuff captures our attention and captures our hearts, and we fail. But when the holy God of the universe captures our hearts, then we are lead by His Spirit to take over the world. Whether its bad stuff (sin), just stuff(time on Xbox), or good stuff(wanting to plant a church so thousands are changed by God), stuff cannot control our minds. Colossians says to put or focus our minds on the things above where God is seated, not on the things of this earth. Let's dream big! Let's change the world! But let's do it with Christ leading us.

45 seconds.

45 seconds. Not a long time. What would you do if you had 45 seconds left in this world? Pray? Talk to your wife real quick? Talk to kids? Our lives are but a vapor, here and then gone. We should spend our time wisely. For me I need to get it in my mind what I am going to do today. I will Love God and love people today there is no other better day to die. If I am here tomorrow I will do it again. We are not invinsible. One day we'll all go home. Love God, love people today.

Our primary purpose for existence is not to glorify God.

These are thoughts from a friend on facebook. I also responded to what he said. This may seem kind of long, but worth reading. I would love to get feedback.

(from David) So, a couple of people have asked me what I discovered about my purpose in life, or whatever. And, I thought I'd post it on here for eveyone to read :-)d) What is life "for"?I think this maybe is where I disagreed some with what others have posted. I really do not believe our primary purpose for existence is to glorify the Lord. God is infinite. We cannot comprehend his power, knowledge, abilities, and traits. He was, is, and will be. He’s completely capable of bringing Himself the utmost amount of glory, beyond any way we can possibly fathom. He does not need us to bring Himself glory. (In some sense. Someone must be a witness to His glory. But, He can do things that bring Himself glory, without our intervention. Thus, our bringing glory to Him is not an exclusive purpose.) But, what He does need us for is relationship. Before god created the universe, it was only the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God made man in His image. He put man in charge of the world He created, and made a wonderful world that man could enjoy. And, most wonderfully, God walked with man in the Garden of Eden every day. The picture of Eden is not man doing things so God looks good. Eden was a perfect place where God and man communed. When we sinned, God loved us so much that He allowed His only Son to be killed on our behalf, so that we could share relationship with Him again. A God primarily interested in bringing glory to Himself wouldn’t give His Son for a bunch of people who continuously do NOT bring Him glory. A god primarily interested in loving us and sharing relationship with us would. And so, this is our purpose, to love the Lord, and to be loved by Him. And in this process of loving, MUCH glory is brought to the Lord. We are to glorify and serve the Lord, because of what He did for us. But love, and relationship, is the driving force.Joseph and I talked about this a long time ago... what are everyone else's thoughts?

(from me) David,Whats up bro? I like what you have written. During this whole "glorify God" movement (not writing that as if is a bad thing, actually a good thing), I have felt that there is more than just that simple statement. I have been looking at God through the O.T. and His love for people. He was so patient with Israel. Yeah there were times to smack them around and disciplined them, but through it all, He loved them. At the end of Romans 11(very interesting) He talks about how He grafted us in through Christ. Then picking up at Romans 12:1-2 (which everyone knows) talks about being a living sacrifce (loving God because He loved us). Also look at the greatest commandment -"Love God with everything and love people as yourself." There should be something about a love relationship in our life purpose statements. Thanks for this, you have helped me think deeper about this subject.