BAG's Blog

The Church...A Group???? Or A Family???

2010-09-21T11:59:00.000-05:00

We opened up at discussion this past weekend at Merge as we dream about taking the leap as a body of believers from going from being a group of people to a family of believers. What is interesting is that a group can do some really neat things because it is usually assembled with like-minded people who enjoy doing things together. They can get together and influence other people lives and have moments where when they talk about them later in life, it brings warm feelings and a smile to their faces.

But a family can offer all that and then more. A family can add intimacy and security that a group is not able to. A family can provide a safe place to dream and a soft place to land. A family can make the difference in you having dreams and achieving them.

When it comes to the church I am left wondering if we have settled for being a group but try to wear the label of family. I wonder how many of us are truly living in Biblical Community and how many are attending a service where a collection of people assemble, ingest information and never take the risk to get to know one another.

When a church is a GROUP it can be a nice addition to the community. It can meet some needs and provide a face lift in an otherwise dark area. But when a church becomes a family changed by Jesus, I believe it becomes a revolutionary force that can change the world.

What we must decide is who we want to be and if being a group is suffice then we need to confess to God that we are not willing to be the people He has called us to be and the people Jesus died for. At least this way we are not deceiving ourselves.

But if we decide to be a family then we must take the risk on one another, to love one another, to get knee deep in one another's lives and allow God to change the world by bringing us together as an unstoppable force.

At least that what I am thinking about right now.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Back From Blogcation...

2010-08-31T11:25:00.000-05:00

I know most of you have been chomping at the bit to read another post from the rambling mind of the one they call BAG. It has been a pretty good blogcation. I am planning on writing a bit more regularly in the coming weeks when thoughts come to mind but will not pressure or rush anything. So from time to time I will add more quotes from things I hear and are reading.

Much has happened over the past few weeks, leading the charge is Barak starting kindergarten where it has been an adventure. He is blowing me away with how much he has grown over the past year. This morning I was able to catch a sweet moment as I was dropping him off. He was sitting in his class line before their morning rally when a girl in his class says something to him to which he smiles and begins having a conversation with her.

It is cool seeing him make new friends and growing into a pretty cool boy. I am proud and humbled that God would grant Misty and me this great opportunity to be his parents.

That's all.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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On A Bit Of A Blogcation...

2010-07-10T11:05:00.000-05:00

I have tried to write a few posts in the the past couple of weeks with no avail. I can't think of any topics at the moment so I have decided to take the rest of the month off. Maybe by then I will have a new list of insanity to bring to you.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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A Good Quesiton To Ask Yourself Today...

2010-06-16T11:24:00.000-05:00

Whose life have you tried to make better today?

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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How Yesterday I Acted Like A Five Year Old (And Not In A Good Way)...

2010-06-10T09:55:00.001-05:00

Barak and I had a moment yesterday when I am pretty sure he was being an average 5 year old and I was willing to act like one even though I know better (or at least I should). I will spare you and me the embarrassment of a long drawn out story other than to say I was trying to use a moment to teach something important and instead allowed a small chilish tantrum to take control as if that was going to speak to Barak in a profound way.

It was one of those moments I am sure you have experienced. While doing it you know this is not the best way to handle the situation. But for some reason the voice telling you to stop or slow down is drowned out. Then sometimes God will use the voice of a 5 year old to really bring attention to your dysfunction "DDDAAAAAADDDD, is that how we are suppose to treat the things we have?????"

BUSTED!!!!!

Because of pride I found myself in the office working on justifying my actions and minimizing them as if they were no big deal. Truth is, I knew I had dropped the ball. I knew I had allowed my emotions to get the better of me. I knew that the example I just set for my son would get him a spanking if he followed in my footsteps. So I did something that I thought would be painful but actually turned out to bring a smile on my face and I think God's.

I called Barak into the office and asked for his hands (this my way of knowing that I have his attention. He thought he was in trouble because we use this move then as well.) I looked him in the eyes and said,

"Barak, I am not proud of how I handled that situation back there. I am not proud that was upset with you. I wish I could do it over again and do it differently but I won't have that opportunity. I wanted to say I am sorry and I hope the next time we will both do things differently."

You want to know what he did? He looked at me in the eyes and said, "O.K., sounds fair." Gave me a hug and went back to the living room.

The truth is, we will all blow it relationally in some form or fashion and there will be a moment when you feel that the right thing to do is apologize for your actions (even if you feel you were right, you may be willing to admit that there was a better way to prove it).

Then you will more than likely feel that tension between wanting to make it right and wanting to be comfortable. What you must decide is if you want to be the best version of you or the version of you that is still willing to throw temper tantrums like a 5 year old.

I think when we stretch out to be the best version of ourselves we can be and are willing to embrace the discomfort for the sake of growth, our Heavenly Father looks at us with a smile and speaks words into our soul that makes a great difference, "Look at you, you are growing. I am so proud of you."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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What To Do When God Says To Marry A Whore...

2010-06-01T16:56:00.001-05:00

It's not everyday that the Bible makes me laugh out loud (though you would be surprised just how often it happens). I have been journeying through the Bible with my best friend and this morning started reading the Old Testament book of Hosea. Check out what God tells this great prophet to do right out of the gate:

Hosea 1:2-3 (ESV)

2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

How would like it for one of the first things God says to you be something that seems so random and so controversial? How would you like to be Hosea introducing her to his parents or at the family reunion? "Mom, Dad this is Gomer, she works on the corner of whore and dom but you should get used to calling her daughter."
But right out of the gate, God says to Hosea, "We are going to shake things up around here and to do this you are going to do something that won't make sense anywhere but in your heart."

Truth is, God was using Hosea's marriage as an illustration for how His children (the Israelites) were treating Him and if you keep reading you get to see God's heart for those that are His and what He desires for us. But that is not what has been striking me today.

What is grabbing hold of my heart since this morning is where in my life is God wanting to shake things up by doing something as crazy as this in order to show the world His great love? Most of us want the benefits of life with God as long as it doesn't cause friction or discomfort in our lives. I dare say that if God told 98% of us to do something as ludicrous as what He told Hosea, we would walk away laughing.

Truth is, He has asked us for the ludicrous. He has told us to lay our lives at the foot of the Cross so that we can experience freedom and love and true living. He has said that as we do life with each other His work in us should be what is noticed as light invades the darkness. We must decrease so Christ can increase all the more.

What we have to come to grips with is whether or not we will "marry the whore" (men I would not recommend trying to crack a joke about your wife here. That probably won't end well:)) or "walk away laughing". Doing one will lead to freedom and an abundant life; the other will lead to oppression and boredom.

So what if all believers lived on this plane, where when God calls us to do things that the rest of the world wouldn't understand we do them because we are living for the applause of the One who made us, saved us and knows how we can live up to our full potential?

What if the children of God lived in such a way that it was obvious we are His?

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Barak Is 5 Today!!!!!!

2010-05-11T14:52:00.000-05:00

Last night before Barak went to sleep I asked him if he realized that he would go to sleep a 4 year old and wake up as a 5 year old. His smile was priceless. He is so proud to be turning 5. He thinks of it as a rite of passage, as if he were for some reason needing to become Jeremiah Johnson over night. This morning he woke up strutting around, when I picked him up so Misty and I can take him to lunch, he walked out telling everyone that he is going for Birthday lunch.

This afternoon I am stunned with the reality that my boy is getting older. 5 is a big one. There are a lot of days that come and go which I forget about almost as quickly as they came. But that day 5 years ago has been cemented in my heart since then. I remember holding him as he was about an hour old as he looked around at his brave new world as he embarked on his brave new adventure. Then I felt a great sense of excitement and anxiety all at the same time. The thought that God has allowed Misty and me the responsibility to raise Barak blows me away.

I am so proud of the boy that he is and can't figure out which stage in the past 5 years has been my favorites. What I do know is that my love for this boy grows by the day and I am looking forward to days to come. He makes me a better Father, a better friend. I get to see how I relate to my Heavenly Father in how he relates to me.
(And he loves the XBOX 360 and our "on the way" IPAD).

Happy Birthday Bear!!!

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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The Power of YOU...

2010-04-28T13:35:00.000-05:00

We have been spending some time at Merge learning about how we interact with the Holy Spirit. When some hear this they immediately think that Merge is spending time telling ghost stories about weird things that have happened in an attempt to get goose bumps and freak each other out. That is not the case.

I believe that knowledge is power and the more you know, the more motivated to getting active in life. Ignorance in this case isn't bliss, it's isolation. So we are asking some important questions in hopes that through God's Word we can better understand how to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit.

Most of this is birthed out of my own frustration surrounding my ability to ignore or explain away incredible opportunities the Holy Spirit is calling me on. Without the Holy Spirit, we are limited to human sized efforts which can only produce human sized results. BUT!!!!! If we are serious about believing that God has given us His Spirit, we take a very exciting leap in seeing Him do supernatural things producing God-sized results.

This is the plane we the church must live at. The power of you isn't much to get excited about. Sure you may do something helpful where people pat you on the back. They may even speak well of you behind your back but that kind of influence is very limited. The power of God however, changes everything; you get to see things happen around you and through you that is only concocted in your imagination. You go from dreaming in living color to living in it.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Today I Lend My Blog To Proof I Know How To Read....

2010-04-20T13:30:00.000-05:00

An Incredible Article...Well Maybe Not The Article But What It Is About Is Really Cool

Some Additional Thoughts From Sunday's Lesson At Merge...

2010-04-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

We opened up a discussion on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives this past Sunday at Merge. I am really excited about the season that I feel God is bringing us into and am anxious (in a good way) to experience more of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are approaching this series by unpacking some important questions I feel people have about the Holy Spirit. Last week was "WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?", this week we will unpack, "WHY DO I NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT?".

On Sunday, I left there feeling there was something I missed or didn't spend enough time unpacking but I couldn't put my finger on it...until last night. Misty encouraged me to read the passage I taught from out of her bible (she reads from the New Living Translation because she likes to be a bible snob:)). As I was reading the words what I couldn't put my finger on became very apparent.

1 Cor. 2:9-12

¹⁰ Butit was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. ¹¹ No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. ¹² And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

There it is folks....the spot where I think as believer's we should stop and just thank God for His Spirit that lives inside of us. The Holy Spirit reveals to us the deep secrets of God that are hidden from us apart from Him. We get to better understand what God wants from us, how we can please Him, how we can live an abundant life, how we can continually repent and break free from sin and it's temptations.

WE CAN LIVE THE LIFE GOD DESIRES FOR US TO LIVE BECAUSE OF THE ROLE THE HOLY SPIRIT PLAYS IN OUR LIFE!!!!!

Think about all the things that are great mysteries to you about God the Father. It is the Holy Spirit in His wisdom which reveals those things to you. With the Spirit we can do supernatural things in supernatural ways. Apart from Him we are limited to human size power resulting in human size results.

I am thankful today for this vital role the Holy Spirit plays in my life. I think it would be good for all of us today to stop and than Him for such a brilliant counselor.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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That Hill Is Too Steep...

2010-04-06T14:01:00.000-05:00

With the weather getting nicer and the sun staying out longer, Barak has been riding his bike more around the apartment complex. We are experiencing such an interesting transformation with him right now. He is becoming a boy. Yesterday there was a moment that made Misty apprehensive at first but proud afterward. He parks his bike and climbed a wall to get to some flowers. When I say "climbed a wall" I mean he climbed up twice his height. (Think Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2). He got to the top, grabbed the flower, handed it to me and then climbed down...all by himself.

Then there is this hill that he insists on going down which is much too steep for him to bike down safely. But he doesn't know that. He sees a hill that he wants to tackle and doesn't see any problem in trying. So we make it as safe as possible and let him have at it.

I suppose this is just a few of many more "all by myself" moments on the horizon.

Join Us This Sunday To Celebrate Easter At Merge...

2010-03-31T13:30:00.000-05:00

If you don't already have plans for this Sunday's Easter Celebration, why don't you go ahead and make plans on swinging by Merge. We will have live spitting camels, fire jugglers, clowns and a dodo bird (those things actually subject to change).

What we can promise is that you will experience a great place to hear about God in a welcoming environment with a really good looking guy doing some talking:)

Words To Chew On...

2010-03-23T14:27:00.000-05:00

"Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the Cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain."

---John Piper "Don't Waste Your Life"

What I Wanted To Do Was Ninja Kick Him To The Chest...

2010-03-09T14:21:00.000-06:00

I have been playing basketball at my local 24 hour fitness a few times a week for these past few months. I LOVE IT!!!! I always enjoyed basketball more than any other sport I was playing. I forgot how much I loved the competition of playing against another person when you stop them from scoring or when you shoot a three from the corner to end the game. To say the least, it is one of the highlights of my week.

But I do have a hidden agenda when playing. I want to help guys meet Jesus. With this in mind there are a lot of things I can't get away with. Case in point, yesterday we were playing 5 on 5 full court basketball and I was playing against a guy who plays regularly up there when I do. He has been a bit hard to get to know, he is a bit rough. One thing he really likes to do is throw his weight around by pushing and shoving on defense. Yesterday, I came down with a rebound and he chest bumped me into the wall.

As I laid there I had a few thoughts running through my mind "One ninja kick to the chest would put him down and everyone would probably think it is the greatest move of all time." "If I cry in front of everyone I will have to find a new gym and turn in my man card." "I wonder what would happen if I pantsed him and ran out of the gym?" Then the one that stopped me in my tracks: "What is the most loving thing I can do?"

As he stood over me, chest out, staring down like he did something impressive I said..."I sure am sorry you had to run into me, I hope I didn't hurt you." He stared for a second and then gave me the biggest smile I had ever seen him give as he extended his hand to help me up. After the game he came over and apologized. It made me smile.

You see, there is a very carnal and sinful side of me that wants to exact revenge when I feel I have been wounded but all of those wounds have been dealt with by Jesus. So now pick up basketball games now carry an eternal influence with them. How I react will effect how people will view Jesus in my life. I don't take that kind of perspective lightly.

My prayer is that we as God's kids would realize that there is much more on the line than we typically want to accept. Everything we do will speak of what God is doing in our lives. Every action and reaction will have consequences that speak of a story much grander than the one just about you.

Though I have many more stories of getting this wrong, yesterday I am convinced I brought a smile on my Heavenly Father's face. That my friend, is a good day.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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When Love Breaks Through...

2010-03-03T12:50:00.000-06:00

The other day at Merge we were walking through a prayer Paul prays in the book of Philippians where he asks God that our love would abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight we may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day Jesus comes back , and that we would be filled with His righteousness to the glory and praise of God.

It should not come as a shock to anyone that the pursuit of every Christian's life boils down to our desire to reflect Jesus to this world in order to bring as much praise to God as we can. What I find interesting is in this prayer the catalyst that Paul prays to unlock this beautiful reality...

LOVE!!!!

When love breaks through all other barriers begin to break down. When love breaks through we see things like patience and kindness and consideration take place over evil, selfishness and pride. When love breaks through we celebrate when good wins over evil and rest assured that in love we find protection and a hope for a better tomorrow.

When love breaks through addictions are broken, hearts are mended and lives are restored. When love breaks through we go from the wilderness to the promised land. We go from pieces to a masterpiece.

Our desire to live in love will change the courses of our lives. There are a million reasons we can give for choosing not to live in love. A few I hear from time to time usually deal with wounds received, wounds given, wounds of previous generations, wounds. What we forget is that all wounds can be healed in Jesus because in Him we find everything we need.

Love as it turns out is the most important thing about our lives. Not our yearly income, not our business I.Q., not how popular we are or how big the T.V. is.... Jesus tells us that our lives come down to our desire to LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE. All other commands fall under this great one.

I wonder what it would look like if love actually broke through in your life and you made it your mission to always act/react in the most loving ways possible. Maybe you should start wondering this with me:)

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Is Your God Big Enough???

2010-02-23T14:31:00.000-06:00

I said something while teaching on Sunday that I can't seem to stop thinking about. No it wasn't the remark about break-dancing monkeys or the dramatic re-enactment of Swine's routine in the SCS musical of Joseph (though the jazz hands were awesome). It came toward the end of the lesson as I was sharing some wrapping up thoughts.

We spent the morning working through Paul's prayer in the book of Colossians where he is praying that the church would be filled with the knowledge of God's will. This is an sticky subject for so many Christians because the process to them can be incredibly frustrating. Either God doesn't answer fast enough, loud enough or comfortable enough which leaves too many complaining about a Sovereign, Loving God who has incredible things in store for them.

And that wasn't even the tough part of the prayer for me. I especially appreciated the request that we would live lives worthy of the price that Jesus paid. (Want to talk about a proper kick in the pants the next time you decide to yell at the lady running the checkout register at Wal-Mart.)

We got to the end of our time and arrive at a very familiar place many lessons end up. That my friends is the subject of application. What will we do with these words we are wrestling with? I posed a question that has been constant in my mind since Sunday; "Do I believe that God is big enough to make these things come true?" Because if the answer is "NO" them we aren't serving a god worth following. But is the answer is "YES" then there should be nothing keeping us from praying God-sized prayers everyday of our lives.

Now, I have the crazy thought that God is big enough to answer any prayer that we may ask of Him according to His will; and that He loves to give His kids good things. Which only motivates me to praying bigger and bigger. I think the more clearly we see God and the bigger He gets in our lives then our prayers should reflect that growth.

Our prayers desperately need to shift from "What can You give me, God?" toward "What can I give You, God?" What if our prayers revolved more around what God is doing in and around us for His kingdom and less about what He is doing for our kingdom?

So if your God is big enough then search long and hard then ask Him to answer prayers than only He could answer. If He is not then I would encourage you to spend some time in the Bible and at a church...(I know a really good one in Lake Worth where the lead pastor is wicked awesome and looks a lot like Brad Pitt or a leprechaun).

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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A Great Promise From God

2010-02-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

Since Sunday I have had the rare occasion of teaching what I shared at Merge with two additional crowds. On Monday I spoke to the Junior Highers at Southwest Christian School's and this morning I spoke the same message to their High Schooler's. I love having the opportunity to speaking with teenagers because I believe there is so much potential in them and that one day the difference they will make is directly influenced by the voices that spoke into their lives. I consider it a privilege anytime God allows me to teach His word and these past two day have been very special.

If you were at Merge we opened up a discussion on some thoughts on prayer, specifically about a desire to spend more time focusing on prayers regarding God and His Kingdom and less about our own personal comfort and materialistic things that only seem to make like a little easier.

To kick off our thoughts we dove into one of my favorite verses found in the book of Jeremiah.

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." ---Jeremiah 33:3

1. God calls us to pray to Him. Why would we need a reminder to pray? Because like most of us it is only when life starts to get tight we attempt to bring God into the conversation (as if He wasn't aware in the first place). So He says to call unto Him because He knows better than we do what we need.

2. God promises to answer us. I believe this section section of verse 3 is important to note. God tells us that when we call to Him that He will respond to us. I am a very imperfect father but I always respond to any request He may have. That is not to say that the answer is yes every time and it is not to say that I say no even if he is convinced that yes is the best answer. God is a lot the same way (except He isn't as dorky and doesn't tell lame jokes). He promises to answer.

3. When we pray and God responds our faith in Him grows. God does not tell us "great and unsearchable things" so that we can be smarter or seem to be more spiritual than the next guy. He reveals these things so we can be active in the adventure of the story He is writing.

It is an incredible and humbling thought that God would even be interested in hearing our words, let alone respond to them. Nevertheless, He does responds to us in incredible ways. What a beautiful truth!!!

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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One Question I Have Been Wrestling With A Lot Lately...

2010-02-02T15:22:00.000-06:00

"If my prayers actually reach God's ears then why do I consistently pray so small?"

I have been thinking a lot about prayer in preparation to teach over the subject the next few weeks at Merge. It has been an interesting journey actually talking with God about talking with Him. One thought that is really steering this entire season and series is my willingness to spend so much time praying for things that really have little to no eternal consequence. That is not to belittle prayer or to say that we should only be praying deep, theological, King James sounding prayers; it merely recognizes that if our prayers are actually heard by the God of the universe then why don't we pray for greater things that have less temporal influence and more eternal possiblilties?

I am pretty sure I spend more time praying for financial blessing than opportunities to share the Gospel fearlessly. I ask for things that would make me just a little bit more comfortable in life over Paul's prayers for the Ephesians when He is pleading that the church would understand their great inheritance in Christ. With very little effort my prayers can become selfish, self-seeking and self-glorifying, treating God as if He were a bit player in the story of me (kind of like a side-kick, tights and all).

I wonder what it would look like if a church really got this? I wonder what it would look like if THE CHURCH really got this? I wonder what this would look like if YOU got this? My prayers lately have been that I would get this.

Prayer is more than just a magic list of wants. I think we all instinctively know this but few ever get any further than engaging pray in this way. This is the exciting part of the journey for me right now, I feel God is (as Paul prayed) opening the eyes of my heart that I may know the hope to which He has called me.

So I suppose the only proper way to end this blog thought is...

TO BE CONTINUED

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Merge Turns Two Today...

2010-01-20T14:21:00.000-06:00

Two years ago we opened our doors and had our very first gathering as a church plant in Lake Worth. (Technically we opened doors we were renting at Russell Hall but you get the point.) I don't think I will ever forget that first morning. I had new preacher clothes on, I was wearing my best dress shoes, and had one prayer..."God please let people show up!!!!" I experienced a different level of nervousness than I had ever had before that morning. Not only did people show up but God showed up.

That morning God gave me a very specific word to share. Our mission as a church will simply be that we love God by loving people!!!!! I love simplicity. I think we work to hard too complicate matters of life. As I explore and engage with scripture I see this thought all over the place. Even if I didn't, Jesus said the greatest of the commandments come down to our love for God and our love for people.   That morning we decided that we wouldn't judge success on the size of the crowd or the building rather we will decide success based on whether or not we are growing in our capacity to love.

I am greatly encouraged when I think of the great things God has allowed us to do over these past two years. Especially because I firmly believe we are doing these things through love. More importantly our community is taking notice of our desire. God has been opening up doors that were closed, answering prayers that were thoughts and using Merge to make a big difference in people's lives.

Whether that be supplying school supplies, school uniforms, serving kids during ESL class or Fiesta Night, reaching out to single mothers, providing Christmas presents in the name of Jesus to over 120 kids or handing out meals to kids who otherwise would have no food...God is allowing us to do something that will have eternal influence.

What brings even greater joy is when I think about the years to come. I am confident that God will allow Merge to do even greater things as we Merger's continue to show LOVE, seek ADVENTURE and build COMMUNITY. In fact, as we have sung many times; "Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to come in this city!!!!"

We are just beginning to see what God will do through a body of believers who are committed to The Gospel and showing His love. I believe the adventure we are on is one of epic proportions.

To those who have and are taking the journey with me I have humbly grateful for your presence in your life. You are literally a Godsend in every sense of the word. Let us not shrink back now, patting our selves on the back as if we have arrived and should rest on our laurels. Let's commit to pursue God together and show love in unity even more ferociously in the next two years as we have the previous one.

"Happy Birthday Merge"

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Words To Chew On...

2010-01-13T15:36:00.000-06:00

"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."

---Dietrich Bonhoeffer (The Cost of Discipleship)

Some Thoughts From Romans 6...

2010-01-06T11:23:00.000-06:00

I have started a new Bible reading plan from one of YouVersion's 20+ reading plans.
At the moment I am traveling through Genesis and Romans. This morning I ran across some incredible words that I wanted to share some thoughts on:

Romans 6:11-14:
"You must consider yourself dead to sin"... I am convinced the reason so many of us deal with reoccuring sins in our lives is that we have yet to get to a point where we wish to choose God over that sin. We like the idea of unconditional love and the forgiveness available in Christ but those sins are for lack of better words better security than the promises of God (at least that is the lie we have come to believe).

"Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness,"... There are many ways we in the church continue to do this, even very subtle ways. None the less, the result is the same, we engage willingly in acts that are not God-glorifying or healthy for us. I have heard many say that sin is fun for a season and that sin is offering fleeting fulfillment. I have found that both are very true...but let's be honest there is still a great struggle here. This is precisely why God sent Jesus. If we could whip our sin issue we would have no need for a Savior. Our response to such great love is that we would be continually transformed by repenting and fleeing from the temptations that are so easy for us to engage in.

"For sin will have not dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."...My prayer is that we would start to not only understand this more clearly but would start living it as the one of the foundations of our spiritual lives. I walk around far too often acting as if I am an innocent victim to sin. Justifying or rationalizing a decision or reaction to the fact that I am not perfect. When truth be told Paul has just told us that because of Jesus sin has no power over us. So is it possible that though temptation may exist, every act of sin comes from our willingness to actively engage in it? I think so.

The whole thought of this chapter is wrapped around a faulty line of reasoning. That we would sin so that grace may abound. When we live as this Paul tells us that we have not understood the reason Jesus came. He came so that we may be set free from sin and death. Our response to this is critical. 1. We become "slaves of righteousness" as a response to His great love shown first and without any deserving merit of our own. 2. We live in such a way that the world sees the difference and that The Gospel becomes a reflection of our every day life.

"Father, thank You for Jesus and for empowering me through Your Spirit to stop playing games with sin."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Christmas Thoughts From BAG...

2009-12-24T14:28:00.000-06:00

I have spent the past few days in areas where Christmas shopping was in full bloom. Ironically enough I had no Christmas shopping to be done (not that I am overly prepared. I just didn't have to buy for anyone due to my sweet wife). In the middle of crowded parking lots, slow traffic lights, people cutting others off and receiving the "Merry Christmas Middle Finger"; I couldn't help but have ample amounts to time to process through my dysfunction of hating the season while loving the reason for the season.

The true meaning of Christmas can get lost in the mix of so many wrong perspectives; the presents, the parties, the travels, the relatives, the recovery, etc. Christmas is really all about two reasons:

1. We needed a Savior.
2. God loves us so much to send us a Savior in Jesus.

In our very best of days we still fall eternally short in having a right relationship with God. You see, our sin creates a major barrier between us and Him. However, in His great love for us, He provides a sacrifice that provides us abundant life. What an incredible miracle.

What I learned over the past few days while dealing with the crowds, the traffic jams and the occasional "Christmas Finger" is the same Savior that died for my sins also died for theirs. My role in this equation is simple...to be a reflection of the love my Savior has rescued me through.

What if for only the next 24-36 hours we made much of Emanuel (God literally with us) and keep His love as the desires of our hearts? I don't know...if we really did I think this year may be the most special Christmas to date.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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One Reason I Love Merge...

2009-12-15T13:59:00.001-06:00

I love the church I get to serve at. Primarily for the facts that so many Merger's love Jesus, the Gospel, and are committed to at this point be a small church striving to make a big difference in Lake Worth. These past two years have been an amazing adventure as God called us to start something from nothing. As we continue down the road we are starting to see God open up even more doors where we can reach out and show His love to people who may not know Him yet.

We have been able to (by the grace of God) offering some relief to families that just needed a little lift as they try to keep them self afloat. This doesn't happen without a group effort. I say this quite a bit at Merge and feel it is worth repeating here: when our efforts are united we go from addition to multiplication. The impact that is felt is a great one.

One great measuring stick for a churches impact in her community is by asking a simple question I heard Rob Bell ask, "If this afternoon you boarded up the doors of the church and never met again...WOULD ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY NOTICE?)

I believe that we have even greater things and a greater impact to come in the next few chapters. But it does my heart well to think of what God is allowing us to do and smile because it is something really special.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Sunday Recap On a Tuesday...

2009-12-08T13:45:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: You Say You Want A Revolution
Lesson: The Secret Assassin Of The Church...Worry
Text: Matthew 6:19-34

Some Thoughts:
---There is a secret assassin that plagues the hearts of almost every believer. This assassin debilitates people causing them to suffer, hoard, live as a fraction of the people they are called to be. This assassin has been attacking the church relentlessly for thousands and thousands of years. It has ended marriages, ruined friendships, even caused murder. If we don't get a handle on this and lean hard into the liberating Word of God then this one issue may very well lead to your demise. For some revealing this assassin will come as a surprise because it lurks in the shadows almost undetected. For others this assassin has been with them so long they consider it a part of them. This assassin that is so dangerous...WORRY.

---What if I told you that worry is only a symptom to a much deeper issue? What if I told you that you don't have as much of a worry issue as you do a faith one?

---Starting in verse 19, Jesus begins with a series of decisions we make that when pulled back and seen from a distance reveal how worry is the only emotional response we are leaving ourselves and the peace we are praying for is available by making different choices.

OVERALL STATEMENT OF VERSES 19-34:
The things you are most devoted too, fuel the things you worry about the most.

v.19-20
---We are not talking about having a savings account or a 401k (in fact, there is a biblical mandate for saving for the proverbial winters in life). Storing treasures on earth is taking the things that are supposed to be an aid in your life and making them the ultimate pursuit of your life.

---Choose to invest you energies into things that will have an eternal impact.

v.22-23
---The point being that what we choose to look at will either cleanse or distort the light of God's revelation into our hearts.

---Choose to gaze upon things which promote healthy and Holy living.

v.24
---I love the line in the sand Jesus just drew. He says, "Don't play games, you can't serve two masters because what they are calling from you conflict with the other master."

---Choose wisely the master you serve.

v.25
---One of the major problems that come when we worry is that it creates a false reality. You spend more time reacting to "what may happen" and it never leads to you anywhere except towards DOOMSDAY scenarios.

---Never will our worrisome thoughts lead us to rainbows and kittens.

v.25
---Jesus is pulling us back and asking: Is not life more important than your job? Does your life = your job?

v.26
---Birds don't even try and God feeds them. Do you believe that God loves you more than the BIRDS??

v.27
---Can worrying in this now bring certainty in the next now? Can your worry today bring certainty into the next day? Jesus says if it can't then look at the birds of the air and settle in on this revolutionary thought that God loves you more than them.

v.28-30
---At the end of verse 30 Jesus connects the dots: The reason it is difficult for you to pull away and trust God with the uncertainty of tomorrow, the reason you are so devoted to and emotionally distraught about the issues of life is because you lack trust in God taking care of you.

---Maybe you get stuck on the same spot I get stuck: "I know God can save the world, but what about my groceries, my bills, my ____________."

v.31-34
---To beat worry we must choose a path which is God-centered, not self-centered. Because when our world is all about us, worry will beat peace every-time.

3 take-aways:
1. Worry is not just a waste of time. It's a waste of life.
2. We are to do what we can do, then trust God to do the rest.
3. What I am most devoted too, will be the object of my worry.

---My prayer for you is that you will start to see your worry as a great slap in the face of a perfect God. That we will start to quickly identify worry and leave it at the cross of Jesus because if you don't you will never be able to experience the life to the fullest He came to make available to you.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Sunday Recap On A Tuesday...

2009-12-01T14:40:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Lesson: A Thankful Church
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

Some Thoughts:
---Big Thought For This Morning:
A thankful CHURCH
is filled with thankful PEOPLE
who have thankful HEARTS

5 things I am THANKFUL for @ Merge:

1. Misty's willingness to work hard in a full time job so I can serve Merge full time. When we left to plant Merge both of us changed employers (since we were working for the same church). A major question we asked was rather or not I would become a bi-vocational pastor or devote all of my efforts at Merge. Misty was a big proponent for me being able to only have one job. So much to the point where she directs a Day School and carries a lot of responsibility so my energies can be focused on serving at Merge. For that I am grateful.

2. For what God is doing and the relationships being built in the body at Merge. God is doing some incredible things as fellow Merger's are on great adventures, receiving healing, and most importantly drawing closer to God. This is an exciting time for us as we see how big our God is.

3. For the continued influence we are developing at M.J. Miller Elementary School. We are being allowed to make a great difference in our community through our acts of service. People are experiencing the love of God through an avenue few churches pursue. For the continued difference I am grateful.

4. That God have been faithful to meet the needs of the church. It is an interesting endeavor anytime a group of people try to create something from nothing. A church is no exception. Over the past nearly two years there have been many moments praying for God's provision financially. Every time He has been faithful and abundant. We believe all of our resources (especially as a church) is a stewardship provided by God. For this reason we work hard at saving, giving and spending at Merge. I think that as we do this well in the early stages, as God grows us we will have even greater opportunities to serve Him with our finances.

5. Thankful for Jesus. His life and death brings us forgiveness of sin and life abundantly. His willingness to be obedient to the Father by laying His life down as a ransom for many is the greatest love story imaginable. God loves us, so much to send us Jesus. For Jesus, I am thankful.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Sunday Recap On A Tuesday...

2009-11-24T10:41:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: You Say You Want A Revolution
Lesson: The Hypocrite (part two)
Text: Matthew 6:9-18

Some Thoughts:
---Last week Jesus opened an area confronting our tendency to want to put our spirituality on display for all the wrong reasons. As He goes after our hearts, He is profoundly and simply stating that it is entirely possible to do good things in deceptive motives. He is confronting our willingness for doing things for the applause of men, rather than for the applause of God.

--- This is a touchy subject because for so many of us we have spent years, even decades, searching for the approval of a parent, a spouse, a child, a boss, an associate or a friend. When we do receive that approval it can become intoxicating to the point where it can become a dangerous pursuit of our lives.

v.1
---If your "acts" are done for the applause of men, don't be surprised when that is the only applause you receive.

---There are few greater compliments a Christian can receive than through your "acts" people proclaim that God has done something amazing and used you to do it.

---What Jesus is saying: GIVE anonymously, PRAY secretly, FAST quietly

PRAYER:
---the true aim of prayer is not to tune God's ear to our request; rather prayer is aimed to tune our hearts to His.

v.5-8
---So don't let you prayer frequency be dictated by the size of the crowd, don't babble thinking that the more words you use the better your chances are of being heard. Instead make prayer intimate, private an a heart thing more than a vocal thing.

v.9
---"This is HOW your should pray" not "This is WHAT you should pray". What Jesus is teaching us is essence not mechanics. Meaning, He will give us an umbrella to pray under, not a box to pray in.

v.10
---One prayer I have been praying in regards to verse 10 is "Help me become increasingly passionate about what you are doing and decreasingly passionate about my desire to attempt to steer my own ship."

v.11
---Our daily bread is a miracle from God. There was a time in the history of Israel when they were in a barren desert and God would provide Manna and Quail for them to eat. Every morning was a visual reminder of God's provision. You know what happened? What was a miracle on Monday because a complaint on Thursday!!!

---Do you realize that God is smarter than you? Do you realize that He knows what you need before you do and has promised to take care of all of your needs? STOP!!! Because you nod with your heads but your hearts and worries tell a completely different story.

---Your car isn't daily bread, it's the icing on the cake.

v.13
---The best protection from sin and temptation is pre-deciding to do life God's Way and turning to Him as you depend on His direction.

v.12,14-15
---Our forgiveness of others effects our relationship with God.

FASTING:
v.16-18
---The purpose of the fast since Jesus is basically to gain greater clarity in life or intimacy with God by drawing closer to Him by gong without food (or something) in order to devote more time in prayer or the Word.

---The object of the fast should be something that you quite possibly are placing a higher value on than your relationship with God.

---Some great reasons to fast:
1. An important decision
2. Fighting a particular sin
3. Developing a deeper dependence on God.
4. Training in self-discipline

---Jesus says fasting (like giving and prayer) has less to do with an audience and more to do with you and God.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Sunday Recap On A Tuesday...

2009-11-17T13:35:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: You Say You Want A Revolution
Lesson: The Hypocrite (part one)
Text: Matthew 6:1-8

Some Thoughts:
---We are traveling through Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount. Last week Jesus spoke truth into our lives as He went after many areas that plague our hearts. This morning Jesus will continue to refine our hearts when it comes to our spirituality which is on display for all to see.

---There is a very real danger of a spirituality that is one thing externally and another internally.

---It is entirely possible for do good things for the wrong reasons.

v.1
---Jesus is saying that there is a line where our acts go from being God-glorifying to being self-promoting. There are a lot of things we do under the guise of "IN THE NAME OF GOD" that are really desperate attempts to seek the approval of men. To this unfortunate truth Jesus gives us all a great warning.

Big Thought:
If your 'acts' are done for the applause of men, don't be surprised when that is the only applause you receive.

v.2
---Before we cast judgment on the hypocrites let us ask ourselves:
Have you ever given a gift to someone only to remind them that you are the one who gave it? Have you ever tried to bring attention to your 'selfless' act of giving? Have you ever tooted your own horn when it comes to giving? This is the problem Jesus is talking about.

---A hypocrite was originally a Greek actor who wore different masks to play various roles. Jesus criticize the religious leaders for a particular form of hypocrisy: doing the right things for the wrong reasons.

---"To stand with a penny in one hand and a trumpet in the other is the posture of hypocrisy."

v.3
---A great question you can ask to test your motives in giving is: "Would I still do this if no one ever knew it was me?"

Three quick thoughts on giving:
1. True giving comes from a hearts that has first been surrendered to God.
---We will not be able to give "God's Way" if we are not committed to live "God's Way".

2. When we are giving "God's Way" we are promised a reward by God.
3. The credit for giving "God's Way" should point to God...not us.

v.5
---The essence of prayer is not public style but private communication with God.
---The best way to be seen as living a Holy life is by striving to live a Holy life.

v.6
---Make no mistake here, Jesus was certainly not discouraging prayer any more than He was discouraging giving earlier. What He spoke against was playing the role of a hypocrite when going though the motions of prayer.

v.7-8
---The greatest prayer ever uttered are those prayed from a pure heart in the moment of great desperation. "SAVE ME JESUS" carries more weight theologically as some of the Thanksgiving prayers we will hear in the coming weeks.

---Our hearts make the difference in prayer, not our words.

3 Quick Thoughts On Prayer:
1. Be careful with your prayers are dictated by the size of the crowd.
2. When you don't know what to pray about, sit in the silence and listen.
3. The aim of prayer is not to tune God's ear to ours; rather prayer is aimed to tune our hearts to His.

---"Show when you are tempted to hide and hide when you are tempted to show." A.B. Bruce

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Sunday Recap On A Tuesday...

2009-11-10T12:49:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: You Say You Want A Revolution
Lesson: "But I Tell You"
Text: Matthew 5:21-48

Some Thoughts:
---We are traveling through Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount. Last week Jesus introduced Himself in how He relates to the Law of God. This gives us context for where we are heading so let's to a quick recap:

1. The Law is the STANDARD that must be kept to have ETERNAL LIFE with God.
2. Because it is IMPOSSIBLE for us to fully keep THE LAW; Jesus came to FULFILL it.
3. When it comes to The Law, it is the deep ATTITUDES of the heart that need to be dealt with...not just the VISIBLE BEHAVIORS.
***The Pharisees and Scribes were creating a system of treating the symptoms of sin without ever going to the heart of the matter. They were trying to cure cancer with Tylenol thinking that because their head ache was gone, then all should be all right. Here is what we know: if you treat the symptoms you will find temporarily relief. But if you treat the issue,you will find transformation and health. ***
4. Jesus isn't REDEFINING the Law; He is CLARIFYING it.

---"We believe only as much of the Bible as we put into practice" Warren Weirsbe

---As we wrestle with these words we must realize that "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Meaning the sins we are carrying from our past and the ones we are currently wrestling with should be nailed to the Cross. This should bring us both great hope and motivation to doing life God's way.

v. 21-48 (Jesus teaches about Anger and Lust)
---The Pharisees read this law and, not having literally murdered anyone, felt righteous. Yet it would be their anger with Jesus that would soon plot His death, though they would not do the dirty work themselves Jesus is exposing the deeper of Murder...Anger.

1. If you don't manage your ANGER it will control you.
2. Anger MANAGEMENT and relationship reconciliation are a high priority than WORSHIP.

---Anger and strife conflict with our greatest commandment to live lives of love. We are hypocrites if we claim to love God while we hate others. Our attitudes toward others reflect our relationship with God.

vs. 27-30 (Jesus teaches about Adultery and Lust)
---Lust is always a major factor in peoples decision to commit adultery.

1. Lust is a problem that must be dealt with in the HEAD, not just the BED.

---Think we don't have a lust problem in our nation:
17+billions dollars is made in the porn industry every year (that is more than NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL combined).
11,000 adult movies are made a year (20 times Hollywood's production rate)
55% of all movies rented in hotels are pornography (average length viewed...12 minutes)
1 in 5 Blackberry and IPHONE users have viewed porn on their screens.

---Need a little more??? Let's talk about kids and porn:
Average age of first internet exposure to pornography...11
Percentage of 15-17 year olds having multiple hard-core exposures...80%
Percentage of 8-16 years olds having viewed porn online...90%

---if you think this issue has escaped the church you are sadly mistaken. Jesus is saying that this is a serious issue that must be dealt with in drastic measures. He is saying that it is better to experience the pain of the removal of the sin than to bring judgment and condemnation and self-destruction into your life.

2. Be willing to take DRASTIC ACTION to deal with your WEAKNESS.

vs. 31-32 (Jesus teaches on Divorce)
---The greatest attack on the sanctity of marriage in my opinion is not the Homosexual Marriage debate going on in our nation today. The greatest attack on the sanctity of marriage is that far to many Christians are making commitments between them, God and their spouse; then walking away from that commitment for reasons other than what God gives permission for.

1. Instead of looking for a way to JUSTIFY your SEPARATION, look for a way to STRENGTHEN your relationship.

vs. 33-37 (Jesus teaches about Vows)
1. Don't let your WORD be so WEAK that it needs to be PROPPED UP.

vs. 38-42 (Jesus teaches about Retaliation)
---Jesus steps right up and clarifies our role when it comes to out very real desire to seek revenge. We don't really like this and it's apparent because so few of us actually live this out. But if we are going to be serious about doing life in a way that is more God-glorifying and less Self-gratifying we desperately need to carry the essence of this law into every area of our lives.

1. Go out of your way to defuse CONFLICT, avoid RETALIATION and go the EXTRA MILE to do a good thing.

vs. 43-48 (Jesus teaches about Loving Enemies)
1. Avoid the desire to take matters of REVENGE into your own hands.

2. When wronged, let your actions and reactions make it OBVIOUS that you are GOD'S CHILD.

WRAPPING IT UP...
---What if we because less concerned with patting ourselves on the back for not punching that person in the face and more concerned with understanding what is going on to lead us to those feelings in the first place.

---I believe if this were the case we would look more like Jesus to people who desperately need to see more of Him and we will experience a greater fulfillment than what this world can offer.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Friday Thoughts

2009-11-06T16:09:00.000-06:00

It's Friday and I find myself in a rare occasion having my lesson for Sunday typed, the talk notes printed and am now in study mode. I love the church I get to lead. God is doing some really special things at Merge and I believe we are still just scratching the surface of what this will end up looking like. I don't have much to complain about...I get to work with one of my best friends, my wife is my greatest counselor and the Elder's I work for believe the best in me.

It is an interesting adventure to be on when God calls you to start something from nothing. What I am learning is although there may be many "How To" books on the subject, rarely will you find Cookie-Cutter Church Planting.

I am thankful that Mr. Mclaine, Mr. Young and Mrs. Smith at M.J. Miller Elementary School are willing to let us be a small church trying to make a big difference in their school. I can't wait to see what is in store for us there over these coming years.

Sunday is going to be incredible. I am excited and challenged b the text we will be wrestling with. If you don't have a place to go, you should consider swinging by.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Sunday Reacap On A Tuesday...

2009-11-03T10:49:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: You Say You Want A Revolution
Lesson: Jesus, The Law and You
Text: Matthew 5:17-20

Some Thoughts:
---In verses 3-16 Jesus has spoken of a Christian's character, and of the influence he will have in the world if he exhibits this character. He is now going to further define His love in the development of our lives in terms of a righteousness that only He can provide.

v.17
---Jesus has just addressed His relationship in regards to the Law of God. He tells them that He has no desire to defeat the Law, rather He is going to fulfill all of them.

Truths about The Law:

1. The Law is the STANDARD that must be kept to earn ETERNAL LIFE with the Heavenly Father.

---One of our major issues when it comes to the Law and a right standing with God is that we somehow started to think that good should be good enough.

2. It is impossible for any human to COMPLETELY KEEP The Law.
---Romans 5:12

---So Jesus says don't think that I have come to destroy the Law because that wouldn't save you. Rather, He says that He has come to fulfill it and in so doing brings us hope.

v.18
---Jesus wanted to reveal the full depth of the meaning the law was intended to hold in our lives.

---"The Old Testament is the Gospel in the bud, the New Testament is the Gospel in full flower." ---Bishop Ryle

v.19
Jesus wanted people to understand their COMPLETE INABILITY to keep the law. (this idea is so important I wanted us to engage it twice.)

---Because we can't do this life in perfection we need a worthy sacrifice. In the system God gives us to deal with sin, from the very beginning we see a process of Law and Sacrifice. When the law was given, the lamb was also given. When Moses was chosen as a lawgiver, God also set apart Aaron as a high priest.

---Old Testament sacrifices were signpost that pointed to Jesus.

v.20
---The condition the Pharisees developed was that they were concerned greatly about having clean hands but their hearts were filthy. The issue with this is that clean hands is more behavioral modification and less authentic living.

---What we need most from Jesus isn't a new robe, it's a new heart.

2 Observations about the religious leaders of the first century:
1. The religious leaders of the first century REDEFINED and ADJUSTED the Law to JUDGE others and JUSTIFY themselves.

---The were prided on their ability to keep the law but in a closer look they would make some law's demands less demanding and some law's permissions more permissive resulting in a very dangerous spirituality.

2. The religious leaders of the first century valued their own INTERPRETATIONS of the law more than God HIMSELF.

---Matt. 15:1-9

--- The spirituality that was created is a very dangerous on we call Human Righteousness

4 issues created from Human Righteousness:
1. Human Righteousness is more concerned with the clean hands and ignores the heart.
---While we tend to evaluate on the externals, it is God's nature to look at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)

2. Human Righteousness will water down the STANDARDS of the Law.
---Tell me if you have never tried this one. You know where the line is in regards to sin (sexually, professionally, relationally) and instead of fleeing from it you creep closer and closer to the line claiming that you have done nothing wrong...yet.

---The essence of the Law is not to see how close you can get to it without breaking it. Jesus wants to show us how far from the standard we fall while realizing that He has fulfilled the obligation the law held over us.

3. Human righteousness is always SELF-GRATIFYING instead of GOD-GLORIFYING.
---If you want people to be impressed by you then by all means live as a Pharisee. If you want to see people who are far from God find the life that is available in Christ then you must concerned yourself with both clean hands and a pure heart.

4. Human righteousness is not the kind of righteousness God REQUIRES.
---You can pile human goodness upon human goodness; you can refine and perfect it, and polish it, but no matter how hard you try you fall short of God's standard because human righteousness is qualitatively different from the righteousness of God.

---Romans 3:21-26

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Sunday Recap On A Tuesday...

2009-10-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: You Say You Want A Revolution
Lesson: Salt and Light
Text: Matthew 5:13-16

Some Thoughts:
---The past two weeks we have been focusing on a section of the sermon entitled "The Beatitudes" which are a collection of promises made to those who choose to pursue God's way of living.

---In this lesson we will be wrestling with one of the most famous sections in this sermon and quite possibly one of the most recognizable things Jesus says about us. He is going to teach that the character produced by living the Beatitudes will have an effect in the influence and responsibility we have with others.

v.13
---The main use for salt in Jesus' day was as a preserver to keep meat from going bad as quickly.

---To better understand our role as salt we must be honest with ourselves when it comes to the world around us. As much as it may pain us to say it, this world is decaying because of sin. (see Ephesians 2:1-3)

---Jesus says, YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH, meaning that you (as salt) are to arrest or at least hinder the process of the decay going on around you. For this to happen we have to be active in this world. As one commentator puts it, "We have no business hiding in the salt cellars of the church."

---I find it interesting when society does go bad, we Christians tend to throw up our hands in disgust and complain about the world for acting like the world; but shouldn't we more accurately complain about ourselves for not doing what we have been created to do? One can hardly blame unsalted meat for going bad. That is what it is designed to do. It can't do anything else without a miracle. The real question is: where is the salt?

---Salt is a very stable compound but it's effectiveness is conditional, meaning it can become tasteless when it is contaminated by dirt, sand and other impurities.

Two common errors we make in regards to salt:
1. We think the world can eventually become good and maybe even perfect if it will just act more Christian.

---The world doesn't need Christian morals. The world needs Jesus. Our mission is to ferociously reflect Jesus in hopes others would find the hope that is only available in Him.

2. Because the world is rotten, Christians should disassociate from it.

---The salt never did any good when it was sitting on one shelf and the meat on another. To be effective, the salt has to be rubbed into the meat. In a similar way, Christian must allow God to rub them into the world.

v14-15
---The first clear implication is that that the world is in darkness where spiritual things are concerned. The tragedy of this is that scripture says that men actually prefer the darkness.

---I think men choose the darkness mainly because they know how the darkness works. I have heard it illustrated like choosing to play in mud pits when you could have an incredible vacation at sea. Or choosing to eat mud pies when you could have fajitas.

---It saddens me when I think about how dark it is in this world when so many of us Christians do little more than shine our lights for each other. We use our light as a perimeter and not a beacon keeping people out because they "mess up the group picture".

---Some ways we hid our light (from LIFE APPLICATION Study Bible)
1. Being quiet when we should speak
2. Going along with the crowd
3. Denying the light
4. Letting sin dim our light
5. Not explaining our light to others
6. Ignoring the needs of others

v.16
---Where we have a hard time doing this is because we like the idea that our good deeds will be noticed. We just prefer that it stopped there. We want the credit.

Some Light Observations:
1. We are not light generating, we are light reflecting.
***2 Corinthians 3:18

2. Our light should be visible to others.

3. Our light should be helpful to others.

4. The best place for a light is in a dark place.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Maybe My New Favorite Song Of All Time (Or At Least Today)...

2009-10-22T14:07:00.003-05:00

There is a song we have been singing the past few weeks at Merge that is by no means new and by no means have I never heard it before. One of the groups I listen to (Shane and Shane) did a rendition of it on an album of theirs and I always liked it.

But over these past two weeks I have been able to engage with these words in worship. There is power in being able to read words on a screen as you sing them to your Creator. At times seeing the words can be refreshing, challenging, convicting, or in this case liberating.

It is an old hymn "Before the Throne Of God Above" written in 1863 by Charitie L. Bancroft. You should slow down and read the promise of these lyrics:

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!

One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Sunday Morning Recap On A Tuesday...

2009-10-20T11:02:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: You Say You Want A Revolution
Lesson: The Beatitudes (Part Two)
Text: Matthew 5:7-12

Some Thoughts:
---Jesus tells us, "You want to see a revolution in your life, let me show you how to live!!!"

---There is an interesting balance in these Beatitudes. The first four deal with how we relate to God then the last four will address how we are to relate with each other in this world. But we don't see two separate lists, or a pick your favorite and ignore the ones you don't like. Instead these beatitudes support one another and build on one another as we get to see a snapshot of living Holy Lives because of Jesus.

---If the promises of the first four beatitudes are true then it is safe to assume that our relationship with God WILL have an effect on how we relate to one another.

v.7
---Jesus is very serious about our need to live in relational forgiveness with one another through mercy. To the point that He says when we refuse to forgive, it is an if we never understood the great forgiveness of our Heavenly Father to the point that we may not even have it.

---Essentially, when we act in mercy we are acting in love. Anytime we act out in love...we reflect Christ. Anytime we reflect Christ...we draw closer to God. Which make us even more loving people.

v.8
---"the pure in heart are the single-minded, who are free from the tyranny of a divided self" R.V.G. Tasker

---It is not possible to live as the pure in heart and continue to compartmentalize your life. Jesus isn't just Lord on Sunday and when you are around church people. There should be no "work" you and "home" you and "church" you.

v.9
---There is a way to promote peace without looking wimpy or spineless.

v.10-11
---Jesus is very clear about the blessing that comes in persecution for the right reasons. There is no blessing for those who are simply the creepy, judgmental, condescending Christian that no one wants to have anything to do with.

---We must have an accurate view of what persecution is. You are not being persecuted because one of your co-workers asks you to turn down your KLTY. You are not being persecuted is the greeter at Wal-Mart wishes you Happy Holiday's instead of Merry Christmas. You are not being persecuted if your school district won't mandate prayer time in the school.

---What does it mean to be persecuted for "righteousness" sake? Simply put, it means to be persecuted for being like Jesus Christ Himself.

---Could it be true that our Christianity in this country does more blending than shining? Could that be the reason we don't experience persecution like they do in other parts of the world? Has the world become tolerant of us because they can't see the difference that lives in us?

---IS THE REASON I DON'T FACE MORE PERSECUTION IN MY LIFE BECAUSE JESUS ISN'T RECOGNIZABLE ENOUGH IN HOW I LIVE????

---Our role in God's story is to (in love) help people see not how ill-advised sin is but how deadly it is and how Jesus has come to take the punishment of that sin on our behalf. We have been shown love and we have been scarred by it.

---People are still literally putting their lives on the line for the Gospel; but I fear our greatest obstacle is that we prefer comfort more than the revolution. We only want to speak half truths about Jesus (not enough to ruffle feathers, but enough to appease our guilt).

v.12
---2 Reasons we can rejoice and be glad in the mix of persecution:
1. Persecution because of righteousness is evidence that we are united to Jesus.
2. If we are perescuted because of righteousness, we can be certain that the Holy Spirit has been at work in our hearts, turning us from our sin towards Jesus' way.

---John Stott writes:
"The beatitudes paint a comprehensive portrait of a Christian disciple. We see Him first alone on his knees before God, acknowledging his spiritual poverty and mourning over it. This makes him meek or gentle in all his relationships, since honesty compels him to allow others to think of him what before God he confesses himself to be. Yet he is far from giving in to his sinfulness, for he hungers and thirsts after righteousness, longing to grow in grace and goodness.

We see him next with other, out in human community. His relationship with God does not cause him to withdraw from society, for he is not insulated from the world's pain. On the contrary, he is in the thick of it, showing mercy to those battered by adversity and sin. He is transparently sincere in all his dealings and seek to pray a constructive role as a peacemaker. Yet he is not thanked for his efforts, but rather opposed, slandered, insulted and persecuted on account of the righteousness for which he stands and the Christ with whom he is identified.

Such is the man of woman who is "blessed", that is, who has the approval of God and finds fulfillment as a human being."

Sunday Recap On Tuesday...

2009-10-13T14:48:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: You Say You Want A Revolution
Lesson: The Beatitudes (Part One)
Text: Matthew 5:1-6

Some Thoughts:
---One of the greatest misunderstandings people had about Jesus was in how He was bringing the Kingdom of God to Earth. They looked at Him as if He were a conquering King (which He is) but they thought the revolution He would lead to break free from Roman rule would come as an invading army with great force.

---People were crying out for a revolution and Jesus multiple times would say, "You want a revolution in your family? In your city? In your nation? Let me show you how to live!!!"

---If we want to see a different world, we have to stand up and be different people! In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us specific instruction in how to live differently on purpose.

***Matthew 5:1-6

---Jesus will continually through these words, step into our lives and raise the bar in how we are to do life His way. Jesus will not offer feel-good theology here.

---"Most critics who are offended at the things Jesus says are offended precisely because He does not utter safe platitudes." G.K. Chesterson

v.3
---Poor in Spirit are those who realize they are spiritually bankrupt in the presence of Holy God. They have nothing of merit to barter with the King Eternal.

---It is interesting that the first principle for understanding the Sermon on the Mount is that we cannot fulfill the standards of the Sermon by ourselves.

v.4
--- Once we realize we are spiritually bankrupt, we better see why that is (our sin being the issue). So we mourn over sin and despise it. We see sin the way God sees it and seek to treat it the way He does.

v.5
---The church of today has taken this thought of meekness and stripped it of all testosterone resulting in a lot of wimpy looking and living Christians. If we are modeling after Jesus I dare you to find a place in scripture where He comes off wimpy or lacking a backbone. Surely, our definition of meekness is wrong!!!

---"The meek are 'the gentle', those who do not assert themselves over others in order to further their own agendas in their own strength, but who will nonetheless inherit the earth because they trust in God to direct the outcome of events." ESV Study Bible Notes

---"If you are serious about walking by faith...try gentleness. Allow your Lord room to be just that--- the Sovereign Lord in full control, capable of fighting for you and conquering whatever territory you need to inherit." Charles Swindoll

v.6
---Verse 6 reflects true spiritual passion, and insatiable hunger to know God intimately, to model His ways personally.

Wrapping it up...
"The beatitudes paint a comprehensive portrait of a Christian disciple. We see him first alone on his knees before God, acknowledging his spiritual poverty and mourning over it. This makes him meek or gentle in all his relationships, since honesty compels him to allow others to think of him what before God he confesses himself to be. Yet he is far from giving in to his sinfulness, for he hungers and thirsts after righteousness, longing to grow in grace and in goodness." John Stott

---Bottom line: The first four beatitudes should most definitely bring us to a bigger view of who God is.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Words To Chew On...

2009-10-01T12:23:00.001-05:00

"Our commitment to Jesus can stand on no other foundation than a recognition that He is te one who knows the truth about our lives and out universe. It is not possible to trust Jesus, or anyone else, in matters we do not believe Him to be confident."

--- Dallas Willard

Sunday Recap On Tuesday

2009-09-22T09:57:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: Other People
Lesson: Other People Need Forgiveness
Text: Luke 23:34; Matthew 18:21-35

Some Thoughts:
---A major factor in us being "successful" at Merge has to do with your willingness to engage "other people" in hopes that those who are far God will find life through Christ.

---Let's see what happens when we actually follow Jesus' lead rather than just say we are.

---One of the most absurd verses I find in all of scripture is Luke 23:34. The very people who thought they were murdering Jesus, He is pleading with our Heavenly Father to forgive them.

---If we are going to follow Jesus with our whole lives as we claim we do as Christians, we MUST learn to forgive other people for the wrongs they have done as we follow Jesus as the model and perfector of our faith.

---Let me tell you why I have in the past found it difficult to forgive other people. When someone has wounded me, my instinct is to get even. They took something from me and I want at least equal value in return or more. My problem with forgiveness is that it doesn't seem to balance the equation. In fact, it feels at times as if the one who did the wounding is getting off with a win.

---Sadly, most of the time we withhold forgiveness expecting equal return, there is no way they can make it right. If I break a plate I can replace it. But how do you replace a broken heart, lost time, lost opportunities?

Matthew 18:21-35

---We are all servants in the debt of the King where there is no possible way to repay the offense done to Him apart from His graceful and merciful forgiveness because of Jesus.

---Jesus says, "You want to know what is ludicrous? When you walk around not forgiving for relational wounds that don't even come close to the magnitude of the forgiveness your Heavenly Father has made available to you."

---A transformed heart must result in a changed life that offers the same mercy and forgiveness that has received from God.

4 Steps toward Forgiveness:
1. Identify with whom you are angry with.
2. Determine what they owe you.
3. Cancel the Debt.
4. Dismiss the Case.

---If you do believe that God's Word is infallible and is one of the greatest ways to find direction and wisdom, then you can't just pick and choose the parts you want to submit too. You can't take the sections that make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and ignore the areas that cause discomfort.

---The One who is telling us to live lives of mercy and forgiveness prayed for His enemies at a time we would have been lashing out in anything but love.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Sunday Recap On A Tuesday

2009-09-15T10:00:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: Other People
Lesson: Other People Need Acceptance
Text: Luke 5:27-32

Some Thoughts:
---A major factor in us being "successful" at Merge has to do with your willingness to engage "other people" in hopes that those who are far from God will find life through Christ.

---One of the things we find in the Gospel's is people who looked nothing like Jesus... actually liked Jesus, and He liked them in return. It didn't really matter what kind of baggage they were carrying around or what their ailment was. These people flocked to Jesus and seemed to hang on His every word. And unlike most of the church, He accepted them and it changed their lives.

---Luke 5:27-28...Apparently no one taught Jesus the ever so important societal rule that like sticks with like and different stays different.

---v29...Jesus shared a meal with with a large crowd of tax collectors and others and He didn't explode, or turn to a life of crime, or led into a moral failure. Jesus engaged these people and He didn't grow horns and start selling drugs to little kids. (and all the church people say...NO WAY!!!"

---I caught myself this week having to own up to the fact that I have way too few people who look nothing like Jesus in my life. My bet is that same can be true for you. It is so easy to surround ourselves in a Christian bubble unaware of the fact that we have cut ourselves off from the people who need the love of Jesus the most.

---v.30...A major question we will need to address before we can be the people God is calling us to be: "When will I stop looking at people based on their sins and start seeing them through the scope of the cross?"

---Messy people came to Jesus messy. We should expect them to clean up their act, then go to Jesus. He is the only way they will be able to be healed from what is destroying their lives.

---v31-32...Jesus teaches us there is a way to accept people without championing or condoning their choices.

---When it is a matter of life or death all that matters is life or death.

---Some thoughts on helping Merge become a more accepting place:
1. Refuse to let guests go by unnoticed.
2. Refuse to stop praying that God would move in this city through us.
3. Refuse to accept Consumer Christianity.

---Some thoughts on becoming a more accepting person:
1. Ask God to let you see "other people" with His eyes, not yours.
2. Ask God to give you opportunities to make a difference daily.
3. Ask God for the Strength, Courage, and Desire in being willing to get uncomfortable in "other people's" lives.
4. Ask God to reveal things in you that aren't of Him.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Some Thoughts From Sunday's Lesson...

2009-09-08T11:32:00.003-05:00

I hope to bring back an old series of posts I used to do but got away from it. On Tuesday's I hope to post some thoughts from the lesson that was previously taught at Merge the Sunday before...

Series: Other People
Lesson: Other People Need Compassion
Text: Mark 1:40-42; John 12:45-46; John 20:21

Some Thoughts:
---At Merge we don't believe that size of building or size of crowd is necessarily the best way to determine the health of a church.

---Our desire in accepting God's adventure in planting Merge isn't to be the biggest church in Lake Worth; it is to be the best church we can be as we believe God is going to do some incredible things through us in this city.

---A major factor in us being "successful" at Merge had to do with your willingness to engage "other people" for the Gospel of Jesus, (both inside and outside these walls).

---In the Gospel's people very unlike Jesus, really liked Him. AND HE LIKED THEM IN RETURN.

---Though our tendency is to see and evaluate people based on societal standard, here at Merge it is vital that you realize we are called to be different. We aren't called to look like society, we are called to look like Jesus!!!

---There is a great difference between compassion and sympathy.

---Compassion will lead you to action where sympathy will lead you to temporarily feeling bad for a persons situation.

---We are all living around Modern Day Lepers and we may not even be aware of it because we aren't walking with our eyes open.

---The largest hurdle we are going to have to jump when it comes to engaging "Other People" isn't resources or opportunities...it is in choosing action over comfort.

---We have to get passed our abilities to muzzle our hearts with our comfortable living.

---Our motivation for engaging "Other People" is that people far from God would find life in Christ.

---Psalm 115:11

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Words To Chew On...

2009-09-03T22:37:00.001-05:00

"It is easy to use the phrase "God's will for my life" as an excuse for inaction or disobedience. It's much less demanding to think about God's will for your future than it is to ask Him what He wants you to do in the next ten minutes. It's safer to commit to following Him someday instead of this day."

---Francis Chan "Forgotten God"

Words To Chew On...

2009-09-01T12:49:00.002-05:00

"The side of fearing that God won't show up is fearing that He will. What if God does show up but then asks you to go somewhere or do something that's uncomfortable? For many people, fearing that God will ask them to go in a difficult, undesirable direction outweighs the fear that God will ignore them."

---Francis Chan "Forgotten God"

Words To Chew On...

2009-08-27T22:59:00.001-05:00

"We may as well face it: the whole of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone...(we) have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Spirit."

---A.W. Tozer

Other People...

2009-08-20T13:15:00.002-05:00

In a few weeks at Merge we will be diving into a new series entitled "OTHER PEOPLE". It will wrap around some of Jesus' encounters with people the church were either largely ignoring or had condemned in such a way that people were living in a relational prison. While I have a few weeks to continue to fine tune some thoughts on this series I can't help but think of people we come across everyday we the church grossly ignore.

Our thoughts don't have to go far when it comes to thinking of some of these people (like the homeless or for that matter people who don't dress like us, talk like us, or think like us). But what is weighing on my heart lately is the people we are in biblical community with who are ignored. Maybe not on purpose, but they come into a gathering sit down, consume, leave all without getting much more than a smile and a shake.

There are people all around us who are living in a crowded world of isolation. They are longing for someone to notice them, to acknowledge them, to reach out and help them out of the muck they we weighed down in. Other people exist and because of that God has allowed us to be active in helping other people meet Him. This takes much less work than we tend to claim and is much more rewarding than we think.

Our job is to not fight the feelings to engage people whom we can serve with the love of God. We must be willing to embrace discomfort for the sake of The Gospel. I encourage you to go back and read through some of the encounters Jesus had with "Other People" and see if it doesn't motivate you to make a difference in your world.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Audacious Prayers

2009-08-10T21:08:00.003-05:00

Yesterday at Merge we were wrapping up our James series with coincidently the last passage of his letter (pause for a chuckle). His topic revovled mainly around attaching prayer to seasons of trouble and of joy. In the middle of it he illustrates the power of prayer through an ancient story involving Elijah and a drought on the land.

What I found interesting is that James says Elijah was a man just like us. Which I believe make most of us do a double take since we have never prayed a drought to come and go. I haven't met anyone who has actually prayed for fire to come down from the heavens. If you track with the life of Elijah you will see the incredible work of prayer and the powerful things that can be accomplished. But James says Elijah was a man just like us.

This thought occurred to me early last week when I was studying for the lesson. Maybe we don't think we can be like Elijah or maybe the reason we aren't praying "fire from heaven" prayers is that our whole lives we have been praying much too small. What if we started praying audacious prayers like seeing entire neighborhoods transformed by the Gospel? What if instead of praying for small things we can remedy with a little effort, we threw our faces on the ground, and rend our hearts and we ask God to do things that only He could do?

I think those are the kind of prayers that interested Elijah. What about you???

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

I Find This Very Suspicious...

2009-08-03T15:38:00.002-05:00

Today I went grocery shopping for our family. Don't worry... Misty didn't leave me, it wasn't state mandated. This is just part of the system I want to create in our house, especially since Misty works so many hours at the Dayschool Center she is the Director of. She made me a list, I brushed my teeth, dressed myself and set off on this grand adventure to Wal-Mart.

One thing that I find terribly suspicious though is that whenever she does the shopping she always comes back saying they were all out of the snack foods that I like that she doesn't (Star Crunch, Nutty Bars, Little Debbie Waist Expansion Packet, etc.) While I was shopping I noticed they were stocked up full of my favorites. So what did I do???

I bought them while supplies last. Misty has yet to see all of the additions I made to the grocery list (which as it turns out is loaded full of sugar and pudding). I suppose I am writing this as proof that I went grocery shopping at least once in my life before Misty banned me from buying food every again.

Heart and Soul,|
BAG
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Yank The Diseased Tooth (A Leadership Principle)....

2009-07-21T11:39:00.002-05:00

If you know me, you know that I am a bit of a reader. One of the best books on leadership I have ever read is "9 Things A Leader Must Do" by Dr. Henry Cloud. His words are overly practical and incredibly applicable regardless where you fall on the leadership ladder.

I am going back through his book reading the notes that I made the first go around and wanted to share the second thing that a leader must do....THEY HAVE TO YANK THE DISEASED TOOTH. Not literally (unless they really have one), but figuratively. A leader has to learn how to not allow negative people, emotions, and thoughts to take up space in their lives.

When it comes to people a leader has to understand that the team he/she has with her will either propel them to levels they have never been before or they will chain them down, keeping them anchored in places they should have grown out of long ago. Jim Collins in his book "Good to Great" does a great job discussing the importance in assembling the right team. So, when a leader has a person who is a negative force for the team either one of two things has to happen, either the leader needs to fill the cavity (alter the team members attitude) or pull the diseased tooth. One bad tooth has the potential to infect the entire mouth.

When it comes to negative thoughts and emotions a leader needs to guard their hearts because there will be days that are very difficult and if the leader is not careful then they will allow those days to have an effect much longer than is necessary. Being aware of times when you are stressed is a great indicator of how you will be able to grow through difficult situations. For instance, most leaders will stress out the most the minutes before they fall asleep. They will either be thinking about the previous day, looking ahead to the next day or will be trying to fix a situation that is un-fixable at 12:00 at night. A leader needs to be wise enough to know that there are certain times throughout the day when to confront stressful situations and when to allow it to roll off.

A leader has much more on the line than the bottom line. There is opportunities, employees, dreams and revolutions to consider. That is why life is to short to go around with a bad tooth in your mouth.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Locations...

2009-07-16T09:48:00.003-05:00

I am spending a few days in Bandera, TX at my aunts house. No, Misty didn't kick me out! No, I am not trying to "lay low" so the heat can die down! No, I am not avoiding an attack from Swine's mom for making light of his birthday!

This is one of those trips that you always said you would make at Christmas and Thanksgiving but never actually made the effort to get anything done. So, with 2 reschedules and a bite the bullet and do it attitude I got here yesterday. I have decided that the pictures I have on my iphone does not do the place justice. When I come back in September for a wedding I will be sure to bring my good camera.

What I am writing about is the importance at times to make a temporary change of location. There is a great Mark Batterson equation that has stuck with me over the past 3-4 years:

Change of PLACE + Change of PACE = Change of PERSPECTIVE

So often in our everyday lives the routines and the mundanes have a way of giving us tunnel vision. Things that serve as warning signs get lost in the mix of signs for both movement and inaction. For lack of better words, we can get lost in speed of our own lives.

I am hoping to make this place a pretty regular part of my life routine. If for not other reason than just having a deck where in the morning I feel the freedom to see God's creation they way He made me....butt naked!!!!

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Words To Chew On...

2009-07-09T09:11:00.003-05:00

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists...
when his work is done, his aim is fulfilled,
they will say, "We did this ourselves".

----Lao-tzu

Words To Chew On...

2009-07-07T09:35:00.005-05:00

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them.
Everyday begin the task anew."

---Saint Francis de Sales

Am I Stronger Than A Four Year Old...

2009-07-01T00:18:00.001-05:00

I believe my son is secretly trying to get me out of the picture. Tonight I came home from taking in a Ranger game with Mark only to find him on my side of the bed.

After getting cleaned up I tried to sneak in. Right now as I type this we are in the middle of round 3 of his feet in my side. I move them, he brings them back with greater force.

Either he is just a fighter in his sleep or he is the worlds greatest faker. I'm thinking of sleeping with my feet in his face just to see how he likes it.

If I die in my sleep, please investigate and see if it was possible for a four year old to get the job done.

Here is to hoping I make it through the night.

BAG

Words To Chew On...

2009-06-23T09:53:00.003-05:00

I just started reading "Death by Love--- letters from the Cross" by Mark Driscoll. In the introduction he is walking his reader through the scenes of Jesus at the Cross in an effort to lay the ground work for "Substitutionary Atonement". I ran across this thought from John Stott, author of The Cross of Christ, which is making me chew a little on...

"The concept of substitution may be said, then, to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices Himself for man and puts Himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives which belong to God alone; God accepts penalties which belong to man alone."
---John Stott

Words To Chew On...

2009-06-22T00:29:00.001-05:00

"We believe as much of the Bible as we put into practice."
---Warren Weirsbe

From Outlet To Ritual In Marriage...

2009-06-16T10:16:00.004-05:00

Over the next few postings I will be writing about some observations in my own life about taking certain aspects that are intended to be outlets and the danger in turning them into rituals thereby taking the life right out of them.

One common excuse I hear when a married couple decides to divorce is, "We just don't love each other the way we used to" or "the spark is gone". It is a very painful and sad decision that effects so many people but we live in a society where the odds of you divorcing are actually greater than you staying together. We have made it really easy to get divorced and have somehow started looking at it as if if we another step in a relationship instead of an ultimate one.

I think this is why God illustrates our relationship with Jesus as a marriage. He is the groom and we are the bride. His promise to never leave us or forsake us is the epitome of marriage defined. We the church claim to be protectors of the sanctity of marriage when it comes to gay rights but completely ignore how many divorces are ravaging the pews of our churches (a bit of a hot sports opinion I suppose).

When it comes to marriage I believe there is a great danger in allowing it to be come routine. Even date nights can become predictable, kisses can become habit, saying "I love you" can simply become a response. Misty and I have known each other for almost half of the time we have been alive and if I am not careful I can allow the length of our time together to grow into staleness resulting in two people living under the same roof.

Going from outlet to ritual in marriage is a subtle process that many don't clearly see until they are miles away from the people they use to be. This is why it is important to keep your channels of communication open and look for ways where routine is sucking life out of your marriage.

"I love you" makes the difference when the words you are saying come from your heart and not your mouth.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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From Outlet To Ritual In Worship

2009-06-12T10:36:00.002-05:00

Over the next few postings I will be writing about some observations in my own life about taking certain aspects that are intended to be outlets and the danger in turning them into rituals thereby taking the life right out of them.

I have a small working list in different areas I experience tension with this concept. One main one is my life of worship to God. So many things if I am not careful can become just part of my daily routine. Read my bible, Pray, Smile at People, doing other things that Christians do, etc. This is not anything new...Jesus warned the people of His day in these dangers. He was involved in a very ritualistic society and religion. There was a certain way to do everything, from washing your hands to prayer and seeking reconciliation relationally. The challenge was that the people removed the heart out of the equation and it became overly mechanical.

We all know the difference it makes when our hearts are in something and when it is not. Even if we can manage to fool everyone else, we know there are two people we will never fool, self and God.

When it comes to a lifestyle of worship, I wonder how many of us are walking around without engaging our hearts in worship any longer. We know how to play the part, we can even fake our way in the presence of others and our performance can even be inspiring. But our hearts as scriptures says "are far from Him".

Wondering if you have gone from outlet to ritual in worship?

Ask yourself these questions:

Am I motivated to help others out of love or obligation?
When I sing songs of praise, am I including my heart or just reading words from a screen?
When I give back through tithes and offerings am I committed to being obedient or just making sure I don't feel guilty?
As I read God's Word do I have a desire to let His Word read me or do I just want to check off something on my to-do list?

These are just a few questions I wrestle with when I am asking myself this question.
God has offered us an incredible freedom in life with Him.
Our tendency is to take what is meant to be wild and unbridled and fence it in in order to control it.

Maybe somethings in life are supposed to just stay wild.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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From Outlet To Ritual...

2009-06-09T10:56:00.002-05:00

I was sitting in front of my journal this morning trying to figure out something to write when it occured to me that I didn't have much of anything to say. I sat and sat and stared at the wall, searching for even the smallest glimpse of inspiration...but nothing. So I started writin about the fact that I didn't have anything to either write about or blog about.

I was literally writing about nothing (then the thought occurred... if Seinfeld can be a show about nothing then maybe I can write a book about nothing). As writing I stumbled into a possible solution for my new found predicament by asking myself a question:

Have I taken something that was supposed to be an outlet and turned it into a ritual?

There, my friend, lies an interesting question in all of our lives. I believe there is a tendency in all of us to take things that are special and beneficial to us and make them routine and mechanic thus sucking the life and joy right out of them.

There are a lot of places we do this unaware of what we are doing...worship, marriage, friendships, church, parenting, recreation, as well as many others.

Over the next several posts I will write some thoughts about our tendency to go from outlet to ritual in many of the places. Let's see how far this rabbit hole will take us.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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I Have Bloggers Block...

2009-06-03T09:46:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting here staring at this screen trying to figure out a topic to write about but don't have any insight to offer or inspiration to give. Don't misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong. I just am having a little bloggers block.

Hopefully, this won't last long and I will be back in blogging shape before too long. In the mean time why don't you email me some topics to consider writing about. That would be super swell.

Brandon@mergecc.com

Heart & Soul,
BAG
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James- an Epistle

2009-05-28T08:42:00.007-05:00

Sunday we are launching a new series at Merge entitled James-an epistle. I am so excited to be going through this book because I believe it speaks very practically into our lives as Christians.

We are confronted with our tendencies to live as immature people rather than growing up in our faith. We run head on into our greed, our prejudices and how we tend to treat God (you know, all the things we really like talking about).

I have never taught a series like this before and am a little nervous as to how an 11 week series will work itself out with my attention span. But above that I am confident that God wants us to take this summer and dig deeper into His Word which brings us hope for the future.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Too Much Of A Good Thing Can Be A Bad Thing...

2009-05-27T09:31:00.002-05:00

Last night I was at Staples picking up some things for the office. While checking out the sales associate and I started a conversation. Somehow we got on the topic of birthday's and she said hers was just around the corner. She said she would be 19 in a few days and wasn't sure what she would do becuase it's a pretty lame age. We joked about how she could celebrate it by buying cigarettes and lottery tickets even though she was legal to do that for a full year now. She laughed, then in a very serious tone told me a story about how her mom had lost everything they had to gambling.

Over the next few minutes she told me about phone calls her mom would make from different casino's declaring another defeat. I told her that there are so many things in life like that. Things that offer a big pay day but rarely pay out. I said that indulgence with limits can be fun but indulgence with no limits can be a trap. I don't have anything against gambling as long as it is out of the extra's of our lives.

She smile and said something I thought was really wise..."I guess too much of a good thing can be a bad thing sometimes." I think she may just be right.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Singing To Sing? Or Singing To Praise?...

2009-05-26T08:59:00.003-05:00

There is a song we have been singing at Merge the past few weeks that seems to be taking root in the lives of some of the Merger's. It is by Hillsong and the title is "Healer". The words are both a powerful declaration and a challenging question. So many times in a worship gathering I feel I am guilty of singing words on a screen rather than joining my heart, my mind and my soul into declaring intimate truths about my God. This is always a dangerous game to play because God doesn't need our praise that is self seeking and manipulative. He doesn't need kiss up's whose motives are exposed the first moment they think they are alone and their actions don't line up.

Here are the lyrics of the song I was talking about. The bridge is the most challenging part for me. If I truly believe that nothing is impossible for Him then why do I find myself attempting to create my own momentum or trying to have more control? How can I learn better to trust that He will not let me fall and is the only One who can rescue me from so many troubles?

"Healer"
Verse:
You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

Pre-Chorus:
I trust in You
I trust in You

Chorus:
I believe You're my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my Portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need

Bridge:
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Random Thoughts On Friday...

2009-05-22T09:19:00.002-05:00

I find myself toward the end of a not so normal week. Jake is teaching at Merge on Sunday which changes the normal routine of lesson preparation that usually takes place for me over the week. I have spent this week working on James series we are about to dive into on the 31st. Here are some random thoughts I have been having because of my new found amount of time...

---Merge is a really special place to be a part of. God is moving in the lives of His kids here and I am excited to continue seeing Him breaking through us as we show Lake Worth His love.

---I am excited about a new initiative we are launching in providing a single mother a Wal-Mart gift card that has at least a $200.00 value. I think this is going to go a long way in meeting real needs for real people.

---I am thankful for people in my life who allow me to be their friend. I am strengthened because of their confidence in me and am challenged to be a better husband, father, pastor, friend and Christ-follower because of them.

---Life isn't always as clear cut as we wish. Sometimes the decisions we wrestle with will never become more clear. When that is the case the best thing we can do is seek guidance from God's Word, wise counsel and make the best decision based on the information we have available to us (all in that order).

---I have been playing my XBOX 360 this week and am waiting for someone to buy me that 50 in HD TV set so I can appreciate modern technology the way God wants me to.

---It's the Friday before a three day weekend. As I type these words millions of people are already mentally checking out of their jobs while their bodies are taking up space.

---We are the light of the world and should act like it.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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The Only Thing About Knowing Absolutely What To Do Is That There Are Very Few Cases Where It Is Absolute...

2009-05-21T08:31:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I found myself in conversations with two different men that revolved around the same topic. Both men are at a place in their lives where they are making decisions that seem to carry great weight and are taking steps in confidence...not in absolution.

We talked about how rare it is in life to actually make decision knowing absolutely if that decision is the right one. I'm not saying there are no absolutes...
I believe God absolutely loved us enough to send us Jesus.
I believe Jesus is absolutely the way for me to be made right with God.
I believe that we are absolutely called to live in love.
I believe absolutely that the Word of God is not just an ancient text but an authority in our lives.

What I am talking about is those moments in life when you are making a decision feeling that it is the right step and then praying a prayer to God like this: "Father, you know I am walking in faith here. I ask that you either lift this decision up or tear it down."

Very few decisions in life are slam dunks. Most all of them are tangled with fear and uncertainty. That is why I believe it is a good idea when making decisions to:

1. Dig deep into scripture.
2. Make the best decision based on the information you have available to you at the time.
3. Use what Andy Stanley calls "The Best Question Ever"... (Based on my past experiences, current circumstances and future hopes and dreams...what is the wise thing for me to do?"

This is not a fail safe routine. There will be times you make a decision that doesn't pan out the ways you hoped it would. But by going through this process you will at least know that your approach wasn't made on whim or out of something else other than just you.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Show Me What It Means To Follow You...

2009-05-20T09:11:00.002-05:00

I am not typically a fan of woman worship leaders (mainly because my voice is so manly that I can't sing with them). The other day though I came across a song by Meredith Andrews that led me to her album which I ended up buying. This morning between running my normal 30 miles, building a house from scratch and reading every newspaper known to mankind, I heard a line in one of the songs...

"Show me what it means to follow You."

Wow!!!! I wonder how many times I think I am following in Jesus' footsteps when what I am really following is an idea or my own perversion of Him? In Matthew we see Him telling us that we will not find our lives until we loose it. (Sounds very mysterious for those Mystery Men fans out there).

We are a picky people. We like following Jesus into the chapters where there is safety and comfort but when it comes to being the hands and feet of our Savior we all of a sudden have a phone call we have to return or need to rethink if we are really hearing the voice of God.

My friends, this should not be. My prayer for us today is that we would spend some time every day asking God to show us what it means to follow Him.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Something I Am Really Looking Forward To...

2009-05-19T08:55:00.002-05:00

In two weeks we are going to be diving deep into an 11 week study in the book af James at Merge. There is 108 verses and 59 commands in this timeless epistle. I have never taught a series where we went verse by verse through an entire book. I love connecting peoples minds to God's Word because there are very few anchors we have in this world. His Word never steers us wrong and we find strength in it's guiding.

The book of James is one of my favorite books, an ancient text with modern relevance. It doesn't matter if you are just wading the waters of Christianity, have just started your journey with Christ or have been walking this road for a long time. James is a book that brings the Truth into everyone's life.

I am spending this week working on the entire series and already think that I am drowning in too many resources:)

Please pray for me that I would be able to teach this series well and that God would bring us closer to Him as a staring intently into His Word.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Evidence Hollywood Is Ripping Off The Bible (Numbers 22)...

2009-05-14T08:53:00.001-05:00

I always loved this chapter of Balaam's life because I always felt it allowed me to say a cuss word while claiming I was merely repeating what was in the bible.

I am a bit confused this morining as to what is exaclty happening between verses 19-22. Is Balaam motivated by riches so he sees what only he wants to see? Did God give Him more specific instructions that I am not understanding? Is this more a heart issue than a physical one?

I am not sure. But I think a talking, life saving donkey is something to take note of. This kind of thing doesn't happen everyday. Unless of course you lived with Mr. Ed.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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I Got Snakes In My Pants (Numbers 21)...

2009-05-13T08:39:00.001-05:00

The Israelites seem to be building steam as they make their way to the Promised Land but it also seems they have a hard time learning from their previous lessons. Have you noticed that it seems like every time they start grumbling against God and Moses that something bad happens to them? This morning they were bit by snakes.

How long until they learn this lesson? I was telling Misty about their ignorance this morning and she responded with the expression, "it's easy to criticize what we so easily understand."

We are very much like the Israelites. We grumble and complain when things aren't going as easy as we wish them too. We look for short cuts because the road that will develop us is harder. We cast blame on our leaders even though we are a big part of the problem.

We have to learn from those who have gone before us and not fall into their traps.

Heart & Soul,
BAG
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Authorized Personnel Only (Numbers 20)...

2009-05-12T08:40:00.001-05:00

Coincidently, I am reading a book right now by Larry Osborne entitled "10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe". This morning I find myself remember the things I read as they throw themselves into this mornings reading.

Moses and Aaron were directed by God to supply water for the Israelites. Though that was accomplished, their method was not what He said. This disobedience created a harsh punishment (neither man would enter the Promised Land).

Though there was earthly consequences, God gave them eternal forgiveness. (this is where Osbornes chapter is coming into play). The thought that God will forget our sins is ludicrous. If He did have spiritual amnesia this would create a major problem being that there would be things we remember but He doesn't.

The difference is when He forgives us, He doesn't respond to us any longer to that sin. That doesn't mean that we will not experience a discipline in this side of eternity (ie. David and Bathsheba).

What matter most is our willing desire to obey God completely. Then us realizing what true forgiveness is and lastly living in the freedom of the cross.

The book is good so far, you should pick it up.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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At the Car Wash (Numbers 19)...

2009-05-08T08:56:00.001-05:00

This morning we run into one of the reasons people don't want to read the Bible. It is chapters like these that I have to remind myself that all scripture is God breathed and He included this for a reason.

I beleive the history of the Old Testament has a similar mission of the Prophets in the Old Testament. Everything points to the eventual coming of the Messiah.

This morning I am reminded how our purity is to God. Such a big deal that getting clean from being around the dead was a process that lasted seven days. God isn't playing games when He says He wants us to live pure lives.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Priestly Pay Check (Numbers 18)...

2009-05-07T08:37:00.001-05:00

This morning we dive into the instruction of how the Levites will make a living. Being that there entire clans responsibility is priestly duties, God did not wish to leave them penniless among the other tribes. Instead he designated certains parts of offerings for them and compensated them because they would have no inheritance.

What I found interesting is though the Levites did not have much and God was providing for them in a special way, He still required them to tithe on it. I believe this is very important to remember because regardless if our income is 1 dollar or 1 million it all is given to us from God.

He is to be taken seriously and with grattitude as He is gracious enough to continue to take care of our needs. Acknowledging His provision will free our hearts to live at peace under the protection of His wing.

Heart & Soul,
BAG
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The Grass Is Always Greener (Numbers 17)...

2009-05-06T08:47:00.001-05:00

God is still showing how He is in control by performing Riis miracle through Aaron's staff. We have been reading the past few days different ways the Israelites grumbled against their leaders.

It amazes me how difficult they can be. But on the other hand I see this happening all the time in our nation. We grumble against our Presidents regardless of party. We always think the grass is greener on the other of the political aisle. We grumble against the senators and congressmen forgetting that the constitution gave us the power to choose them.

God places men and women in leadership so they can be food stewards and govern their flock effectively. It is by no accident that these men and women made it to where they are. Now I can't explain some of their poor choices other than to say, our sin leads us to making poor choices.

How about we not act like the Israelites how sought to devour the leaders who led them out of slavery and how about we so what we can to support and get active in helping our leaders so they can do an even better job.

Heart & Soul,
BAG
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I Think I Wouldn't Mess With Mo (Numbers 16)...

2009-05-05T09:22:00.002-05:00

A pretty fierce scene opens up here in this chapter. Two groups of people bring charges against Moses and Aaron. They claim the two have been taking advantage of the people under the guise of working for God. Apparently this forces Moses' hand but more importantly stirs the wrath of God. In one scene we see the ground splitting and swallowing entire households whole. For me, even if I still thought Moses was crooked I believe I would keep my mouth shut.

But in verse 41 we see the congregation of people grumbling against Moses and Aaron again. Which again stirred God's anger to the point He was going to consume them. However, Moses and Aaron loved these people and Aaron made an atonement for the people saving them for what seemed to be certain death.

I am amazed by these guys response. Leadership is an incredibly difficult task even when your people are behind you. It becomes near impossible when groups start publicly criticizing your abilities.

This morning I am reminded that there is one authority that leaders should find strength, hope and defense in. That is God and Him alone. If we lead in the ways He has instructed us, when the attacks come, we have a greater defense than our own abilities could have ever defended us.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Sticks and Stones May Kill You (Numbers 15)...

2009-05-01T09:20:00.002-05:00

I was reading along this morning with my Frosted Flakes, going through the right kind of sacrifices when I stumble into a scene where a a man was picking up sticks on the sabbath and end up being killed for it. (Maybe this is where we get the saying sticks and stones may break my bones).

Scripture has never backed away from our need to take a Sabbath. In fact, we see it listed in the big ten. Reason being that God wants us to have time each week where we don't create, we don't do, we slow down and breath through our hearts and not our minds. Doing this does wonders for your soul. It will allow you to have a change of perspective because you are able to take a step back and get out of the flow of every day living.

God didn't rest in Genesis because He needed it, He rested because He was teaching us how to live.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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There Is No Place Like Home? (Numbers 14)

2009-04-30T09:36:00.003-05:00

Word starts getting out about the Promised Land that was just spied out. The 10 mens opinion is a negative one with a daunting task lieing before the Israelites. It doesn't take long before the people start grumbling against Moses and Aaron (which in leadership is usually the first place people start to complain). In verses 2-4 they start playing out an imaginary scenario based on their fear.

I think it is interesting how fear plays a role in our decision making, these people had a promise from God that He was leading them back to their land (a land flowing with milk and honey). Word comes back that the people who are currently living in the land are much bigger than they are and all of a sudden their thoughts shift to how small they are and what a weak nation they have become in the desert. They play out a scenario where the better of all the options was to go back to Egypt and be slaves once again.

I wonder how many times I allow fear to lead me down a similar decision? How many times do I allow fear to cause me to shrink back and try to play it safe, even though safe is at a fraction of the level God is calling me to live? Fear is a dangerous monster when not dealt with properly. It can be a great motivator or a terrible chain.

Today, take some time and ask yourself where you are allowing fear to lead you.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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The Sky Is Falling (Numbers 13)...

2009-04-29T09:06:00.002-05:00

Here we see an epic flannel board scene. God tells Moses to send spies out to explore the land He was sending them too. I find it interesting that God would send them even though He had already PROMISED the land to them. I wonder what that is all about?

Either way the 12 men went, 10 came back with exaggerated reports based on their fears, two came back with reports of advancement solely on God's spoken promises. This will lead Israel into a very interesting and difficult season.

I wish I could rant and rave about the lack of faith of the 10 but to be honest, I am not sure which of the two sides I would have fallen. There are times I feel that my faith is as strong to move the mountains Jesus was talking about; then there are other moment when I feel as if hiding in the crowd is the only way to survive.

I pray that God would continue to strengthen me through the cross and His love. This is the only way we will grow to a level of a Caleb and a Joshua.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Opossing God's Guy (Numbers 12)

2009-04-28T09:02:00.002-05:00

Moses is going through a difficult period of leading people with little support from them. In this chapter he is being chastised by Aaron and Miriam for marrying a Cushite woman. All three of them get called into the Principal's office where God comes to Moses' defense. It is some pretty incredible words and an even more incredible endorsement considering the source of the words.

I am reminded this morning how important it is to yield to God as our protector. It is a dangerous battle when we prematurely attempt to take matters into our own hands and fight battles we were not intended to fight. God sees your challenge and is faithful to protect you. He cares deeply for you and is moved simply because He loves you as one of His own.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Explaination of blogging in frequency...

2009-04-23T23:54:00.003-05:00

Sorry I've been light on the posting this week. It's been just barak and me this week and I'm lost without Misty. We have been bouncing between hospitals, police stations and convenience stores. Who would have guessed barak is an excellent designated driver.

Next week should be back to normal.

BAG

The Nazirite Way (Numbers 6)...

2009-04-21T16:15:00.007-05:00

The Nazirite vow is a special vow of the Old Testament where people would take a vow for a specific amount of time.

Some Nazirite vows were life long commitments to God. Some great biblical nazarites were Samson, Samuel and John the Baptist.

This was not a casual vow to make. Only the most dedicated would make this kind of promise.

I'm reminded today how flipantly I make promises to God that have no public expression whether or not I actually keep that vow or promise. What if we decided to either keep or words or keep our mouths shut when it comes to the promises we make God?

God doesn't need our meaningless, empty words in our attempts to love us. He loves us just because we are His.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Confession, Restitution and Adultery...Oh My (Numbers 5)...

2009-04-18T14:45:00.002-05:00

We are diving into the laws God set for us as a way of really showing how important Jesus will be in our stories. I thought it was interesting that the Old Testament requirement of making restitution (paying back a wrong done to someone) required confession, full payment + 20%.

How many times have we said we were sorry thinking, "Surely that's enough!!! What more do they want from me?" Restitution is a legal word we use in our courts everyday. I think we need to make it more of a point to use it as a relational word as we attempt to show love to the people we offend. Regardless if it was accidental or purposeful.

I'm going to take a nap.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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More Counting (Numbers 4)...

2009-04-17T08:50:00.001-05:00

More counting. Maybe God is telling me that I should have tried harder in math.

That is all I got this morning for ya.

Have a great day

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Let's Count Some More (Numbers 3)...

2009-04-16T08:50:00.002-05:00

As God continues to organize His children today we see the assembling of His priestly tribe. The Levites will serve the people of Israel by serving God. This will be an interesting role thoughout the rest of the Old Testament. This morning we read about hte second census being taken. To shoot straight with you, I'm hoping that tomorrow's reading doesn't have math involved. We will just have to see.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Follow The Leader (Numbers 2)...

2009-04-15T08:27:00.001-05:00

As the Israelite are preparing to go on the move, God is giving them some order so they can better be prepared for this journey. He will tell them to gather around the Tent of Meeting and will give them the order as to which the nation should walk in line with. (for some reason I am having a flash back to elementary school when we would line up multiple times in a day).

What I found interesting is in the order the line leaders were the tribe of Judah. This tribe would serve as the front lines for the nation, the trail blazers, the protectors.

This is a very prominent (maybe the most prominent) tribe of Israel. Because in it we see the family lineage of Jesus. This tribe will be one of the greatest tribes because of it's capability to be on the front lines and lead this nation.

I thought it was interesting.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Numbers 1...

2009-04-14T08:52:00.001-05:00

I am diving head first into the book of Numbers. This past week I spent some time preparing for Easter after finishing Genesis.

This is usually one of those books that we skip because of presumed boredom with Leviticus and Deuteronomy. However I am committed to reading God's Word because His inspiration is all over the place in these words.

For instance today...
In chapter one Moses is taking a census of the Israelites. They do this through the leaders of the tribes of the Israelites. At the end of it the men of age to begin the army numbered 603,550. What an incredibly large number for such a young nation. To think this doesn't take into account women and children blows me away.

And here is why...
There was a time when this nation consisted of one man, Abraham. Who was given a promise by God that He would make a nation out of his offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the sea. Abraham, already advanced in years, couldn't see how this was going to happen. None the less, God did and here we get to see the progress of this promise.

This morning I am reminded there is nothing my God can't do. He can move mountains, defeat enemies, bring me life, teach me to love better, show me where to invest my life. He is a good God.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Maybe My Favorite Chuck Norris Quote Of All Time...

2009-04-13T09:44:00.001-05:00

"When the Boogie Man goes to sleep at night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris."

Blogcation Alert

2009-04-08T22:24:00.001-05:00

This is a crazy week for me. Not only is it Easter week but we decided to move (when I say we I mean Misty told me to but is working so I have been doing this solo).

All that to say. I'm on blogcation until next week when life settles a bit more.

BAG

Genesis 47...

2009-04-04T22:17:00.001-05:00

Chapter 47 came and went. Joe makes some business moves, Israel is promised that he won't be buried in Egypt and all seems to be wrapping up like a sitcom television show.

I know this, I'm sleepy so I will leave the deep theological thoughts to you.

Heart & Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 46...

2009-04-03T09:32:00.001-05:00

Reunited and it feels so good!!! Israel and Joseph finally see each other after so many years.

One thing that majorly has me thinking today is the vision Israel had in verses 2-4. God tells him that He will make a nation out of Israel in Egypt. Which will happen but what also happens is the enslavement of the Israelites. Then in verse 4 God promises their return back to the land of Canon. Which will happen bitnit will be hundreds of years and many generations later.

I wonder if they forgot about these words when they we building pyramids? I find for me, when I am the most pressed on every sidebis when I forget the promises of my Heavenly Father. This usually starts a very dangerous cycle of attempting to take matters into m own hands and creating momentum where I have no business doing so.

It is good to rely on the Lord, especially when you think He is working too slow. Because after all, You don't see things as clearly as He does.

Heart & Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 45...

2009-04-02T09:31:00.001-05:00

The day we have all been looking forward to is finally here. Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers. I laughed a little when at first the boys were reluctant to come close for fear of Joseph's wrath.

Instead of bitterness that leads to vengance, Joseph chose compassion that leads to love.

What a powerful weapon we have in this thing called love. It can change everything in a second, it can over ride years of hurt and lingering anger. Love has the ability to heal wounds that have been hemoraging for months and years.

I love Joseph's choice to feed the beast of love. Even though we could have read that he killed his brothers and some how in a very fallen way, we would have understood.

Thank God, that He is both loving and just to forgive us of sins we so wrecklessly committ against Him.

Heart & Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 44...

2009-04-01T13:18:00.003-05:00

Now Joe just seems to be picking on these guys. There are few things in life more rewarding from brotherly justice (I speak from experience). But Joe's actions will lead to the eventual embrace of his aging father. The securing of Hebrew land in Egypt, the oppression of the Israelites, the rescue of Moses as directed by God, the wondering in the desert (10 commandments become a player), the rise of a nation, a man after God's own heart, Israel's golden age, a lot of prophets, and the eventual birth, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I am amazed at how God has crafted all of this before He even created this world.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 43...

2009-03-31T08:41:00.001-05:00

Can I be honest with you? Some things just don't make sense to me. In chapter 43 is one of those things.

It seems that Israel wasn't kidding about leaving Simeon in prison. The entire family ate through the first portion of what they brought back and it seems that Israel relents when he realizes this was really his only way to get food.

I couldn't understand a scenario where I would let my son rot away in prison and not do whatever I could do to get him out.

It's a head scratched to me.

Heart & Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 42...

2009-03-30T23:35:00.001-05:00

You can't make this stuff up!!!! Joseph's brothers come to Egypt and fulfill the dream of Joe a few chapters back. (one of the factors that lead him to Egypt in the first place). It had to be all the sweeter when Joseph realized that he was going unnoticed.

One thing that really stuck out is how quickly the brothers brought what they did to Joseph out on the table as a reason they were experiencing this trouble.

Years have passed since that day in the wilderness when they were contemplating murder finally settling on saling him. This action still seems to be haunting them.

Sin does that. It lingers and haunts and traps us in a prison of our own making. What we have to do is the hard part of exposing it by allowing the cross of Christ to break us free. Only when we do this will we experience life to the fullest.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 41...

2009-03-27T09:14:00.003-05:00

Two more years pass as we dive into chapter 41 and Jospeh is just now getting the rescue he desperately had been hoping for. A verse that really stuck out to me this moring was 16.

Joe is for the first time in a while experiencing fresh air, fresh clothes, and a fresh bath, Pharoah asks if he can interpret his dream and notice Joseph's first response: "No, I can't". I would imagine this would be a very dangerous response especially with Joe knowing where he could end back up.

But Joseph says he can't but God will!!!

What a powerful thought. Knowing the limits you have while giving God credit for what He is about to do through you.

What about you? In the middle of an issue when people are looking to you for leadership or advice, what source gets the credit. YOU? GOD? WIKIPEDIA? Joseph clearly wanted to impress Pharoah and stay out of prison, but was unwilling to take credit for something that clearly God was most definitely doing through him.

How about you?

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 40...

2009-03-26T13:27:00.002-05:00

Joseph gets some new cell mates who have ties with the king of Egypt. After hearing and interpretting their dreams, I am wondering if Joe was thinking "Surely, this will be my rescue? What are the odds that all these stars would align and I would be in close proximity to two men who are in the very throne room of the king?"

If I were Joseph, as the cupbearer was leaving the prison, I would have been packing my bags and saying good bye because I would have thought that God was using this to rescue me. And though in the next chapter this will be true, verse 23 must have come as a crushing blow. The cupbearer forgot about Joseph, one day goes by and no rescue, two days and no rescue, one month and no rescue, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months no rescue. Two years will pass between verse 23 of chapter 40 and verse 1 of chapter 41.

I am reminded today that God's time and working in my life is at a pace determined by Him alone. He will come to the rescue but I must remain patient and allow Him to deliver me.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Genisis 39...

2009-03-25T08:35:00.001-05:00

Here we dive into one of the most recognizable stories in the old testament. Joseph is cornered day after day by a woman wanting to sleep with him. Instead of giving in and justifying his actions, he acknowledges the damage would be done to Potiphar but more importantly he refused to do such a diservice to his Heavenly Father. So Joseph flees from his temptor but still ends up in a jail cell.

How many times have you done the right thing only to not get your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Go through the chapter and note how many times there is a reference of God's action in Joseph's life. Take a speial note of the location of these words. God was with Joseph before the wife's advances and during the prison sentence.

The same is true for you. The same God that would see Joseph through the dungeon is the same one that will see you through your storm.

Keep reading because in the following chapters you will see unmistakingly the unfolding plan of God.

Heart & Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 38...

2009-03-24T09:51:00.001-05:00

Sorry it's taken a little while with another Genesis post. I have been diving elsewhere in sermon prep.

Chapter 38...

This chapter has a Shakesperian feel to it, as if there is always just one surprise lurking around the corner just waiting to unleash itself on every character in the play. Because Judah was looking in love in all the wrong places is tricked and sleeps with his daughter in law. He finds out that she is pregnant and is ready to burn her when he finds out it's his kid (sounds like a soap opera).

Have you ever been guilty of something like that? Your zeal leads you to judgement over another only to realize that you are just as much if not more guilty than the other party?

We need to walk a fine line when it comes to punishment and judgement. Because you just never know when you will be exposed for actions you thought were hidden but have been in plain sight all this time.

Heart & Soul,
BAG
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Merge Tomorrow...

2009-03-21T16:38:00.002-05:00

I am really excited about the new series we are starting tomorrow at Merge. You don't want to miss this one. We are going to talk about Jesus. A topic, to me, that never gets old.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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A Conversation With Barak...

2009-03-18T14:21:00.001-05:00

Misty just told me about a conversation Barak and her had today on their way to work. It went something like this:

B--- mom, I had a terrible dream last night. A monster ate my body.

M--- were you scared?

B--- no, I kicked it's butt.

That's my boy. The monster killer.

Genesis 36...

2009-03-18T13:28:00.003-05:00

In the mist of all the sons of Esau and the rulers of Edom there is one overriding thought there. The phrase is praticularly more noticable in the last part of the chapter as the kings are listed.

Did you catch it? It's one phrase that is consistent with all of them.

How about now?

All right, I'll tell you. "_________, succeeded him as king."

To me this has many different implications:
As a dad, how I train Barak will have a dramatic effect in how he trains his children.
As a husband, how I treat Misty makes a difference in how people see love in a marriage.
As a pastor, how I challenge and teach today will change how the next generation of leaders accept their call.
As a leader, I am reminded that eventually someone will be following in the steps that I am no longer walking in. Merge will eventually (hopefully many, many years down the road) be under the leadership of another man.

Our lives are very much cycles of breathing and eating and sleeping and doing. One day it will wrap up. Now the good news is that we have a say in how well our stories end. We can influence the person that will succeed us. In fact great leaders will always leave their organization in better hands than it was previously (if they were doing their job as a mentor).

I am reminded of a verse in the book of Daniel that reminds me how everything I do is simply a stewardship rewarded to me by my Heavenly Father. "The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and He gives them to anyone He wishes."

I hope you realize that one day the world will revolve without you. If you are doing your job, your company, your department, your team will be able to survive without you. But don't let that be your excuse to shuck responsibility, rather let it motivate you to go all out as you make a great difference in this world.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 35...

2009-03-17T14:28:00.002-05:00

There is a lot going on here. Jacob is returning to Bethel and in so doing is fulfilling a covenant God had started long ago. Here we see God tell Jacob to be furitful and and basically continue to build the nation of God's children.

Jacob loses the wife he spent 14 years working for. Rachel was the one that caught his eye and seems to hold a special place in his heart. Her death had to have a dramatic effect on the entire family dynamic.

What spoke the loudest to me today was Jacob's return to the home he fled from years earlier. As his father passes away Jacob arrives just in time. I wonder how those conversations went in those last days? As Jacob, Esau and Isaac spoke about the past, the present and the future.

This may sound a bit corny, but, this chapter is a reminder to me that the ones that I love deeply will eventually breathe their last breath. Dying is a part of living. I am encouraged today to make the time we do have with one another mean something. Let us not live lives just waiting to expire.

Let us live rich lives full of the adventures of the God size; that way when we do breath our last breath it will be in an attempt to catch it one final time.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 34...

2009-03-16T14:57:00.004-05:00

You just can't make up this stuff. Jacob's daughter is defiled and her assailant comes in after the fact and decides that he wants to marry her. What a strange request, you would think that he would have done this in reverse order. Either way, once again I am blown away with the deception of Jacob's family as it seeps it's way into yet another chapter. They convince the men to be circumscribed only to attack them with their proverbial pants down.

However, it were my sister, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same.

But that doesn't make it right.

The trouble with this scene is not in what is written but in what isn't. Many times in scripture you will see a situation similar to this one and then read the words, "Then ___________, inquired of the Lord." In verse 34 we see no reference of God or Jacob's family seeking counsel.

How about you? If we were reading the chapters of your life thus far, would we see these words?

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Genesis 32...

2009-03-13T11:40:00.003-05:00

I have decided to start blogging a little bit of what I read in my Bible. This takes the fact that I rarely have anything useful to say and hopefully gives you some encouragement for the day.

I have been in Genesis for a little over a month now. I have read through God's introdcution as He and the Trinity created planet earth, I found myself encompassed in God's meticulous desgin of man and woman, there was a flood, a guy named Abraham, Issac who was the father of Esau and Jacob. The past week or so I have been walking in the scene of Jacob.

Let me just tell you...I DON'T GET WHY GOD WOULD USE JACOB!!!!!!

He is a deceiver who takes advantage of people what seems to be at every opportunity. He cheats his brother out of his father's blessing, schemes his father in law and all through it we see that God was blessing everything he touched. This just seems strange. In fact, to quote a fifth grader "It just isn't fair".

That's right, it's not fair. Nothing really is. What is 'fair' is that God would have ended it all after Adam and Eve chose to disobey. What was fair is the end of mankind in scene one.

What we have to keep in mind is that through this line we will see some of the great hero's of faith. Joseph, David, Solomon....a guy named Jesus (He is a pretty big player in this game).

I am learning more and more that as God is orchestrating His will in our lives, we have to trust that His ways are secure and safe. That He is not rolling the dice with our lives.

This doesn't really say much about chapter 32 so why don't you go ahead and read it.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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A Blog Of A Good Friend...

2009-03-11T16:15:00.002-05:00

Most of the time I like to poke fun at this guy for being a Kelly Clarkson loving, Taylor Swift listening, Drumline watching, Momma's boy. But Swine has been going through the Gospel of Matthew on his blog. He is asking some really good questions about God's Word.

You should check it out: follow the link on the right.

Now that I have said that...I am back to picking on Swine.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Take Away's From "Doing Life @ The Speed Of God" Series...

2009-03-10T14:08:00.003-05:00

At Merge we just wrapped up our latest series. Here are a few thoughts that I am taking away from this series:

1) God will not send you to a place He has not prepared you for.

2) Even though we may have a thousands excuses to not "go", God's one reason to "go" is enough.

3) The process from the promise to the promised land is sometimes painful but that doesn't mean that God isn't in the middle of it all orchestrating His will in your life.

4) Coming to your "Red Sea" is as much a part of God's plan as you actually crossing it.

5) Jake said something really inspirational in that week and will take me to long to type it out.

6) Change of place + Change of pace = Change of perspective

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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