Random Thoughts

How the Movie Taken Encouraged My Soul

keith12 — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:57:44 +0000

I was watching the movie Taken the other night. I had seen the film before, but was really moved as I watched it again. I was not moved by Liam Neeson’s incredible acting or anything (in fact it is a little weird to me how his most recent movies have him being such a tough guy). The plot of the movie centers around Neeson’s character who is a father that is forced to go to Paris and track down his daughter who has been captured by a group of men who specialize in sex trafficking. Neeson has 96 hours to find his daughter before she is lost forever. He travels, schemes, fights, kills, and destroys anything in his way to get his daughter back. His passion and willingness to go get his kid is not only evident, but is also in some way inspiring. As I watched the movie, three things came to mind.

There is nothing like the love of a parent. The love will lead you to do some flat out insane things for your children.
I am grateful for my parents who have been willing to show me some just ridiculous amounts of love over my life.
Although Neeson goes through so much to get back his daughter whom he loves, yet it is nothing compared to what God has done to bring back his lost children. Taken stirred my soul and reminded me that there was no more God could do to go and rescue humanity. God traveled, schemed, fought and died for his kids. He did this with passion and ferociousness. I was moved to praise God for His incredible love for people.

Thank you Liam Neeson and Taken.

That Person

keith12 — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:35:39 +0000

I am sure that most of us can remember a time that someone told us we were about to meet a person that we were not supposed to like. Our friend or colleague commented on how the person we were about to meet is not a good worker or selfish or mean or ugly or foolish or whatever. You meet the person and you think, “I do not see it.”. That other person is wrong. I like this person. But here is the thing if you never would have met that person or talked to them or taken the time to get to know them, you would have assumed the worst or not been a fan because of what someone preloaded you with. Here is what I am learning. Do not make a decision about a person or a group without firsthand knowledge of that group or person. It is unfair to judge what you do not know. Take the time and risk discomfort and go learn about the individual or group. And until you have done the work…ignore your sources and assume the best.

You Will Cry

keith12 — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:25:23 +0000

Many of us are engaged in things we should not be. It may be habits or relationships or attitudes or whatever. If you are honest, you know you need to get out or change or morph or leave or etc.. I know there are things like this in my life. I can sense it when it pertains to diet and exercise. I know it when I am procrastinating on a big project. I feel it when I am spending money in the wrong way. In all of these, I am finding ways to just put off what is ultimately the reality. I am attempting to create a world where what I know is best can either wait or that this new world is better, but in the end it is not. Here is what I have learned. Cry now or cry later, but you are going to cry. Dealing with what is best, when you are committed to what is not, is ALWAYS hard. But the longer it goes, the harder it becomes to undo the harm you have done, and the more tears you will shed. So make the switch sooner rather than later.

Then There Were Four

keith12 — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:20:48 +0000

It is time. Most of you knew it was going to happen very soon. Our church is going to start having 4 worship services the weekend of February 11th and 12th. We are so excited that God continues to move. There is no other reason for what is happening at Grace other than God’s grace. We are also so thrilled that so many of you continue to invite people to our services and groups and ministries. Keep it up. We look forward to where God is going to take us. Our best days are yet to come!

Revealing

keith12 — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:36:30 +0000

If you want to have a good picture of who you are, look at your calendar. Our schedules are incredibly revealing. What you plan reflects what you prioritize. I know we love to pretend that our schedules are out of our control, but they are really not. Everything from deciding to watch a game, shopping with the girls and the kind of job we want and have are ultimately reflections of the priorities in our life. Many times what we value is not bad or wrong, but sometimes our choices can be good and as a result be the enemy of what is best. It is also interesting to me how clearly what we schedule says what we value. Be careful to say you could not be there, when there the reality is just you chose something different. Here are some observations related to this topic.

when you plan to go boating every weekend and miss church, that is your call and a reflection of your priorities
I am amazed by how many guys do not miss playing in any of their softball or basketball or golf games in their church league, but are incredibly erratic with church attendance
people can not be in a small group, but they never miss a local sporting event that their children are not even playing in
individuals plan road trips, vacations, girl weekends at the expense of key weekends in the life of their church and ministry
when we work an insane amount of hours at any job, it reveals where our family ranks
people never miss a workout or run, but time with God is an option

We can make all of the excuses we want, but in the end our time tells the true story. Our schedule reveals what we ultimately are living for.

Irrational

keith12 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:22:27 +0000

I love my children irrationally. I just do. In some ways this works out to be a really good thing, but in others it can just lead to silly and unnecessary behavior and worry. But when I think about my love for my kids, I think about how I care so much about every aspect of their world. When they are sick, I wish I could be sick for them. At school I do not want them to be embarrassed. I want them to function at the highest level. If you talk bad about them or I feel like you disrespect them, it hurts in a profoundly unique way. I know much of this is irrational because their trials, pains, sicknesses, embarrassing moments, failures, etc. will make them better people. But I have a love that says, I do not care what others think or say, I love them that much. It is irrational. I was thinking about this the other day after my wife shared something with me about my son. I was praying for him. And then something hit me…I need to have a more irrational love for my God. I need to be willing to take up for Him and pursue Him and run for Him and serve Him and so on the way I would do for my children. My life for Jesus should look irrational at times. No one blinks when you look like a fool for your kids, but we pause for being weird for God. This should not be the case.

Save It – Easter

keith12 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:11:32 +0000

I am excited to share something cool with those who attend Grace Fellowship. We will be having our Easter services at Pickerington Central High School on April 8th. We are going to be having 2 services on Easter Sunday there. We are already beginning to pray and plan for this day. I am putting this out there, because I want no one in our church to have an excuse. You have several months to plan around this. You can make your spring break plans accordingly. I even dare you to stick around for service Easter Sunday and then bounce to whatever destination you are heading to. Exciting stuff. Pray and plan with us. Get pumped about the space to invite tons of people to hear about the greatest story ever told.

Take Your Medicine

keith12 — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:40:58 +0000

Age is an amazing teacher if you let it be one. I think I have heard every adult that I respect at what time or another say that they wish they had listened to a message given to them by someone older regarding a certain aspect of life. Experience, failure, success, opportunities – time – often provides the best lessons. As I age and watch others age, I begin to see repeated themes. In the generation I am a part of, I am beginning to see a repeated theme. The older I get, the more I see it. The more I realize that those who said it before were right. The more I say it to my kids, I am right. Are you ready, here it is – Stupid choices have consequences. We like to pretend this is not true. But the longer you live, the more you will see it. It sounds so simple, but we do not really buy it. How do I know this? Because if there is anything my generation and popular culture are known for right now, it is this idea – “it is not my fault.” No one is accountable. Do not blame me. You pushed me to it. My parents were dumb. You should know my boss. Have you met my coach? And so on…. But here is where I am at. Many of us need to just suck it up and take our medicine. The medicine will make us better people if we will just act like adults and take it. To take your medicine you have to be willing to be man (not a boy who shaves). You have to be a woman (not a girl who wears makeup and has kids). Taking your medicine means being teachable…responsible…humble. But when we willingly take our medicine we grow and become more respected in the process.

Country Music Christianity

keith12 — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:04:51 +0000

A little over a year ago, I started listening to country music pretty regularly again. I was a fan of it in high school, but had quit for a long time. I really started liking it again. One of the reasons (not the only one) I got back into it was that I was listening for songs our band in our church could do that had clear nuggets of truth in them that could relate to things we were teaching. I was finding that songs with solid and important messages of truth were pretty hard to find in many genres of music, but country music had some good things to offer.

As I have been listening to country music for awhile now, I am hearing something over and over that is alarming to me. There is a version of Christianity that is being presented that just does not line up with what the Bible teaches Christianity is. I have dubbed this version of the faith as “country music christianity.” There is this weird version of the faith that comes out with a person saying “I love Jesus” or “I am thankful for God” or “God take the wheel” and so one, yet ignores some very clear teachings of this Jesus and the Bible. Here are some of the aspects of country music christianity that concern me:

it celebrates abuse of alcohol. I hear this idea all the time of it is alright to go get wasted after softball on Saturday, but we will be at church on Sunday. Of course we can sin and be at church and of course God is ok with drinking alcohol, but drunkenness is wrong and so is celebrating a lifestyle of debauchery. It divorces holiness from any connection of one’s walk with God.
it continues to objectify women. God is awesome and so is her badonkadonk (and I can keep saying this because I am a man). God hates sexual sin. It is one thing to appreciate beauty and be honest about it. It is another to be a sleaze ball and act like God is cool with that.
it confuses patriotism and faith. I love Jesus and let’s go bomb those guys. There is a lot here. We could talk about the idea of a just war and so on. But this idea that to be an American means to love Jesus and just be alright with bombing other countries is ridiculousness.
it suggests if you follow God everything will work out. I love God and so as long as I take my kids fishing and go to church, the world will just go my way.
it suggests an incorrect view of masculinity. A real man is built on if can you throw a punch and shoot Jack Daniels. Real men are defined by taking responsibility and loving God.

At the end of the day, I am still on a fan. But I am saddened and annoyed by this version of christianity that is so often propagated in country music.

Free Gift Card

keith12 — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:46:11 +0000

Our church is starting a new sermon series this week called First Questions. I really believe in the content of this series. I think the material that will be presented relates both to Christians and non-Christians. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest that many of the topics in this series are the types of topics that keep people from considering Christianity.

For those who attend Grace Fellowship, please be here for each week of this series. But do not just be there, invite someone. Watch this video and see how committed our church is to having an invitation culture and to trying to connect people to the Bible.