2010: An Essay on the Most Important Resolution

January boasts the highest gym enrollment compared to every other month. It seems that the new year ushers in a intrinsic need for change inside of us. Why? We want to be a better us. We want this year to be better than last year, even if our last year was extraordinary. The truth is that any change that could make a difference in our lives evolves not over a fortnight, but over a span much longer than that.

Not surprisingly, gym membership drastically drops in February. The excuses are many: the results negligible. A few of those people stay of, but the vast majority have failed on their resolutions yet again. So what is the point of making a resolution that we aren't even sure we can keep? Why make one in the first place?

I would say that resolutions are in themselves a good thing. Most often, the desire is beneficial to ourselves. We want to develop better habits and ensure for ourselves a better life. The trouble is we aren't willing to work for them. If we want to change our life, we must first get down in the trenches and fight for that change daily. Some of our hopes might be beyond us, and we might fail at achieving our goals. But how will we know without seriously attempting to succeed?

The truth is that a new year brings new unforeseen obstacles into our lives. For me I have my final semester of high school before me - and then college. Maybe it's a new job for you. Maybe it's the first year without someone. Maybe it's the first year with a new responsibility. The point is that we don't know what the new year holds in store for us. Without omnipotence, are ultimate success may in fact be beyond us.

Say our goals did align with our walks of life for this year. For instance;
I myself want to further develop my leadership and mentoring abilities as well as continue in God's transforming works in Faithbridge's student ministry. Personally, I want to develop a greater understanding of who God is. I want to be able to develop a Christ centered focus towards my life. Many of these goals are not concrete objectives, but rather ideas which I will strive for.

Resolutions only go so far. Made with human wisdom - they are certainly not infallible. The Good News is that we aren't needed to fulfill our own purposes. Jesus Christ has come so that He can take our lives and transform them into his workmanship. Our goals wither underfoot of God's perfect plan. He knows the course our life is going to take this year, so all we have to do is get on board and live in faith. God doesn't call us to do the expected. Quite often God's call brings us to new, often scary places. The beauty of it all is that through his providence we are strengthened more than we could have ever hoped for. When we humbly come and ask to be a part of His family, admitting our need for Him, he answers instantly.

In 2010 feel free to make resolutions, hopefully ones you will seek whole-heartedly to fulfill, but make the bigger decision tonight as well. We won't know where it will lead us or who we will be by the time the year is over. We can't even guarantee we know what we're getting ourselves into. I urge you to make haste on this day and resolve to live this next year of your life alive.

Jesus Christ, the Lord Almighty, is the only true source of life. No resolution you make can give you the fulfillment you can receive through Him tonight. Give your body as it says in Romans 12:1 as a living sacrifice. Christ doesn't call us to understanding but to obedience. His plan is what is truly best for us. Resolve to make Him the focus of your life, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

a bondservant and slave to Jesus Christ
-matt

Cielo: An Essay on Grace

I learned a new word today, cielo. It's Spanish for heaven. It's also the name of a remarkable song by Phil Wickham. Listen to it real fast before going on.



I picked up the guitar and started playing it immediately. I know my fellow musicians can attest to the how much more powerful worship can be when you get to play the music. As the chords frets were pressed by my fingers, the words became engraved upon my soul.

I can't sing loud enough. I can't bow low enough. I can't. Ultimately it doesn't matter. God grants us entrance into Heaven because of his majestic grace. We're thankful for that. But to what extent? None of us can give God anything close to what he deserves. He is holy, set apart from everything he has created. And that should awe us.

Other beliefs have there own versions of God. Mormons believe Christ was a created being, Muslims that he wasn't killed on the cross, Jews say he wasn't the promised Messiah. Without a right few of Jesus Christ none of this makes sense. Without Jesus' bloody brutal sacrificial death on the cross, ultimately what makes the One True God much better than the others?

Please here me out, I know that sounds blasphemous. I don't intend to be. My point is that if God doesn't send his son to wash us in his blood, then we're hopeless. Hell as the eternal destination for all of us. But Our God, Jesus Christ is different. Many think that the heavenly scales operate in a sort of "Santa Clause" fashion. If the good outweighs the bad then we're free to go. But I ask this: how can a righteous God allow a sinner to be with him? He can't and he won't. To every other major religion in the world, the purpose of life is to live for God by honoring a serving him - to be good enough. But if God is just, which he is, original sin condemns us all at our birth.

And this is the truth. Not every path leads to Heaven. Jesus says the narrow path is the only way, and few will find it. Do you get it yet? We're too worthless to stumble upon that narrow path through our own doing. The difference between the Truth and the lies of the world is that to be with God in Heaven you have to only accept the fact that we are all sinners in need of his grace. It's no longer about being good enough. God loves us in spite of our sin. We can't comprehend how truly miraculous this grace is.

We should be in awe. We're being given eternal life after living a life worthy of eternal damnation. I can't bow low enough. I can't sing loud enough. I can't reach high enough. Heaven is beyond my grasp. But Christ's outstretched arms are enough for all who come to him and ask for that salvation.

If you say you're a Christian then quit trying to earn it. You're spitting in Christ's face as he is pinned on the cross. He doesn't want you to earn it. He wants you to humbly come and accept what he has done for you. It's not about being good enough, in fact our offerings are compared to dirty rags. Heaven is open in front of us. Christ is bridging the gap between us and the Father. Accept that you're not able to jump the gap alone. Be in awe of that grace.

you're fellow undeserving sinner,
-matt

The Christmas Invasion

As I've been reading through John I've been focusing on Jesus' description of light. He talks about it frequently ie. John 1:4-5, 8:12, 9:5, 11:9-10, 12:35-36,46 just to point out a few. And as Christmas is right around the corner, I feel it is appropriate to take a closer look into what he had to say. First, a verse to guide us, specifically John 8:12-

"...I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

Simply put, Jesus the source of life. Lets examine the implications of this. On Christmas we celebrate the birth of a King in a little-known town of Bethlehem. Our Lord began his earthly life so that he could die and be our Savior. So if Jesus is Light, then what kind of world did he enter into? Darkness, or the absence of light. The truth is that this venture into humankind was an invasion. This world is enemy territory.

Jesus is Holy, therefor light can only consist of holiness. Since we are not holy, we walk in darkness if we are without the Light. Up until Jesus descended into this world, there was nothing but darkness. And that is where we live today. In a world filled with darkness, a world in which Jesus says we will have to choose between either walking in Truth or walking in the darkness. Jesus says in John 12:46 that he came into the world so that we would have light and no longer stay in the darkness.

The story of Christmas we often hear is of the cute baby Jesus lying in a manger. Frail and peaceful, just like any other kid. 'Cept this kid happens to be the Creator of the Universe. Jesus Christ came like a paratrooper. He dropped in and set up camp behind enemy lines. As my dear friend Matthew Rock likes to say, Christ came to subvert the empire. He's not just a cute baby. In fact, soon he will be riding a white horse ready to return and judge the world. When light came into this world it came down into utter darkness. This darkness was no match and the light began to spread to the followers of the Christ.

We are now part of the invasion. On Christmas we celebrate the brilliant entry of our King into this world. He never meant for his birth to bring forth signs of "Happy Birthday Jesus." He came under shadow of night, when all the world was still, but the north star shone upon the Light of the world. Jesus' birth was the beginning of a battle for control of humanity. A battle that ultimately Jesus will win.

So this Christmas, let us do two things. First, we should celebrate the birth of our Savior, for without him we would be lost in the darkness for good. Second, we should press on and continue to march. The enemy is afoot, attempting to spread darkness by surrounding the light. We can't and won't let Satan succeed. It is our mission to defeat darkness by letting our light shine within us and throughout the world. This Christmas let us not be distracted by all the trimmings of a big birthday party. Lets subvert the empire of darkness. The battle has begun.

your brother in Christ Jesus,
-matt

The Vines and the Branches: An Essay on Christ

Lately I've been reading through John and just picking it apart piece by peace. Today my focus was John 15:1-17. The analogous comparisons Jesus uses in this passage aren't new to me, but the Spirit chose to unpack them in a new form this afternoon.

First I just want to flush out more of this analogy that he uses. In Verse 5 Christ says, "I am the vine; you are the branches..." so lets start there. What is He really saying here? He goes on to say that only through connection to him can the branches bear fruit. It's cause and effect. Stay connected to Jesus = fruitful. So the purpose of our lives is to bear the fruit that Christ has enabled us to do. So why do we live apart from the vine?

I fear that Christians today get their spiritual "fertilizer" once or twice a week at church. They quite often aren't connected to the vine, Jesus, but rather they connect themselves to other sources that claim to offer growth and life. Christ says, also in verse 5 "apart from me you can do nothing." So if the purpose of our life is to bear the fruits that Christ has equipped us to bear, without him we bear nothing. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but a vine without fruit is dead. Without any signs of life why should it be assumed that it is living?

This works the same way for "camp highs" or good feelings you get from serving someone on a mission trip. Initially, small fruits may begin to form, but without connection to Christ they will undoubtedly wither and decay. Thats a reason why I'm not a fan of most camps and most mission trips. Hear me out first. Neither one is bad, and both can have tremendous results for God's glory. BUT: Christian culture today seems to send a message that you go on the trips and to these camps to experience Jesus. Again, that is a GOOD thing. BUT: The emphasis that is placed on experiencing Jesus at a lake, on the beach, in a foreign country is not relayed back to everyday suburban living. The truth is that the branches should be connected to the vine all the time, not just on weeks during the summer. As LeaderTreks always is quick to remind me; We are not called to go on mission but to live out missional lifestyles every day.

I'm not saying that most Christians don't live like complete Pagans during the school year and throw Christ to the side (although some do). I merely would like to examine what Christ has to say in this chapter. He tells us that we are either in or out. He says we are to "remain in [him] and [he] will remain in [us]" Being a Christian doesn't allow for half way doing it. And thats a sad truth that I am afraid might not be being conveyed as it should. To be a Christan you must give your life away. You must literally become a SLAVE to Christ as it says throughout Romans and the rest of the new testament. Jesus wanted our lives to be completely consumed by him. To all Christians who would argue that living a life for Jesus is anything but complete surrender and obedience I would say this: you are lukewarm, not fully connected to the vine that is Christ Jesus.

Look, the reality is that none of us, myself included, is as connected to the vine as we need to be. For Christ says also in verse 13 this: "Great love has n one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." That references the atoning sacrifice the He would make on the cross only four chapters later. The greatest act of love is to give yourself up to a friend. That is what we were called to in
His death. The fruit we bear should lead others to see lives which point to the cross. Jesus calls us his friends because He is connected to us even today through the Holy Spirit. It's going to be tough. Jesus speaks at the beginning of this chapter of the pruning we must go through as we approach righteousness. But, He warns later that the branches that are not connected to him are cast into the fire: dead.

There are many people alive today that have never experienced life. Bear fruit so that this may be changed.

To the Glory of the Most High,
-matt

Love is Here

You are great
Even when I flee
You pursue
You love
You save

Beautiful feet come from Nazareth
A cry in the desert preludes your song
The world will never be the same
God is here
Love is here.

No longer must I fear men
Love has entered
to save all
Savior lives
Hope is true
Love is here.

I do not endure the enemy alone
You fight for me
"Praise the Lord" shout the nations
Love is here.

-matt

I Saw Jesus

Christ always had a plan for us. When he taught, he didn't bring a philosophy. He brought truth. The truth of Jesus Christ is that he came down from heaven and became a man. As a man he was abused and murdered on the Cross. He then rose and beat death forever. Why? So that we could have life.

So what does that life look like? We are called to be the body of Christ. To bring the Spirit with us wherever we go. We are called to be Jesus to the world. I experienced that today. I was in a rough patch, times were alright. But nothing special, not chasing demons, but not sprinting towards Christ either. Just altogether a valley of sorts. I guess thats how the low times happen, we don't even realize completely how far from God we think we've gone, but we just can find the nerve to turn and run back to him, it just feels weird.

But today was different. I saw Jesus. Ok, I didn't see the scarred hands or the punctured side, but one of my friends did show me the love of Christ in his/her actions. We'll call them Taylor. Taylor came to me today and showed me in a tangible way how God loves us even when we aren't on fire for him. Taylor, like Jesus, invited me to restore a relationship that had been in regression. When I was with Taylor today I didn't see any forced attempt to be a "Super-Christian". There was no attempt to coax me in the right direction. I saw Jesus today. Taylor was living out the call that God gives all of us. We are told to love our brothers and sisters. Even when I hadn't reached out to Taylor as I knew I should have, Taylor reached out to me. God's love is relentless.

And that really is where it all starts. Choosing day by day to answer to the mandate that God has placed upon all of us. I saw Jesus today. Not through miracles or supernatural phenomena, but through a Christan answer the call of Christ and living as Jesus did. Taylor probably didn't even realize just exactly the message that they conveyed to me today, but that is ok. Christ never promised that we'd have all the answers, that we would know just exactly what we did for the kingdom. But, I do know this: through Taylor, a Christian living their life for God, Jesus spoke to me a message of grace. I mess up, I'm forgiven. I desperately needed to hear that message. Thank you *Taylor*. Even if you never know, you've changed my trajectory, righted my direction straight back onto Christ.

So through what God has shown me today I leave this challenge. Be Jesus. Don't try and be perfect or act out the holier-than-thou life. Simply walk in the ways of the Greatest Teacher. Love people. Give grace. Let the Spirit work. Someone was my Jesus today, now its my turn to be Jesus to others. A life for Christ is the only life worth living. Godbless

-matt

Hello Hurricane: An essay on Boldness

Before you read this, go to Switchfoot's myspace and listen to the title track of their new album, Hello Hurricane. Here's the link http://www.myspace.com/switchfoot .

In my opinion one of their best songs yet. But I want to take a closer look at these lyrics:

Hello Hurricane
You're not enough
You can't silence my love
I've got doors and windows boarded up
All your dead end fury is not enough
You can't silence my love

Im a fighter fighting for control
Im a fighter fighting for my soul
Everything inside of me surrenders
You can't silence my love
You can't silence my love

They made me think thats for sure. But I just started to really dive into the message it was proclaiming. The words declare that not even a hurricane can silence my love. But what does that mean? I think it declares our fearless and unrelenting love for our Savior. We're taking every stop we can to ensure that we're living for him and not giving in to pressures from this world. And the bridge drives it home for me. We really are soldiers of Christ in this world, and as soldiers we are constantly under attack from the enemy. Spiritually, mentally, physically, we are just assaulted every day. How do we prevail? By surrender.

This song declares a bold surrender. A confident submission to Christ. I recall Hebrews 4:14-16 where it says that we should be confident because of what Christ has done for us. Yes, This song gets me pumped up to go into the world and fight for Christ. But I don't think that is what this song means to convey. As Christians the greatest thing we can do for God today is surrender and admit we aren't capable of doing anything that God couldn't just have done for himself. That's really hard for me to swallow, honestly. I don't like not having control, I hate admitting that the circumstances are beyond me.

But as I just look at my life and see the "blood red" skies rolling in, all the challenges and opposition that I will face in this life, I see that I really am inadequate. And now that I realize this, I feel so relieved. We have a God that is bigger than this earth. He's bigger than our struggles. When the storms come and we get swept away God is always chasing after us. The hardest part is admitting our need.

We live in a society bent on self preservation and success. If you can't do it yourself then you aren't man enough. If you aren't pretty then you're a failure. If I cheat on my taxes just this one time, I'll make so much more money. If I work hard enough then I'll make enough money to be happy. If i do this.... Don't you see the problem. Our proclamation should be one of boldness! We should greet the trials and storms with the declaration that anything that comes our way is not enough. Nothing can overcome the love that Christ has in our life. When hard times come the world tends to look at Christians. When we respond with that characteristic joy of Christ, people notice. Hello hurricane, you can't silence my love. Hello hurricane, I have Christ. Hello hurricane, I won't be overcome. In fact, we will overcome. Christ has given us victory! We have a joy burning inside of us that enables us to face the storms of life boldly!

Now the question changes. No longer do we ask, "What can I do for Christ today?", although that is a valid question. Now we can proclaim. "I surrender Christ, I need you today, use me however you want." Everything I have I count as lost. Do we really believe that? Imagine how great life can be if we have nothing holding us back. Material goods mean nothing, Christ means everything. I recall a sermon that Dan Slagle preached at Faithbridge a while ago. He talked about being a dangerous Christian. We shouldn't live life passively. We shouldn't wake up, go to school/work, come home, go to bed, repeat. Sure those actions will be a part of our lives, but what will our story look like? How will we be remembered. With that surrender we can make the focus of our life Jesus Christ. We can be dangerous to Satan. People are going to notice. If you're a dangerous Christian the fight will just got harder, but the rewards in heaven will be greater.

For a second just contemplate the miracle of your salvation. How could a God powerful and awesome enough to create and control a hurricane love you with a furious and passionate love? I agree it doesn't make much sense. So my closing challenge would be this: don't cower from the world and its struggles. Be bold. Live dangerously. Hello Hurricane, you can't silence my love! Let this be the cry of your heart. This all starts with surrender. Stand before a holy perfect God and tell him that you aren't enough. Paul was the first to tell everyone that he was the worst of sinners. Through his admittance he served as a mouthpiece to bring God even further glory. God I admit that I'm a wretched sinner. God I admit that without your love my life is meaningless. I surrender to you. Have you way with me. Allow me to say with conviction, Hello Hurricane.

-matt

The Many, The Proud, thus the Problem: An Essay on Culture

"I'm awesome."
What's that? You think that sentence sounds conceited? Well, that's probably because it is. But too often isn't that what goes through our mind? I mean we might not consciously brag on our every action, don't we as a society value success? Newsflash, society as a whole more often that not has yet to concur with the teachings and works of Jesus Christ.

Our culture values those who reach the top, the professional football player that frequently gets the MVP and wins the most superbowls, the beautiful actress who inspires young girls to aspire to her status. Or how about the scientist who finds a cure for a world-wide disease. Then we always have the young singing sensations that our children dream of becoming because TV has marketed to them what looks like "the perfect life." Now compare those images to this: Jesus Christ crucified, hung on a cross after being brutually tortured.

Naturally that doesn't really constitute success does it? We preach the "Me-First" gospel in America, the constant climbing of the ladder of success (but where does this ladder lead?) Christ didn't bring that news. Christ came to spread the "You Can't, I Did" Gospel. The simple truth is that we are saved by his work on the cross and we can't do anything to pay our way further.

So why do we laud the Hollywood faces, the famed athletes, or the rock stars? Why do some of us want that same fame? We are a selfish generation. Our first instinct is to deny that previous sentence, to say that we're not that bad, but aren't we? We worship the success of others and take pride in every little thing that we do. Conversely, Jesus did say in Luke 13:30 "Indeed there are those who are last that will be first, and first who will be last." Our goal should not be fame (having people honor and serve us), but the opposite, honoring and serving our Lord.

Jesus never fit into his society. People thought he was a freak. Call it whatever you will but Jesus was different, his life mattered. Don't we want to have an eternal impact in our world? So now the question is how. How can we live for Christ in a culture that urges us to live for ourselves? Well, it certainly is not easy but it is so worth it. I think that since Christ is the most important part (and should totally consume our lives) we start there. We must relize that it isn't important who we are. Like it or not in 4 generations (give or take a few) no one is going to know you. So 100 years removed from today, what will matter? Will it be who (insert your name here) WAS. Or will it matter who Jesus Christ IS?

If we wan't to really be Christ to our culture we must always remember that it isn't our name, but Christ's fame that is important. only Christ matters. Before we start blindly following our society, check Scripture, see what God had to say on such matters, because He's right over culture every time.
-matt

Prayer Request and Scripture

The following three passages of scripture God has revealed as highly important in my life for the foreseeable future. Pray these verses over me and with me this next season of my life

Philippians 4:11-13

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Ephesians 3:14-21

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Romans 12:1

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."

-matt

thanks in advance for all of the support. to God be the glory!

An Analogy

So Joe Hornberger, a Rice FCA guy, was speaking at Klein FCA this morning and he got me thinking. He talked a little bit about living for Christ, and more specifically from Chapter Four of Crazy Love entitled "Profile of the Lukewarm." Again I heavily recommend you read this book because I guarantee God will move in your heart if you listen to what Francis Chan, the author has to say. Anyways I've yet to get to my original thought.

ahem anyways, Joe's message to our scattered group of kids, some athletes, some not, was refreshing and I translated the concept into an analogy that brought a new sort of clarity to me. Pretend that each one of us as Christians has a position on a football team. There is a right guard and a quarter back, a wide receiver and a center. Now suppose we're trying as a team to accomplish our mission, bring Glory to Jesus Christ and make his name known across the nations. In order for us to reach that goal, to have an effective team, we must all be working together. If someone on the offense line doesn't block the oncoming rush then the quarterback is going to get sacked. If the wide receiver blocks instead of running deep then how can he catch the touchdown? Football has been described as the ultimate team sport. It takes more than just star athletes to be successful, it takes a unit that functions together in order to reach its purpose.

(from Joe) Bob Stoops, the now legendary coach of Oklahoma, was once told he would never win with such a terrible team in his first year as a head coach. The second year of his tenure he won the national championship. He might not have had the best players, but that's not what he asked for. He told a reporter that all he required from his team was effort and execution, neither of the two involved talent.

Why do I bring that up? For the same reason that Joe mentioned this morning: we are all called to fight lukewarmness and to go out on offense. The football analogy just made sense to me; Christ describes us as members of his body, each having our own purpose and function. If you are a Christian God is not happy with you playing life safe, living comfortably. God demands our everything. Why do we give him nearly nothing? Another analogy: If your life is a house, God should be able to permeate every room. Are you locking him out of any room, no matter how small? If you didn't believe would your life look the same?

food for thought. thanks again to Joe and Chapters 4 and 7 of Crazy Love.

-matt

Go Hard by Lecrae (feat. Tedashii)

I don't know if many of you are fans of Christian Rap, but even if you aren't take a look at these lyrics. Are you going hard for the Lord? Is he the purpose behind your life? Lecrae asks some tough questions: let's answer them.

GO HARD

v1.

Lord kill me If I don't preach the gospel
I'm still in my 20's- but I'll die if I got to
Eh man I''m Already dead- man forget my flesh
I done been crossed over, see the full court press
I'm a full court mess if the Lord don't use me
Running from my trials thinkin' everythangs groovy
If the Cross don't move me then I don't wanna breath no mo
If I ain't seeing Christ potna I don't wanna see no mo
Rep Him every day without worrying about bruising
I been to china mayne I seen some real persecution
If U didn't know Christ would ya life look the same
Can they tell you value Jesus by the way you rep his name?
man what's the point of living if Im living for myself
Lord empty out my life before I put you on the shelf
So for God I got Hard I don't wanna die tonight
But It's too many people living who ain't heard about the Christ

Go Hard or Go Home

Go Hard or Go Home
Lord Use Me Up

Lord Use Me Up

v2.
Went to Asia had to duck and hide-for sharin' my faith
They tell me water it down when I get back to states
They say tone the music down you might sell a lot a records
But it's people out here dying and none of em heard the message
Took my wifey on mission trip - in central america
Shared her testimony 40 people stood and stared at her
When she said Jesus shoulda seen it was insane
cause 40 out of 40 never heard of Jesus name
Aw mayne we ain't focused on the war we just kickin' it
worried bout our image and our space up on the internet
take me out the game coach I don't wanna play no mo
If cant give it all I got and leave it out there on the court
Thank you for the Grace for the will and the desire
got me living for your glory stead of living to retire
But I pray I'll never tire of going hard for Messiah
I don't need no motivation You the reason I'm inspired.

v3.
Go Hard for the Lord baby 'til He takes us home
Go Hard for the Father baby go on get it on
That's what that is baby/that what that mean/that what that mean
That what That is baby/That what that mean/that what that mean
Wha-What that mean?
That mean that we, should be out up in the streets
Not just in houses with our bible's summarizing what we read
Man this ain't deep (man this ain't deep)/why we ain't doing what we read
Its like we sleep (its like we sleep)
But sinners sleepwalk when they sleep
So why can't we (so why can't we)/the redeemed of the LORD
Act out, what He said/and make a scene for the LORD
Action-cut, say what, like we was the director
But you better get a Grip like movie sets, and get to stepping/(Martin)
I know you done it/da-done it, da-done-and heard it all
You was going hard for the Lord before you heard this song
But don't play yourself to save ya self/and walk in fear
Scripture's like a mirror/the truth is closer than it appears

godbless,

-matt

Procrastination a Sin?: An Essay on Time

It comes natural for us to assume that because we are alive today, we will be alive tomorrow. We assume that this is just how things are supposed to work. The reality is this: is this really true? The answer: no.

Human life is not something concrete but rather a finite hope that we hang on to. Our lives are our own to use for whatever purposes we want. We're willing to live for God.... tomorrow. How true is that? I know for me it's always easier to promise God that I'll spend time with him tomorrow, but I just can't right now. Or maybe, God I really do want to make you known in my school, but I'm not good at evangelizing. I'm not trying to argue that we will be perfect, just that God wants our lives. The response to a HOLY God should be "I surrender" not "I will surrender... eventually... I promise... just let me do my own thing for a bit longer." The truth is that we could not live to see the end of today.

Death is a taboo subject. But Christ came and broke all the social barriers. We have little control over our lives, yet we think too often that we run the show. Listen to this statement:

We could be face to face with the Mighty Lord Jesus Christ this very day.

Think about that for a second. Do you truly believe that God has the power over life AND over death. That he can create a new life and take an old one away? People of every age and every background die every day, what makes us so invincible?

Now answer this: are you ready? We say we are. But get past the surface, do more than just rely on the standard "goody-two-shoes" Christian response. Too often we figure that we can start living for God tomorrow.

If Jesus had put off dieing on the cross until "tomorrow" where would we be right now?

If our God didn't give us everything, where would we be? Does that scare you? It should.

We make time an idol. Jesus Christ, the Creator of the world, stands outside of time. Before time was created (yes, time wasn't just there) God was. By saying we'll live for Christ tomorrow we're denying him today. God doesn't make room for lukewarm "Christians" he demands all or nothing. We worship time. We give our lives to the concept of tomorrow, working for something that we have deemed worthwhile. Maybe it's a job, or a family, or a lifestyle. But none of these compare to the eternity we will be spending either with God or without him. We make our lives on earth out to be important, but in the end, what have we done with God?

God calls us to live for him. To deny our flesh that says "do it later" and to cling to the cross that cries out "I love you now, and forever." God wants us always. How can we even bare to think that we WILL love him... tomorrow? We always say procrastination is bad, but usually we limit it to the realm of homework or our occupations. Putting off God's calling is equivalent to telling the King of the Universe "No, I'd rather do things my way." We are an arrogant, spineless, cowardly, worthless, broken people. Yet we DEMAND God's love NOW. If you wan't God's love then prove it. I'm not saying grace is not sufficient. What I am saying, like James, is that "faith without deeds is dead." If we really are followers of Christ we should be following him from the Cross to the Grave today.

Death is coming friends. Everyone will die. So don't pretend anymore. You or I could be standing before God giving an account of our life on earth BEFORE WE FINISH READING THIS SENTENCE. I'll say it again. We could die WITHIN THIS VERY MINUTE. Yet we still treat God as a parent that we just need to appease, to do just enough. Time was created BY GOD so that we could spend every minute in his presence making him known and praised throughout all creation. I don't know when, but we all will stand before the throne someday. maybe that day is today? What will you have to say about your life? God isn't going to accept "Well, I was going to do it, I was just too busy." Does that work when you're late on a homework assignment? Of course not. God's assignment to us is to take up our Cross and follow him. Revelation 3:1 says this "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead." Unfortunately we all fall into that trap sometimes. But the greatest thing is that once we realize who we are without God we can humbly begin to seek him in earnest.

I end with this. Live for God today, because you have no right to demand tomorrow. If God calls you to testify for your life today, will you be ready?

-matt

It's Been a While

It's been far to long since I've touched base with the blog so I'm going to post another entry up this Saturday 10/3 so be expecting that. In the mean time read this, its Chapter 1 from Francis Chan's book Crazy Love. I absolutely love it. Check it out and then I would urge you to get the book if you haven't read it yet. Chapter two is extremely intense. more posts to folllow-

-matt

http://www.crazylovebook.com/CrazyLove-ChapterSample.pdf

ps. Raincheck on that, ended up having a full weekend, or at least didn't have too much access to the computer. I do need to update ya'll and hopefully I can do that as soon as possible. Stay tuned,

-matt

This Sentence has Blown My Mind

"Isn't it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exagerate." Francis Chan, Crazy Love

spend some time just pondering what this sentence means. it is changing my life

-matt

Romans 12

¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. ²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Love

⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. ¹⁸If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. ²⁰On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

A Brief but Worthy Challenge

First, an excerpt from The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning out of Chapter 6, entited Discipleship Today.

"There are certain questions that every Christian must answer in utter candor. Do you hunger for Jesus Christ? Do you yearn to spend time alone with him in prayer? Is he the most important person in your life? Does he fill your soul like a song of joy? Is he on your lips as a shout of praise? Do you eagerly turn to his memoirs, his Testament, to learn more of him? Are you making the effort to die daily to anything and everything that inhibits, threatens, or diminishes your friendship?" (Manning 106)

The first time I read over that list I thought "hmm, thats a really good section." I kept reading, or rather tried to. But God just kept drawing me back to that passage. I couldn't turn the page. And I was just grabbed by the Spirit and compelled to answer the challenge Brennan put in front of me. The challenge that Christ calls us to each and every day, to evalutate our relationship with him and what needs to grow or change. So I got my journal and simply went straight down the list being as brutally honest as I could with myself. Evaluation does nothing if it doesn't come from the heart, where the crux of the problem comes from. So my challenge to you is this: grab a sheet of paper, journal, microsoft word even, and write down these questions replacing each "you" with "I" and such, making these statements personal. Then answer the questions. Be blunt, be honest, if not then don't waste your time. A half-truth is no better than a lie because neither are true. Then after you have answered them the next task is to create action steps. Figure out some concrete things that you can do tomorrow (or even today) to improve your relationship with Christ. Then get someone to hold you accountable. Maybe thats a friend, a pastor, a family member, etc. Figure out what the problem is then take every step you can to fix it.

Christ calls us to live our lives in a radical way, exclusively for his glory. Let's all take a step back to be sure that we're running in the right direction. Be bold.

-matt

Moving Forward: An Essay on the Impossible

It’s been a while since I just straight up told you guys (and gals) what God is doing in my life, so I figured now was a great time to do it as the school year starts to kick up. Ever since touching down on American soil again after a challenging two week trip to Costa Rica at the beginning of July my life has been radically different. I’ve gone from spending little, if any, time daily with God to desperately wanting to find more and more. I’ve been able to wake up early before work and before band and before school to read my Bible and just spend time with him. Then when I get ready to sleep at night I’ve been spending hours at a time just being with Him through Scripture and prayer. While I was in Costa Rica I was challenged by God to start to truly understand just exactly who he is, and I found a great way to do that: reading his story. So I started from the beginning, the very beginning, as in “In the beginning…” and read to the final Amen. I can’t believe that I was capable of that but I’ve seen now more clearly than ever the truth in Christ’s statement "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” in Matthew 19:26. In that past month and a half I read more Scripture than I have most likely in my entire life. My entire view on simply who God is has transformed. When he’s give the title of Redeemer, of Creator, of Father, of Shepherd; I understand just what is meant and it’s so very cool. It was a goal that I admit was unreachable by God by his grace has allowed me to achieve it and in 40 days I finished the entirety of his Word.

Now this is the part of my story where I don’t want you to just call me the super-Christian or right yourself off as someone who couldn’t ever do that. I was on that team not too long ago. I’ve never been able to have consistent devotionals or frankly spend a solid amount of time with God, it has and will continue to be a struggle in my life I can admit that. But all it takes is faith. The difference between belief and faith, to quote Brennan Manning in The Signature of Jesus is this: “faith is not the sum of our beliefs or a way of speaking or a way of thinking; it is a way of living and can be articulated only in a living practice.” It’s one thing to believe that Jesus died for ours sins; It is quite another to have faith that his deliverance will continue to support you to this very day and to act on his grace, not hoard it to ourselves. I would equate our spiritual journey to physical conditioning. When you exercise and train for something, we condition our body, we make it stronger. As our muscles strain and stretch we now have a higher threshold of strength and ability that we would not have had if we didn’t intentionally focus on strengthening that specific muscle. It is just so in our walk with Christ, if we don’t focus on strengthening our relationship with him then we will be left at a standstill, maybe not on the lowest level, but certainly within reach of improvement, and all it takes to grow is the will to know him.

That being mentioned: all of us are at different levels in our walk with the Lord. Some of us might be ready to drop everything and become a missionary to Africa tomorrow, some might just feel comfortable with picking up the bible every other day and reading a chapter or two, and that is okay! God didn’t call us to be perfect; he called us to be in a relationship with him. Like with our everyday friends, the more time we spend with them the more comfortable we are with them and the more we’re willing to sacrifice for them. God wants to take each of us to whatever our next level is; he see’s the potential he has put in all of us and is eager to show us the next step on the ladder. A lot of us (me particularly) might be worried about the future, about what college we’ll go to, about what we’re going to do in life, about whether or not we should do track this year, about who to marry, etc. In Matthew 6:27 Jesus says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” The answer: none of us. God doesn’t promise to reveal our entire life story before us today, but he does tell us that he will show us where our next step is. Psalm 119:105 says this, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” So take the next step, and have faith that God will guide you on the rest.

As this school year continues to progress I challenge all of us to live out our faith. I want to see our campuses, our workplaces, our churches; filled with the fire of the followers of Christ in action. The next step is this: go to Jesus, ask him what the next step is for you personally. If you don’t feel like he’s answering you, start with what you know is true, go to Scripture and I promise you this; if you read his Word and spend time with him, he will beyond a shadow of a doubt reveal himself to you. This year get to know God, and then you will be able to show his ridiculous love to others. Stand Firm. Feel free to get in contact with me and I’d be glad to help you get started or point you to someone that can. In Christ

-matt

Senior Year: An Essay on Impact

Buckle up gang, and here we go. It’s time for yet another school year to start. More teachers. More classes. More homework. And yet, something is different. I venture into this new era of my life as a new man. During this summer God has rapidly transformed me from someone who wanted to know God (but also wanted other things) into a man totally dependant on the Rock, thirsty for His Word all the time. I enter this year no longer the same person I once was, and because of this, I am able to expect different results.

Last year I was a part of a lot of things, and I had a lot of fun, but I’m not quite sure where the eternal impact was. That’s a phrase we threw around a lot this summer. How can we truly make a difference in the lives of our peers and in our own hearts? So this year I pledge myself to live by that higher standard, to answer Christ’s call when he charges us in Luke 12:48. He says, “… From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

What does that mean? It means that I am being held at a higher standard. I’ve seen God’s provision for my life and I know that this year He expects great things from me. I just found out last week that a scheduling conflict is forcing me to drop what would have been my hardest class, allowing me to move into an easier one that will still be worthwhile I think. Through that and other experiences this summer God has just made it clear to me that this year, my senior year, is supposed to make a splash. School is a part of it yes, but the ultimate goal is this: to make more and stronger disciples of Jesus Christ. Christ says in Matthew 12:34 that out of an overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. So hear my heart. My desire is to evoke change, to “move the team” if you will. I want to take myself and those around me to a whole new level in our relationships with the Lord. In the words of the Babe from Sandlot, “Heroes get remembered but legends never die.” I want to make my mark. I want my life to radiate Christ with such a passion that my zeal for my Maker will overflow into all aspects of my life and every relationship. I’m not living so that people will remember Matt Bartlett, the local Jesus Freak, but rather I want others to see God’s love made physical through my life. I want to share the Gospel with not just my lips, but also my actions.

This started with me humbling myself before God, admitting that I cannot do anything without him. This ends with me sitting exalted at the throne, sitting side by side with the Lord of Creation, God Almighty himself. This is my senior year. I’m living with no regrets. I’m finishing strong. Never this year will I remember back to a time that I wasted an opportunity, failed to chase after the one who perpetually chases after me.

To all of you who are Seniors this year. Don’t waste this chance. We only have one life to live. Don’t look back at high school a decade from now and wish that it could have been different. “Greater things are still to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city” are the some great lyrics penned by Chris Tomlin. Do you believe it? Do you believe that you’re life is capable of changing others eternity, of impacting literally the entire world for Jesus? You can. Each and every one of you can set the world on fire for Christ. As LeaderTreks says, the first step to becoming a leader is believing you are one. If you believe in yourself, in the man/woman that God has created for a purpose, his purpose, then you will be an instrument of the Holy God, ready to impact everyone around you. I urge you not to waste this chance, to waste a year where “the world is your oyster,” where you are king of the jungle and have influence beyond your wildest imaginations. Change your school, change your friends, change your life. Take your relationship with Christ seriously. He died for your life, all of it, for you to spend all of eternity in communion with Him. And most of us spend maybe 20 minutes a day with Him. We don’t meditate on his Word, and we don’t pray continuously or even often for that matter. Christ didn’t die so we could give him our mediocre attempt at spirituality. Sure we’re all wrecks, no of us are perfect, but he deserves all we can muster. Get to know the one who knitted you together in your mother’s womb. Who planned every step you would take before you took them. Who created you with a purpose. Live your life for the one who sent you.

To all non-seniors; don’t wait. Don’t wait for senior year to “turn it on” so-to-speak. Don’t waste your time you have now that you could be running for Jesus. Once you get on his team start being that champion he calls us to be. Use your years that you have now to latch on to Christ and to build that relationship up further and further, be infatuated by His grace and desperate to be in His love. By the time you get to senior year you will have an even greater platform from which you are able to minister from. God calls each one of us to ministry, so get out there and go.
I leave you all with a set of verses and a parting word or two. Matthew 28:18-20, “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” God is with us. He has commissioned us to set this earth on fire for him. Lets live it out. Make today a day worth remembering, a day spent chasing after the King of Kings. Amen.
-matt

Restored

Above all, You are the light

the world is Yours.

I have nothing to fear.

So why am I afraid.

I am inadequate.

You love me.

I ambandoned you.

You chased me.

I cursed you.

You held me.

Please don't give me what I deserve.

I need grace.

I always need grace.

So why do I forget you?

I'm a mess, God.

You are the author of life.

My story is not complete.

In the final chapter

we meet in heaven

restored.

-matt

Eternally Bound: An Essay on the Greatest Ransom

Earlier this week in my devotions I was reading through Leviticus of all places, that’s the third book in your bible, and really felt convicted. The themes of sin, ransom, and atonement were everywhere. Back in the days before Christ had come sins still were sins and a price had to be paid.

Leviticus 4:7-10

“The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the bull's blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys- just as the fat is removed from the ox sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering”

That’s just an example of what we’re talking about here. For every sin, blood had to be paid, and the priest, as a mediator between God and man, would pay it by performing the right sacrifices which God gave to the Israelites through Moses. Now before you start freaking out (which I’m willing to bet most of you reading have, can’t imagine many of you find yourself in Leviticus during your daily devotionals), this isn’t anything new to you. Well, it shouldn’t be anything new to you. We, like the Israelites, are sinners. That sin has to be paid for so that we can receive that right standing with God. We aren’t able to pay that debt ourselves, so we require a priest to pay the penalty for us. And we have all of that in the person of Christ. Romans 3:23 defines our problem in saying that all have sinned and fallen short of the righteousness required by a holy God. 1 Timothy 2:5 says that Christ came as the one and only mediator between God and Man. 1 John 4:10 says that Jesus was sent as that sacrifice, thus cleansing us of our sin.

Now about that price, it says in Romans that the wages of sin is death. And in Mark 10:45 it says that Jesus came to be that ransom. We are all slaves to sin, held captive by our flesh, seekers of destruction in this desolate world. But Jesus’ sacrifice on that cross, his gruesome death pays the debt we owe for our sinfulness, bringing us into fellowship with a holy God, one that doesn’t tolerate sin. He sees us as clean because our flaws have already been paid in full by our Savior Redeemer Christ. This got me thinking about the whole idea of a ransom, and of atonement. The fact that God would willingly lay his life down, would endure 39 whips from a cat-of-nine-tails, would have three stakes driven through his wrists and his ankles, and have his side pierced, for us. God died so that we could be brought over from our communion with this world into a wholly giving of our souls to him. He paid the ultimate price.

What for? Think about this real fast, answer this question: How much time do you spend with God each day, ie. devos, prayer, biblestudies, etc. _____Got your answer? For me when this point was first given to me two weeks ago, I was deeply convicted, because my answer simply wasn’t enough. God died so we could experience an eternal relationship with him, so that we would give our lives over for him to use. He didn’t intend anything else. When God was in the garden and man was in perfect relationship with him, that was GOOD. He didn’t redeem us so that we could spend thirty minutes, an hour, even two with him a day. He requires our everything. Are we giving that to the Lord of Creation? We need to be.

So as an action step per se, can we not all commit to seek after God more earnestly, he deserves it. Let us repent, do a 180 degree turn from our sinfulness to the throne of Grace. Read His Word every day, for more than a few minutes. I urge you to take an hour before you start your day, yes a full hour, and give that to the Lord. It may seem like a lot, but how much time do we waste in front of the tv, video games, or Facebook? For parting words, a challenge: Ephesians 4:1; “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” God has bought us out of sin into full service to Him, Paul elsewhere describes himself as a bondservant and a slave. Live your life worthy of that calling, finish strong, have NO REGRETS.

-matt

Mission Costa Rica '09

As many of you know, I was gone these past two months serving the Lord in Los Guido, San Jose, Costa Rica. It was quite a trip, definitely life-changing. We got there on a Sunday, Day 0 as it is called by LeaderTreks, and had time to hang out, eat dinner and get an intro into just exactly what we would be doing during out stay.

Day 1 (monday) roles around, we wake up in the morning, cook and eat breakfast, and then are off to spend 45 minutes with God. That does sound like a lot of time, especially when most of us might not be used to spending that much time every day with the Lord. But it wasn't very difficult to adjust to, I found that desire to want to know God on a deeper level, and that pushed me onward. We were studying the Beatitudes, which turned out to be an amazing series of lessons, the first day we studied "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for their's is the kingdom of heaven." We read through Luke 7:36-50 and talked about what it meant to be poor in spirit, what it meant to be desperate for God. The story of the woman who had nothing to offer, but was accepted by Christ really connected with me, and pushed me to take a step back and to live with humility. We then went to the worksite! Our project for the trip was building a road for a community that the government had denied support to. The people who lived on the street had raised all there own funds, bought all the supplies needed, and just needed to get it built. We all learned how to set up pearling, lay down the netting and the rebar, mix the concrete (which we did by hand), and finally get it to the finished product. We worked until 1:30 with a short lunch break and then we cleaned up, or rather started to as the daily rain came in from the mountains. It began to start raining, I looked straight up to the sky and said, "God hold off the rain until we finish on the worksite," and He did, because He is always faithful. Then we walked down the street to Iglesia de Deos, the Church of God, to host a VBS for the kids in the neighborhood, the first VBS that has ever been done in this community. We arrived at the church around 2:15ish so that we could check it out and set up before the kids arrived at three. Well, not exactly. We found out about 3:15 that the teacher was sick and that we wouldn't be doing the VBS that day after all. We left the church and walked down to a local park to invite some more kids and then turned to walk home, and the rain that God had been holding off since 1:30, started to fall, we got home a bit wet but started an early dinner, did team time which was our nightly group sessions where we went through the morning devos, evaluated how well we did that day, discussed leadership qualities in our growth journals, and did encouragement at the end. Thus was ended an eventful Day 1.

I won't give you a full blown day by day recap, that would take forever but I will let you know more on what went on. The first week we worked on the road in the morning and did a VBS (with the exception of monday) in the afternoon. Day 2, Isabella, our misionary partner who actually let us stay in her house for two weeks and live with her, prophecied over me in Spanish. I don't speak much Spanish or rather, Yo hable pecito Espanol, but I understood every word she said, the Spirit was clearly at work. Day 5, Friday, I was actually prophecied over again, in English this time, by Isabella's son Diego who was in his mid twenties I'd guesstimate. So within four days time I was prophecied over twice.... WOW. I was a bit surprised to say the very least. (and did I mention that Matt Johnson had his thumb sliced open by our LT intern when we were mixing concrete? Guess I forgot. It was a total accident and we all laughed about it later, but Matt was out of commission for both weeks when it came to hard physical labor. But he still worked his butt off, so I'm proud of him for that.)

We woke up at 4Am on Saturday to drive to Mt. Arenal and a zipline place for the weekend, it was a great change of pace and my worn out body definitely could use the rest. That night was pretty eventful as it finally dawned on me that I can't hold this team together, that I'm actually not in control of anything and that God will do exactly what he wants to do. God broke me of my pride that night, and from then onward I was able to more fully depend on God than anything I had to offer, that was the turning point of the trip.

Day 8 (the second monday) we started our new schedule, work from 9AM to 5PM, all day. It was a particularly hot morning, meaning that the clouds would roll in thicker and the rain would most likely be extremely intense. So we prayed all morning for the rain to stay away. A few of the team left to go to the grocery store less than two miles away after lunch and we kept working. And when the rain was right upon us we prayed again, most of us had been praying individually, but we asked God to keep the skies clear, and He answered. The clouds rolled in and the rain started to pour, everywhere but our street. If you looked up above your head, you could see a ring, clear and blue, of crystal clear skies in a circle right above us. God had created a hole in the sky and kept us dry as we did his work. The food crew got back an hour or so later, and they were wet. They had been rained on. It had actually poured buckets everywhere around us, including the grocery store that was just two miles away, just TWO MILES!

Day 10 the 5 adults that were with us left the worksite, telling us that it was our project, our time to step up and take ownership, our time to make a difference. So we worked our butts off and did all we could and worked quite possibly the hardest we worked the entire trip, only to find out that we had run out of water again, and that it wouldn't be on til 4 or 5PM and it wasn't even 3 yet. We took a break, came back later that evening, and finished our work.

I did mention we ran out of water just as a reminder of what I'm greatful of back home. We had days where we didn't have running water, we had days where both of the bathrooms in the house were out of commission, we had to go as long as a full week without pooping. I don't say that to be gross, but it was a struggle! Anyhow, that was a random tangent, back to the story.

Day 11 (thursday numero dos) We finished the road! And as if that wasn't cool enough, our ministry team through a block party for the entire street. People who hadn't spoken to eachother in TWENTY YEARS came out and were all talking and having a great time, eating some good food and watching the kids play. To see God do that was quite possibly the most powerful event I have ever experienced, a couple of teenage gringos had reunited a commnuity, we had seen the love of God in our lives, and reflected it out into the lives around us. After that day we came home, friday we had our last goodbye's to Isabella and her family, to Freddie and our neighbors, and that was that. I miss all of them. Will we ever cross path's again? I do not know. God willing we do, but if not, they have definitely shown me more about myself and what it means to follow Christ, so I am in their debts, Godbless.

Now that I've had a few days to decompress, to readjust to life as most of us know it: comfy beds, warm showers, a family of less than 15 people to live with on a daily basis, and frozen pizzas. I'm finding it really difficult this time around to come home. It's not that I don't appreciate home, I do, but I miss the life I lived in Costa Rica, I don't want to let that go. I've made a concerted effort to be set apart, to be different from who I once was. I'm in the word for at least an hour every day, and I'm working on living that missional lifestyle that Christ has called us to. There was so much more that happened on this trip, so much more lives changed by the Love of God, but if I would have continued to write we would have both been here all day. I compell you to come and ask me more, I want to tell it - to share my story with everyone. These above mentioned stories are just tidbits, God did so much more than you could ever imagine, than I could have hoped or desired. But I leave you with this, God is faithful always and He delights in his children. Expect God's Glory. Expect it and He will give it to you.

-matt

Prayer Points for Costa Rica!

As you may or may not know I'm going to be gone with my team from July 5-17 to Costa Rica and this is just some prayer points for our trip. We're going to be running a VBS the first week (mon-fri) as well as working on our work project for both weeks. We're going to be helping the community build a road which they have already started work on, I'm so excited! Over the weekend we'll be taking a short trip to some hot springs to relax and re-energize ourselves so please make sure to pray that we refocus ourselves heading into our last week. This trip is going to be great and I'm confident we won't return the same team.

Day 1

Sunday July 5

• Pray for safe travel, pray that the team and the luggage both arrive in Costa Rica alive and well. Also that the team would be able to adapt to the new surroundings.
• Team: Pray for the student leaders, Matt and Sarah, that they would have wisdom and be able to keep the team organized and focused by maintaining a daily schedule and keeping the team on track.

Day 2

Monday July 6

• Pray for a good assimilation into our new surroundings, that we would be ready and willing to do God’s work both on the worksite and at VBS.

• Team: Pray for the ministry team, Nathan and Bree, as the first day of VBS starts today. Pray for wisdom as they direct the team and also for a successful turnout.

Day 3

Tuesday July 7

• Team: Pray for the work team, Jake and Rachel, that they will take what they learned from the first day on the worksite on Monday and apply it so that the team will have a productive day on site.

Day 4

Wednesday July 8

• Team: Pray for the food team, Allie and Teri, that they will be able to adapt to obstacles they face that are unexpected and that the team will be well nourished.

Day 5

Thursday July 9

• Pray for an extra push of effort for the team both on the worksite and at VBS, pray that they don’t get discouraged or tired and that they would call on Christ for their strength.
• Team: Pray for the worship team, Matt, as the weekend nears that he would be instrumental in keeping the team focused on the Lord with all the other distractions they come in contact with each day.

Day 6

Friday July 10

• Team: Pray for the LeaderTreks staff Renee, Kevin, and Jeremy; that they would keep the team driven and help develop each student into a better leader.

Day 7

Saturday July 11

• Pray for safe travel on the weekend, that the team would be refreshed and ready to gear up for another week.
• Team: Pray for the adult leaders, Niki and Jordan, that they would continue to push the team by encouraging and challenging them to not settle for just good, but aim for great.

Day 8

Sunday July 12

• Pray for the community where we are staying, Los Guidos. Pray that we would leave a positive lasting impact and demonstrate the love of Christ with our actions
• Team: Pray the Cleaning/Water team, Michael and Kristin, that they would lead the team well during the weekend clean and keep the house and living environment clean and organized. A disheveled house makes the team look disrespectful and is a dour living environment.

Day 9

Monday July 13

• Pray for the entire team, that we would be mentally focused and not linger on the weekend, an unfocused team will prevent us from accomplishing our goals on the worksite and will prevent us from becoming the great team we strive to be.
• Team: Pray for the work team, Jake and Rachel, that they would step up and delegate jobs to the team members as well as casting the vision and to remind the team of its purpose.

Day 10

Tuesday July 14

• Team: Pray for the ministry team, Nathan and Bree, that they would engage and encourage the team and continue to play an integral role after the completion of VBS.

Day 11

Wednesday July 15

• Pray that the team as whole unit will press on giving our all and not settle for just mediocrity. Pray that we would push through weariness, frustration, and other obstacles to show others God’s love in motion as this is our last day on the worksite.
• Team: Pray for the worship team, Matt, that he would keep bring the team before the throne of Christ in worship, that the focus would be kept on God rather than ourselves. That any wounds would be healed and we would draw nearer to each other as we chase after God.

Day 12

Thursday July 16

• Pray for the team as a unit, that it would be finish strong by possibly getting more real with God than they ever have before, making this trip life-changing on themselves and the other members of the team.
• Team: Pray for the student leaders, Matt and Sarah, that they would be able to do everything in there power to push the team into a deeper relationship with Christ.

Day 13

Friday July 17

• Pray for safe travel home, and that we would continue to show Christ’s love through our interactions with others. Pray that this trip would not be a temporary “high” but that each team member will come home changed, and willing to continue his/her pursuit of Christ on a deeper level.
• Team: Pray for the adult leaders, that they would keep the team in order as we return home.

-matt

You're My Everything

You're My Everything

.v1.

You're all I am.

You're all I need.

Lord I need you now,

come rescue me.

.v2.

Don't wait a day.

Don't wait an hour.

Come fill me, Lord,

with your holy power.

.v3.

Lord I need you now

like I needed you then.

I need you always, forever, Amen.

.Chorus.

You make me want to dance,

You make me want to sing,

You make me want to shout "Lord, you're my everything!"

------------------------------------------

It's my best one yet, or at least I love how it flows with the guitar and such. Just kinda came to me I guess. Like Matthew 12:34 says, out of an overflow of the heart the mouth speaks, I only wish these words were able to express it all. Lord, you're all I am. You're all I need. Lord I need you now, come rescue me.

-matt

Broken or Transformed: An Essay on Our World

Alright, correct me if I'm wrong, but the world is broken. I was just reading the paper (which somehow is seldom encouraging these days) and found an article on the front page concerning binge drinking, and on the same cover an article about crime increases, but more hurtful still, a central story that read "Honduran military ousts president in coup," and that was just before I could turn the page. I really do have a heart for the people of Honduras after being part of a mission trip there and meeting some amazing people. Unfortunately there has been turmoil within even that ministry we worked with and now it consumes the entire country.

Look around, you see sex idolized, drinking as a solution, being homosexual as an "alternative lifestyle". Its o.k. But it isn't supposed to be. This is not the way this world was supposed to work. When it was set in motion God desired a relationship with him, being blameless before the God of the Universe. In a world where we can't disagree with another person's religion at the risk of being called intollerant. In a world where entire people groups can be made to look like something they are not by the media. In a world where the sex trade is the most expansive it has ever been. In this world, we don't belong. But sometimes we do. If death is the "great equalizer" as Martin Luther calls it, then what seperates us from the world. Hebrews says we are all appointed one time to die and then face judgement. We're going to end up just like the world, dead.

For some that should scare the crap out of you. For others, its merely fact. Romans 12:2 states that we should no longer "conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of [our minds], so that [we] will be able to test and approve what God's will is..." We are supposed to be different. Do you understand that??? Because frankly sometimes its hard to tell. The old mantra, practice what your preach comes to mind. I'll be the first one to tell you that I stumble and fall constantly. Just last week when I thought I had been doing a good job battling lust I fell yet again. So I'm far from perfect, and I'm not trying to claim that I am anywhere close. But sometimes people take it a step to far. It's going to biblestudy and saying the right thing only to go to parties on the weekend and drink illegally. It's going to church and when the pastor preaches he's always not directing his questions at you. You're ok. It's walking around with the label Christian when you're sleeping with your girlfriend/boyfriend and you don't care what God has to say about it. Some of us are HYPOCRITS! In the words of Casting Crowns we put on our "painted grin" and we hide from the truth, behind a stained glass masquerade.

In a broken world, in a broken time, with broken men, do we dare stand apart? Do we dare do the right thing at the risk of our reputation, at the risk of our friends, at the risk of our lives? So that's my challenge today. Stay apart. Be different than the world. Christ came to usher in a new covenant, a new relationship with God. Now he can sympathize with us like it says in Hebrews 4:14-16. We have a God who understands that the world is corrupt and broken. So why don't we ask him what to do? I mean its only logical right? If you know someone who has the answer why not ask? Or better yet, start with what that all-knowing source has already told us. Let us be a light to the world, like John Winthrop once said - a city on a hill.

This doesn't start with instantly being good, with doing everything right. This starts with simply admiting what we already know. The world is broken, but as my friend Nathan Sifers told me the other day; "Do not fear, God is near, God is here." And it really is that simple, once we start to see the world through God's eyes we too have a desire to see it healed. The only way to bring that healing is to show God's love to the world, to be the hands and feet of Christ enabled by God through the Holy Spirit. That starts small, in everyday life. So be in the world but not of it. Do not conform to the broken state surrounding of you. Be transformed. Renew your mind, get to know the God who created every single man, woman, and child; every plant, every sea; everything on this earth. To Him be the Glory! Amen!

-matt

Lord of All

So yesterday in church I really connected with a song we sang in worship, Lord of All by Kristian Stanfill. It just resonated with me, the lyrics just blew my mind.

"There is none so high and holy,

King of Kings, the one and only.

You are adored,

You are the Lord of All"

I mean there are a lot of times when we sing worship songs and we sing about actions or experiences or ideas, right not Marvelous Light comes to mind. I love that song, don't get me wrong. Its just that in that song we sing of the work Christ has done by conquering sin and death. We don't specifically praise God for being who he is. I think that's a key part to our worship that sometimes we don't ever really think about. Again, songs like Marvelous light sing of God's love saving us to him which is also another reason to praise God. The coolest thing about God is that he is so big and has done so much that there are infinite reasons to praise him. He is a Marvelous Light (John 12:46), He is the Lord of All (Revelation 19:11-16), He is the great I Am! (Exodus 3:14).

Just a reminder to simply praise God for who he is, because he's better than we could ever imagine.

-matt

Same Old Story: An Essay on the Same Old Stuff

So I’m sitting in Realife. The band is playing. The songs are up on the screens. Everything is just like it always is. But I can't sing. I fumble for words. But I just can’t bring myself to let them out. I just felt fake. Like I don’t really mean what these lyrics are saying. They sang of redemption, of a God of Love, of grace. But I didn’t want to believe it. Sure I knew in the back of my mind that He loved me regardless of anything I could do, I’d even heard Stephen talk about it that morning, about how indescribable Abba’s love really is. I knew it. But I didn’t know it. A song or two roll by, I honestly don’t have a clue I couldn’t bring myself to get involved, to worship. And then My Glorious by Christ Tomlin was struck up.

It’s a good song, most have heard it before. You know those few songs that just bring you to tears every time you hear them? They just bring you facedown in front of the Lord? Yeah, not one of those. It’s just another song. One that I’ve sang a thousand times and felt no more direct connection to God than with any other song. But as I was listening, as was all I could do, I latched onto to a particular phrase: “God is bigger than.” It made me start thinking; God is bigger than ______ (blank). It was then that I realized what my problem was, why I couldn’t look God in the eye so-to-speak. I was ashamed of my sin.

We don’t ever really think about it like that do we though? Sin is always just an idea, a notion, an ambiguous sort of thing that we really aren’t ever having much of a problem with when someone else brings it up. I didn’t even realize that’s what was holding me back. But as that short phrase just hit me, I really started to have my eyes opened.

I just began to simply list them out, my heart began to overflow. God is bigger than my sin. God is bigger than my pride. God is bigger than my fears. Then it got deeper. God is bigger than my worries about my mission trip. God is bigger than my lack of faith. God is bigger than my cowardice towards him. God is bigger than… you name it. For the final two or three songs I just kept them coming. My heart was overflowing; I had found this sweet release. So if you would, stop for a minute.

Yeah, you. Really stop and at least think about this crazy concept with me. We have a God who, like it says in Hebrews 4:15-16, is able to sympathize with us because he’s already done this rodeo. He’s lived as a man, and he beat sin, Satan, death, and the grave. His brutal beaten body hung from a tree, the most gruesome form of death and torture any man will ever have to face. All for me. All for you. All for us. Phil Wickham described it with the lyric “walls we couldn’t move came crashing down.” God beat the worst, there is nothing he left unconquered. He’s bigger than it. Your sin, he beat it. He’s bigger than ______. Fill it in, he OBLITERATED it. It’s gone forever.

That was part one. Part two is what Amanda talked about. Her talk revolved around knowing God, and how else can you know someone than by talking to him. Yet again, I restate myself. This is nothing new. I’ve heard this talk before; I’ve taught this lesson to my fourth and fifth graders, to my En-Fuego kids I mean it’s not earth shattering new news. But it is. I’d shut down. Locked the gate to my soul and refused entrance to the King of the UNIVERSE. Sounds kinda dumb when you put it in writing doesn’t it? But it compacted on what God had been stirring in my heart earlier. That He IS bigger than my struggles. But he isn’t just a behemoth of Might. He also is Abba Father, daddy. He loves us. He loves Me. And all he is asking that I’d come play with him. That I’d just be in his presence once in a while. That we could just have that relationship again (not that we’d ever lost it, I’d just hidden my eyes). Now it’s cool to look back and get what I had to relearn and I have no doubt I will need to relearn again before even this year is over. God is BIGGER. He loves me. My sin has been CRUSHED. All he wants, in the whole wide world is to be with me. Me, scrawny, 5’6”, 130 pound, scraggly, teenage, me. And that hit me.

So to all of you who have “heard it all before”, hear it again.

That’s all for now.

-matt