"Turning the Lights on in Gym Class"

I never thought I would say this...I am sad that gym class is over.  I hated gym class when I was in school and I admit I was very intimidated when my daughter's Kindergarten teacher asked if I would be the "gym teacher" for both AM Kindergarten classes.  However, now that the school is over, I can say how very glad I am that I said, "Yes."  It was so fun to watch the children watch the children who were athletically inclined to excel in our classes each week.  Of course, being one of those nonathletic kids growing up, I also enjoyed letting the kids like mke know that what mattered was them trying and learning. Each Friday I received hugs, high-fives and lots of screaming little voices saying, "Hi, Mr. Current!"  It was fun to have one place in my life where for an hour each week I simply got to be the fun guy!  But, I was also in awe of how God used a gym class to open so many doors for me to demonstrate his love both in words and deeds with children, teachers and staff in the school.

Today, I stopped by to tell all the kids goodbye.  It was their last day of kindergarten.  As I watched them walk away, I prayed for them.  As I prayed for them and their teachers, I thanked God.  You know, I am the first to admit that I screw a lot of things up.  Like anyone else, sometimes my best intentions never make it into action, but not this time.  Praise be to God, by his grace, he helped Kimberly live out the call he placed on us to be a light in the public school system!  Private schools and home schooling may be how God leads others but, without apology, God has called us to be a light in our public school and this year he showed us that if we are willing to take his light where he calls us he will let us see first hand how his light chases away the darkness!  Praise God!  I can hardly wait to see what God will have Kimberly and I do in first grade!

Thank you,Jesus, for not letting any of us who follow you figure out a way to ignore what you make so plain in Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

By the way, if you have any trouble understanding why child dedication and baptism are such important faith steps, that verse is full of enlightenment!

"O, Yeah...That's Why We are Here"

Within 24 hours I have had two of those, "O, yeah, that's why we are here," moments.  I invite you to praise God with me as I share these two stories which you have been a part of as you have let God lead us in increasingly becoming a church that is real, transformed, connected and poured out.

The first, "O, yeah...that's why we are here," came at about 5 PM yesterday.  My cell phone rang.  It was a seventh grade student.  "Pastor Chad, do you know how you told me to tell you when it happened?"

"Yes," I said.  "Did you?"

"Yes," he said.

I met with him a few times.   As far as I know they have not ever gone to any church as a family.  But this seventh grader has gone through some hard times.  The Dad, who I am friends with, said his son asked to speak to a pastor and his parents encouraged him to speak with me.  He is a great young man.  Very honest and sincere.  He is more mature than what I would expect of the average Jr. High student.

He said to me that he wanted to know about what it means to have God in your life.  We talked.  I shared. He asked questions. I shared some more.  I then said, "When God makes himself real to you, you will then have a choice to make.  Will you let him be God of your life? Will you ask him to forgive you of living your life as your own god?  Will you believe he loves you, died for you and rose again to give you new life now and forever?  Will you follow Him? If so, then when the time comes tell Jesus that you want to commit your life to him. Then will you promise to tell me when you do, so I can celebrate with you?"  He agreed.

Yesterday at 5 PM, he called to tell me that God had made himself real to him and he had prayed to commit his life to Christ!  Hallelujah!!!!  Please pray for him!

The next, "O, yeah...that's why we are here" moment came at 10:30 AM this morning.  The Centerville School buses pulled up to LH.  Out of the buses came 27 CHS students.  These Elk Enterprise Students are often called "Special needs Students" because of what they lack.  However, as those students came into our teen room for a pizza party, all I could see were 27 very special students.  The success of Food 2 Go (our ministry  to hungry children in our community) hinges on these behind the scene heroes.  Each week , as part of their hands-on work experience program, they inventory and bag the food.

The food 2 Go team gives me the great honor each year of coming to the end of the year pizza party we host for these students.  I'll be honest, I have to fight back tears as I read there names, everyone cheers and they come forward to receive a certificate which is placed in their portfolio.  They would all wait in eager expectation for me to say their name out loud.  With each name called they all cheered in excitement shouting out to one another, "Good job!  Good job!"

Each year one or two especially stand out to me.  One student came up to me and said, "I am going to show my mom and sister this (her certificate).  They will be so proud of me.  Aren't you proud of me?" "Yes," I said, "We are all very proud of you. You helped us feed about 160 hungry children every week. You are amazing!"

Another young woman heard her name and did not wait for the aides to push her wheelchair, she rolled her self right to me. I said her name and thanked her as I handed her the certificate.  She said, "I am so happy.  Thank you.  I am so proud.  Can I hug you?"  I leaned down and she hugged me having no idea that she was giving me...you know...one of those, "O, Yeah...that's why we are here moments."

Father, I just want to say it publicly...THANK YOU!  Thank you for moments like these when we get to see your hand at work so obviously.  Thank you for moments like these when hell most bow to your love so we can see clearly why we are here.  Thank you for the people of LH who partner with you in making moments like these happen as they dare to be real, transformed, connected and poured out!

"Witness of a Miracle"

I remember the first time I met him.  I fist notice his height. He is a tall man. With the first words out of his mouth, I realized he would fit right in at Living Hope.  He was real.  He held nothing back. He shared his doubts, his hurt and his problems. He could believe that God was real for others, but could not believe he would ever experience God as real.  He wanted to believe, but could not. 

Now, fast forward several months later to today.  He sat down in my office and said, "I am ready to commit my life to Christ and to be baptized." 

I had to ask..."What changed? A few months ago you could not even believe god would ever be real to you and now you want to give your life over to him?  What changed?"

He shared that he had met with a man of our church for the Prayer Ministry for Inner Healing.  He shared the story of how God uncovered a lie he was believing and, therefore, living.  Then he shared how Jesus showed up and revealed truth.  That was weeks ago.  The truth that Jesus gave and the change it wrought was still making an impact on him.  Now he knew God could be real in his life.  He wanted this Jesus who had brought healing to years worth of lies.

He prayed.  Christ answered.  He is now a child of God, a co-heir with Christ! The old is gone! The new has come!  He is now living the first day of his eternal 8th day gift from Christ.  On June 3, his faith will be made public and Christ will give him the gift of assurance as he seals his faith in the death and resurrection of baptism.

Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!  

“What’s the Point?”

 

I suppose we all have days where we what to throw our hands in the air and scream, “What’s the point?”  “Everything that can go wrong goes wrong.”  “When it rains it pours.”  “Its one thing after another.”  You know all the sayings; they all drive people to the same question, “What’s the point?”

I wonder if anyone is brave enough to admit that you have wondered, if not asked,  “What’s the point of prayer?” 

Jesus (the perfect revelation of God) urges us…no commands us…”Ask, seek, knock.”

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door is opened,” Luke 11:9-10.  

If we think the point of prayer is getting what we want then we will most likely become frustrated and scream, “What’s the point?”  Because the point of prayer is not about getting what you want.  The point of prayer is about getting what you need and not what we think we need, but what God knows we need.  Therefore, Jesus says ask, seek and knock, in other words, pray so that you can receive, find and have the door opened.  God always answers prayer.  The question is are we willing to receive, find and have the door opened that he gives in response to our side of prayer?  

Furthermore, the only prayer God does not answer is the prayer that is not prayed.  If you do not ask, you will not be given an answer.  If you do not seek, you will not find.  If you do not knock, you will not have the door opened.  Why? Doesn’t God know our prayer before we pray it?  Why do we need to pray?  Because the point of prayer is not the prayer, but the relationship.  Asking, seeking, knocking and then listening and watching for God’s response is what allows this love-relationship to grow.  When I engage in conversation (which, by the way, is always to be a two-way conversation) I learned to recognize his voice and to see his hand at work. 

Tonight, 7-8 PM, I am inviting you to join me in the main worship room (Child care provided) to ask, seek and knock.  We will be praying specifically for healing.  Do you or someone you know need healing of any kind?  Come and let us pray.  Do you simply want to see first hand how God speaks and responds to the prayers of his people?  It is a beautiful and powerful to witness.  Join us tonight and watch God give, find and open doors that would never have been opened, found or given had we not come together for prayer.