Pacific Coast Highway Beach Bus Tour

Last week we spent a couple days as a family in our 71 VW bus. We called it our PCH Summer Bus Beach tour as we hit the beaches in San Diego and Orange Counties. When was the last time the biggest decision you had to make was, "What beach should we go to now?" Or "Where can we get some beach burgers or chocolate shakes?"

Now I'm back to a more complicated life -- planning my preaching series for the next year. Turns out my first message series will be on "Simplify". And with that in mind, here's a couple photos of our trip:

New Old Heights

Sorry I've been absent from my blog for a bit. We've been on vacation.

Last week my oldest son, Chris, climbed Half Dome in Yosemite for the first time. I've climbed Half Dome three times. All of those treks were before my kids were born. It's weird how life spirals; to see him follow in my footsteps while at the same time knowing his stride and strength easily outpace me.

Well, that was certainly a highlight for me. Maybe I'll tell you about the bears later...

No doubt about doubt

Did you know that followers of God experience times of doubt?

Some people don’t get this. Some people think that faith and doubt are opposites. In fact, one of the evil one’s most effective tools is to make Christians wonder if they really are believers simply because they doubt.

My friend Greg Waybright has helped me here. He says that you can only doubt what you believe. For example, you know what an atheist doubts, don’t you? In an unguarded moment, an atheist says, “What if there is a God?” You can only doubt what you believe. And if you’ve been a believer for very long, no doubt you’ve wrestled with doubt.

Asaph, who wrote Psalm 73, experienced doubt. His thoughts are so relatable and can be stated very simply in a question: If God is on our side, why do the wicked prosper? I mean, if God is good at all, if He has anything to say about this world, any involvement whatsoever, then it seems that God would be quick to reward those who are pure and quick to judge those who are evil. Asaph saw the success of those who didn't follow God, and he called it oppressive (See Psalm 73).

But then there was a turning point for Asaph:

…till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. PS 73:17

The answer is in the sanctuary.

I realize there are times when you just don’t feel like going to church. Nonetheless it is in the sanctuary that God reveals himself. Something happens at church. Something happens in worship. Something happens when we sing. Something happens in God’s presence. We gain an eternal perspective. We discover God’s viewpoint.

The answer is in the sanctuary.

To whom can you be a stretcher friend?

I wonder who first thought of it? When those four men, carrying their disabled friend on a stretcher, approached the place where crowds were tightly gathered around Jesus, who was the idea guy? Which one said, “If we are going to get close to Jesus, we will have to do something drastic! I know! Let’s break through the roof!"?

I like friends like that! And their creativity was rewarded because the story goes on to say, When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Mark 2:5.

I think it is very interesting that the Bible tells us, When Jesus saw their faith… Now this may have included the paralyzed man’s faith, but it certainly was much broader than that. It was also the faith of his friends! There are times in our lives when we do not have a lot of faith. There are times when our faith is frail, times when we need others to trust the Lord for us.

To whom can you be a stretcher friend?

Think about those in your life to whom you can be a stretcher friend. You may feel like you cannot do much, but you can bring them to Jesus.

There seems to be three levels of faith in this passage (Read Mark 2:1-12).

• First there are the “If there’s a seat” people. This is a mix of curious and even oppositional individuals.

• Then there are the “Peering through the door” folks. They represented a higher level of commitment. They are there on the periphery and willing to take a back seat.

• But then there are the “Through the roof” people, who eagerly seek a close encounter with Jesus. Perhaps there is person in your life that God is bringing to mind. God wants you to reach out enthusiastically.

Are you willing to go "through the roof" to bring those you care about to Jesus?

A roadmap for your conversations with God

The Lord’s Prayer was never meant to be said by hurried lips. Instead we should see each line as scaffolding to build our prayers around. Let me suggest how you might use it as a roadmap for your conversations with God.

Start your prayer with both hands clenched. This represents the things we want to bring to God, the things we care about, the things we are holding on to.

The right hand represents the God-ward request of this prayer.

As you release your right thumb recognize the intimate relationship you have with God. Our Father in heaven,

As you release your right pointer remember God’s holy character, love and power. hallowed be your name,

As you open your tallest finger ask God to help you make His cause your highest priority. your kingdom come,

Opening your right ring finger, submit your will to His. In the process you will move from submission to anticipation as you open yourself to his purposes. your will be done

Then as you release your pinkie look for ways you might experience and express God in your world. on earth as it is in heaven.


The left hand represents the us-ward request of this prayer.

As you release your left thumb register your heart’s concerns with God; both big and little. Give us today our daily bread.

Opening your left pointer, let it remind you when it comes to sin, point to yourself first. Confess your sins, failures and blind spots. And celebrate His forgiveness. Forgive us our debts,

As you open the longest finger on your left hand, remember that God desires His forgiveness to reach into all the relationships of your life. Ask for a forgiving spirit. as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Opening your left ring finger, ask God to lead you. Ask him to lead in such a way that you keep your vows to him and other and do not yield to temptation. And lead us not into temptation,

Then as you release your pinkie pray for His protection from all that would be destructive in your life and lives of those you love. but deliver us from the evil one.

Notice how this prayer ends: with both hands open. You started with two clenched fists full of all of your cares. And along the way every one has been released. And now you are ready to receive all God has for you.

Do you blog?

If you go to Green Valley Church and have a blog, let me know and I'll create add a link to it on my page. I'll start with my new favorite GVC blogger, our worship pastor, David Toney. His blog takes awhile to load but it's worth it as you can actually listen to some of his worship songs directly from his website. Check it out here.

Wrestling in Prayer

As you can see on the right column, I’ve been taking a survey on my blog asking people which phase of the Lord’s Prayer they consider the most meaningful. The #1 choice so far is: Your kingdom come, your will be done…

Perhaps this is because as we wrestle with this phrase we often find ourselves struggling to put our priorities in the right place. So often in prayer, we want our castle, not God’s kingdom; our agenda, not His cause; our choice, not His will.

I believe so many of our seemingly unanswered prayers really are answered … they are just answered with the word, Grow. God wants to teach us to embrace His kingdom purposes for our lives.

Simone Weil said, “Isn’t the greatest possible disaster, when you are wrestling with God, not to be beaten?” Learn to ask the question, “Where do you want me to grow?”

_________________.

For fun, I’ve written a version of the Lord’s Prayer that sounds a lot more like I am sometimes tempted to pray:

My Butler, who is in heaven,
Hallowed by my plans.
My kingdom come,
My will be done,
On earth as it is in my mind.
Give me today enough surplus for a year (and here’s my list);
forgive me if I left something out.
And do all this in a way that I won’t experience anything uncomfortable;
for my little kingdom, forever and ever, amen.

20 years together - Wow!

Two decades ago Cindy and I thought we had love figured out. Rose petals flew and we began THE adventure ... and God has been good and gracious beyond our dreams. We spent the last couple days at a B & B overlooking the harbor where our reception was held. We laughed about 500 people jammed into a $300 reception hall, the church pot-luck style dinner, and how naive we were. If you were there, thanks. If you weren't, thanks for being here now. Here are some photos.

Fresh Bread

It so easy for me to worry about the future, wondering if I’ll have the spiritual, emotional, or material resources I might need. It is then Jesus’ prayer becomes so instructive.

“Give us today our daily bread,” Matt 6.11.

But how come this bread delivery apparently never lasts more than a day?

I believe it is because God only promises to provide for the next step in our journey. He never promises bread for next week, or next month. Only for the next step. God doesn’t want us to store up a warehouse full of blessings and then not have to turn to Him for another couple years. Instead He wants us to trust him for new reserves every day.

I’ve been thinking about how committed God is to this principle:

· In the Old Testament wilderness, God provided Manna for His people – but only one day at a time. They woke every morning dependent.

· In Matthew 10, Jesus comforted His disciples saying if they were persecuted, in that very moment, God would give them the words to say. No words ahead of time, so don’t rehearse them.

· In Philippians, as Paul faced an uncertain future, he was confident that whatever he faced, God would give him sufficient courage at that time. Courage is only earmarked for the time it is needed.

In other words, when you get there, so will the resources. That’s why it’s daily bread.

Starting upstream

When we go camping in Yosemite, we have a favorite spot to park our tent trailer because of the creek running close by. Just a small creek. It’s a trickle of water, really.

But if you follow the creek upstream you will find that it branches off the Merced River which is usually gushing. Follow it further and you get to Mist Trail which takes you to the thundering Vernal Falls. Beyond that you'll reach the Emerald Pools fed by the amazing reserves of high elevation alpine snow.

It occurs to me, that if I compare that water flow to the dialog God invites us to have with Him, I usually start my prayers at the creek. I start my prayers where I live, where I camp, where I dip my feet. I usually start with my concerns and send them upstream to God. Then I sometimes try to maneuver my prayers in such a way as to get God’s attention, maybe even impress Him with my ability to navigate up falls.

How different it would be to start my prayers upstream where the flow begins. When I start there it becomes altogether different. When I start there, it's as if God’s will, like fresh mountain water, gushes down into the lowlands of my life. I think that is what Jesus had in mind when He taught us to pray: Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

Headed to a Marriage Conference

I'm making a quick trip to Bakersfield to teach at a marriage conference over the next couple days. It's just Friday and Saturday; I'll be back to preach on Sunday. thought I'd try out a few of the things I intend to say on you.

Some key points about communication:

• Good communication takes humility. We must let go of the need to be right and embrace doing right.
• Check what you hear. Don't assume you understand the question or the comment the first time -- take time to clarify what is behind the comment or question.
• Listen for feelings as well as facts.
• Learn to express what you desire. It gives your spouse the ability to be successful at loving you.
  

What about you? What have you learned about good communication?

One word that will transform your prayers

There is one word that will transform your prayers. Before I give you the word, let me mention three myths about prayer:

1st Myth: Looking at prayer as a formality.

Many people have the idea that there are formal, set prayers. Ask them to pray at a wedding or special function, and they think it’s something they need to look up in a book or online.

2nd Myth: Regarding prayer as a transaction

“If I pray,” people think, “especially in a certain way.... God will reciprocate.” This view sees prayer more like a grocery list or a bank transaction. That is why I’m not crazy about the phrase “prayer list”. Is prayer really, at it's heart, about bringing God a list?

3rd myth: Seeing prayer as a monologue

Some people think of prayer in terms of what they say to God and how well they say it. Often, the more words the better. This is a monologue mentality.

All these myths about prayer lead to frustration.

Jesus revolutionized prayer with one word. He said,

Do not be like them (those who babble on and on), for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. "This, then, is how you should pray: " `Our Father in heaven… Matthew 6:8-9

Now this was a new way of praying. No one had addressed God like this before. Nowhere in the Old Testament does anyone address God in prayer as Father. Jesus did it 170 times.

To make this even more profound, the word Jesus often used was “Abba,” the most intimate of terms.

When we view God as Father we experience prayer, not as formality, but as intimacy, not as a transaction but a resource, not as a monologue but a relationship.

What prayer does God always answer?

Is there one? I welcome your comments. What prayer does God always answer? (This will be the topic of a message series I begin on April 22).

I've already received one comment (Thanks Paige). Paige said that God answers every prayer ... and in a way, He does (yes, no, or wait). But let's make this harder. Is there a prayer that God always answers in the affirmative? To what prayer does God always say "Yes"? What do you think? Serious or funny comments welcome...

PS Also feel free to comment about this using "Doug's Upcoming Message Survey" on the right hand side of your screen.

College visits

Just got back from a whirlwind trip with my son to visit some prospective college campuses in the Midwest. It's the middle of April and it was ... snowing! Talk about a reality check! We had a blast though (and a couple snowball fights).

Touch His Wounds

A week after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Thomas and made a stunning request: "Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side" (John 20.27).

What a bizarre request! Why would anyone want to put their hand into a wound like that? What in the world is Jesus getting at? Imagine seeing Jesus in all His risen glory today. No doubt, it would be amazing and overwhelming at the same time. There is one thing you might not picture. Jesus still bears those scars from the cross. Why would Jesus still have these marks? Why didn't the power of the resurrection erase His wounds? Why are the nail prints still visible?

The wounds of the Risen Jesus are an everlasting reminder that His death and resurrection are real. They also give harsh evidence that He truly understands our pain. The fact that even today Jesus carries those scars, demonstrates that God is not out of touch with our suffering nor removed from our struggles. In fact, because of the Risen, Wounded Jesus we are no longer allowed to picture a God who is distant and removed. His scarred hands reach out to us in the midst of our hurts and failures.

The Bible also says, "by His wounds we are healed" (Isa 53:5). In other words, when we touch His wounds, we find peace and wholeness. Perhaps like Thomas, you need to hear Jesus' invitation to "touch His wounds."