Something in the Water

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:4-11)

The book of Mark begins with this story…the story of John and of Jesus’ baptism.

John, like the prophets of the Old Testament, was preaching about repentance. Repentance. Not just asking for forgiveness, but having a change of heart so that one turns from, stops, doing something. It’s an internal change that results in a change of behavior…not the other way around.

Do you know people who have tried to make changes in their lives…only to fall back into old habits and fail miserably? Behavioral change is hard…maybe impossible…without a change of heart.

It’s New Year’s resolution time again. It’s a time when people reflect on their lives and determine that they will make changes for a fresh start in the new year. And we all have changes we want or need to make. However, most of us will not be very resolute.

Although we want different outcomes, we won’t have the deep change of heart that is needed to make lasting and meaningful change. We may chase an ideal by trying to eat less and exercise more, but unless there is an internal change to be a healthy person, we will not succeed. If we have internalized (whether consciously or not) that food makes us happy, secure, and whole (or alcohol, or gambling, or drugs, or sex, or fame, or spending), our battle against our vice cannot be won.

In fact, I would argue that only God can provide that change of heart. Only God can provide the happiness, security, and wholeness that we are seeking.

For many people, that change of heart comes through a crisis.

Although I do not believe that God causes bad things to happen, I do believe that God uses those things we see as bad or evil to help shape us when they do happen. After all, we are told in the book of Romans that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Each of the vices I mentioned earlier can lead to such a crisis…not at God’s doing, but at our own. For example, overeating can lead to multiple life-threatening health problems. Drinking can lead to bad choices as well as internal physical damage. Gambling and spending can lead to deception, thievery, and bankruptcy. The list goes on and on.

Allow me to give you an example.

I have a dear friend who sought happiness through the party scene. Although he was married and had children, he was a drug user and alcohol abuser. These two vices often impaired his ability to make good decisions. And when he made a bad decision, he would turn back to drugs and alcohol for the comfort, happiness, and wholeness that he knew he needed.

He lost his wife and his children through divorce. It finally came to a head when he was in a nearly fatal accident while under the influence. But God met my friend in this crisis. God nurtured him through this crisis. And, ultimately, God changed his heart.

I’m not going to say it was easy. It wasn’t. But the change he experienced was so deep and so strong, that he was able to truly repent. And he has been blessed.

My friend remarried. His relationships with his ex-wife and his children have been repaired. Not only does he serve others through his church, but many lucky foster children also call him “Daddy”. And he praises God daily and publicly for all of these things. 

This man repented with true repentance. There was a change in his heart that led to a change in his life. Lasting change.

However, not all crises that we go through are our fault. Sometimes we must deal with a crisis brought on by someone else’s bad decisions. And, sometimes, in this fallen world, bad things just happen—illness, natural disasters, accidents, etc.

But when we find ourselves coping with the devastation of a crisis, self-inflicted or otherwise, God uses the situation to lead us to repentance. He uses it to change us internally, to change our hearts.

Let me give you another example.

Recently some friends of mine lost their daughter in a car accident. Don and Renee Beesley’s daughter, Montana, was ripped from their family. It was no one’s fault. There were no drugs or alcohol involved. Montana and her family loved God, served God, were involved in their church, and spoke openly about Jesus Christ.

And yet, here they were, the father, mother, and two younger sisters, facing a crisis…the worst nightmare of any parent.

But remember that verse from earlier: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” How in the world could God use this for good?

I remember praying for Don and Renee. I remember praying that God would give them strength and help them respond in a way that would bring glory to Him. And this is exactly what they did.

They celebrated their daughter’s life and her deep faith. They praised God for the gift of her life. They thanked Him for the lessons that she taught them in 15 short years about being strong and persistent and faithful. She had introduced Christ to so many throughout her life.

I talked to Renee, Tana’s mom, last night. She shared this with me.

“She touched more lives than we ever knew, she once told us that she probably knew someone in every town from Hugoton to Wichita and we laughed at her; but after over 1,200 people came to remember her, we figured she might have been right.

"I have had young people message me that live in Wichita. One said she knew what kind of person Tana was and she wanted to get right with the Lord, so I set her up with my sister in Wichita and they went to church together. Another girl I don't know Facebook messaged me and said she went out to the cemetery and had a long talk with Tana and gave her life to the Lord.

"Just four nights ago at midnight I received a Facebook message from a high school boy who had overdosed and was so sad until he heard singing and followed and he saw Montana. He said she saved his life.

"One day we were shopping in brass buckle and Tana noticed the young man helping us was cutting himself so she talked with him about how much God loved him. He was an atheist, but she assured him God loved him and she cared about him. I went in there earlier this week and he remembered her and we visited about their conversation and I noticed his cutting scars were healed.”

Have you ever seen an alter call at a funeral? I haven’t. But these parents asked for one. The church was packed, as Renee indicated, and so many came up to give their lives to Christ during the service that those in attendance couldn’t keep count. This young lady brought more people to Christ in death than most of us will throughout our lives.

God used this crisis for repentance. He used this crisis to change hearts. I was brought to tears by the realization that even these Christ-loving, God-fearing parents were brought to repentance. Listen to Renee’s words:

“We miss Tana more than we can express, but for the first time I understand ‘God's peace that passes all understanding’ and I also understand this world is not my home.  I have loved this world a little too much, but now I feel unfastened and can't wait for my whole family to be together in heaven soon. We are assured every day that Tana’s life and death were not in vane as God continues to use her even through her passing.”

This is what John preached about…change, real change. Baptism was not something new. Baptism had been around for a while and was symbolic of cleansing and a clean, new beginning. But John preached of a baptism of repentance.

And Jesus came. Jesus came…and was baptized. Was he repentant? He was sinless! Wasn’t this unnecessary and irrelevant?

No. Nothing Jesus did was unnecessary or irrelevant. According to theologians, Jesus had four necessary and relevant reasons for being baptized by his cousin, John.

First, it was a moment of decision.

Jesus was somewhere around 30 years old. Although we don’t know much at all about those young years, we do know that he was trained as a carpenter and had stayed in Nazareth…working at a normal daily job but surely knowing that He was called to more. So he waited for that sign the he knew would come that would lead him out into the world.

That sign was John. When Jesus chose to go to John, the very man who was preaching of his imminent arrival, he made his decision.

Secondly, it was a moment of identification.

By coming forward in John’s movement, Jesus identified himself with the movement. He identified himself with the need for repentance and baptism. He identified himself with the Godward movement of the people.

And this was also a moment of approval.

Jesus had left his home…everything he knew and everyone he loved. Although we know that he was fully God on earth, we must remember that he was also fully human.

If you had left your family, your job, your hometown, and were out on your own trying to do what you felt you were called to do…wouldn’t you be terrified? Can you imagine the questions he must’ve had: How will I eat? Where will I sleep? Who will love me? Will I be safe? Will my mother and siblings be okay without me there?

Jesus did not take the decision lightly. He must have felt very strongly about his decision. But even when we feel compelled, even when we feel certain, there is always that little bit of doubt and fear that eat at us.

Well, if Jesus was fighting that last little bit of doubt and fear, God put that to rest when he told him, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Listen to those words again. God spoke to Jesus…not to the crowd, not to John, not to the world. These words were spoken to Jesus…a reassurance to him. “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

And, finally, this was a moment of equipment.

It was at this time, this moment, that God equipped Jesus for his ministry—“the spirit descended on him like a dove.” Like a dove.

A dove is symbolic of gentleness throughout the Bible. This simile was intentional and specific. Although John’s ministry was a message of doom, wrath, vengeance, and a consuming fire, Jesus’ ministry would be marked by gentleness.

Yes, he would conquer, but it would be a conquest of love.

Have you missed an important moment of decision in your life? Is there a decision that you need to make that you’ve been putting off? Does God keep putting that decision in front of you?

How are you identified? What movements do you support? What causes do you fight for? What behaviors do you exhibit to show the world who you are?

Whose approval do you seek? Do you need to please your friends? Your family? Your own desires? The world? Or are you seeking approval from God?

Have you discovered how you are equipped by God? What gifts and abilities has He given you for His purposes in the world? How are you using those gifts and abilities? Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to descend on to you and guide you?

I want to revisit Montana’s life for just a moment. She had made a decision to live for Christ at a very young age. And, certainly, she identified herself as a Christ-follower. A very special sign of approval from God was seen on the day of her service. You see, just as God spoke directly to Jesus one day long ago, he also spoke directly to Tana’s family through two rainbows that were evident on the clear blue day that she was laid to rest. He had equipped her to sing, to love, to reach out to people, and to serve Him in her own unique way…and she used those gifts and abilities to do just that.

Jesus’ baptism was important. It was important for him then and it is important for us today. Baptism is a sacrament. It is a mystery. It is a miracle. If you haven’t yet been baptized, I pray that you will seek and accept this wonderful gift from a God who loves you and will continue to seek and accept you.

And for those of you who have received this gift, I pray that each of you will take time to remember your baptism today…and be thankful.


Amen.

The Transfiguration of Christ: Listen to Him!

Sermon 5
February 10, 2013

Lisa was 15 years old, dark-haired, and 6 foot tall when I met her…and she was already a beauty (#32). It was my first teaching job and, of course, it came with a coaching position. Volleyball. I was so excited for this new challenge but also scared to death. 

I met the girls and their parents a few weeks before school started. And Lisa could smash the ball. She was a power house.

Those girls were sure special to me. In fact, all of those Healy kids were. We were there for three years…watching Lisa and her classmates grow up—going from gangly, goofy sophomores to graduated seniors ready to leave for college.

I saw Lisa several years later when she married Jason then got to see her briefly at a funeral when she was pregnant with her first child, Jaren.

And then tragedy struck.

Lisa and Jason were expecting their second child the next month. With four-year-old Jaren in his car seat in the back of the car, they were driving home from a delightfully baby shower in Lisa’s home town of Healy. 

As they approached an oncoming car, a deer jumped out in front of it. When the approaching car hit the deer, the impact shot the deer right into their windshield. Like a bullet, this large animal went through the driver’s side of the vehicle and shot out the back window.

Lisa realized Jason was unconscious and had to fight to get the vehicle stopped. She screamed Jaren’s name and he was so brave when he answered her, “Mommy, I am okay.” But Jason was not. Lisa used her cell phone to call 911 and then just tried to hold Jason steady while she kept her finger on the pulse she could feel in his neck.

But Jason died on the way to the hospital. And Lisa was left as a single mother to endure the labor and delivery of her second child without her husband by her side.

She was lost. And she needed a word from God.

 Have you been there? Maybe not to this extreme. But have you needed God’s direction? His comfort? His strength?

I want you to imagine that day long ago when Jesus took Peter, James, and John on top of that mountain. Jesus had been teaching, healing, and performing miracles. We just heard from the word of God that Jesus predicted his death and resurrection and then about a week later he took Peter, James, and John up there to pray.

So there they were, climbing up the mountain. And all of a sudden Peter, James, and John realized that they were no longer alone with Jesus. There were two other guys. On top of a “high mountain”.

Can you picture the astonishment? They would not have recognized these men.

Think about it. We know now that these two men were Moses and Elijah…great men of the faith who had lived hundreds of years before. Peter, James, and John would only know them by the stories that have been handed down from generation from generation. Their stories, of course, were read by these three in the Torah.

There weren’t pictures!

So here are these two extra men…talking to Jesus. And they’re all shining.

They are pretty confused at this point. And I would guess that they were pretty freaked out.

God talked to Jesus through Elijah and Moses! Who would believe that? Well, I suppose Peter, James and John would, wouldn’t they?

And actually, God spoke to them also. Once he had their attention, He said, “This is my son. Listen to him!” Who was God speaking to? He wasn’t speaking to Jesus, Elijah, or Moses. God himself spoke to Peter, James, and John in a voice from the sky. Who would believe that?

Can you imagine them telling that story once they got down? Ha! They didn’t! We are told that they kept it to themselves.

How in the world could they keep it to themselves? Well…it would sound a bit crazy, wouldn’t it?

Think about other times in the Bible when God spoke to people. Sometimes it was an audible voice, like this. But He also spoke to people through a large hand writing on a wall, dreams, visions, prophets, angels, Jesus, and finally, the Bible.

The Bible. This is the obvious way that God chooses to speak to us. He inspired the writers of this book and insured that those words would last forever. 168,000 Bibles are sold or given away every single day. How many Bibles are in your house right now? I did a quick count around our house last night and found 26.

But 26 Bibles don’t share with You the Word of God if you never pick one of them up and read it. Read it! And read it with the expectation that God has something to tell you through it. Because He does! And He will! This is the most basic, most obvious, way that God speaks to us. If you are seeking His guidance but not bothering to read His Word, you need to back up and work on your relationship with Him. And relationships hinge on our ability to “listen”. So read…and listen to Him.

But relationships are a two-way street, so it’s also important that we talk.

In our scripture reading today, we learned that Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain to pray. Throughout the gospels, Jesus often took time to go off to pray. I had a friend tell me a while back, “I don’t really pray. God knows my thoughts so I don’t need to take the time to pray to Him.” I’ve heard other people make this same comment. Let me ask you…If Jesus needed time to pray, why in world should you feel like you don’t.

Sometimes I worry that we model prayer as a complicated thing. It’s not. It’s a conversation with God. Just speak to Him. He will answer. Are you waiting, watching, and listening for it?

My friend, Charity, shared a story about God answering her prayer. Charity and Mark were newlyweds. They were loving life! They were young and had the time to do the things THEY wanted to do. Living out in the country between two towns gave them a privacy and solitude that many of us don’t understand.

But during one winter storm in 1992, things changed. Charity and Mark each got snowed in a different town. On the third day, Charity felt that the roads were cleared enough that she could get home. So she headed that way (without telling anyone) with plans to surprise Mark. But about a mile and a half from home, she slammed into a drift and was stuck.

Although she knew it would be smartest to stay in the warm car, she also knew exactly where she was and convinced herself that she could make the walk home. But about 100 yards into her walk, she lost her bearings. She was lost. And after a while, it was dark. The cold was burning her hands. She pulled them up into her sleeves and pulled her arms to her chest then squatted down to provide as much body heat as possible.

She prayed and prayed, and God answered her. He LITERALLY answered her. "Have children," he clearly said to her. She heard it. You see, at the time, she and Mark did not intend to have children. She knew he didn't want them and she was willing to go along with what he wanted. But she heard God's voice, and she promised God that if He would save her, she would have children and raise them up to serve Him.

About twenty minutes later she saw some headlights. How Mark realized she was missing and found her is a whole other story in itself. But suffice it to say, Charity was saved. And she kept her promise.

Seven of them…although one is already with God. Six beautiful children love and walk with God every day because of message that God gave their mother one winter.

Prayer. God wants to have a relationship with you. Talk to Him…and listen to Him.

God also talks to us through other Christians—the church.

How many times have I sat in this room…in this very room…and been touched so deeply by the Holy Spirit that tears have flooded my eyes and run down my cheeks? More times than my kids will let me forget! Ugh…is mom crying again?? 

But it’s not just in the sanctuary…or necessarily in the church building at all. Part of the church meets here on Sunday morning, but “the church” is the collective body of Christians in the world.

God uses you and I (the church) to talk to his people. Wow! I believe that we often don’t even realize when God uses us to give a much needed word to another human being much less how. But that’s one reason that it is so important that we come together as the church. We need each other. The body of Christ needs all of its members. God uses our time together to talk to us through one another. Come together…and listen to Him.

And finally, God uses circumstances.

What about Moses and the burning bush? Think about it. Imagine that you are out mowing the lawn this summer and out of the corner of your eye you realize that one of your bushes is on fire…and then God starts talking to you through it. Sound a little crazy? Think you might think twice about sharing that with others? 

You know, the thing is…God gets our attention in whatever way He knows He can get our attention.

Some of you have heard the story of my call to ministry. It involves the story of the Transfiguration. In fact, after Pastor David gave me the dates I would be preaching this year, I was at my desk and I thought…I’ll bet one of them is Transfiguration Sunday. So I turned to the first one…and sure enough.

It’s a long story that I will share with you when you have a free couple of hours, but the abbreviated version is that God has reinforced every step of this journey into ministry with the story of the transfiguration. Including today. God is talking to me right now, through this time with you.

But God also talks to me in other ways…ways He knows will get my attention.

As Pastor Watson has been mentoring me into ministry, he allows me to come to his office for a weekly meeting to talk about things going on in my job and in my walk with God. One day, I asked him…have I ever told you the story of my call to ministry. And he said, “I don’t think so.” I said, “Well, it’s a long story, but I will tell you this. God talks to me through Bruce Springsteen.” 

Pastor David just sat back and smiled…then said, “I don’t think I’d tell that to the Board of Ordained Ministry.”

Ha!

But it’s true. It’s not ALWAYS true. And when I’m seeking the answer to a question, I don’t pull out my “Born in the USA” CD and listen to it to find the answer. After all, I don’t worship Bruce Springsteen.

But I’m grateful that I have a God that knows me so well and pursues me so diligently that he would be so creative in the way that he speaks to me.

Some people experience God through visions or dreams. Do these things sound crazy? Really, Gina. Bruce Springsteen? God’s voice in a snow storm? Visions? Dreams? Yes…and a burning bush, and a giant hand writing on a wall, and a talking donkey, and a pillar of cloud and fire, and Moses and Elijah on top of a mountain.

Sound crazy. Oh yes. That’s why Peter, James, and John kept it a secret. But it’s not crazy.

A couple days after Jason died, Lisa had a dream about him. In this dream Jason was sitting on a huge gold throne. Lisa was at his feet looking up at him. He reached his hand out and told her that everything was going to be OK. He then proceeded to give her instructions on how to take care of the finances, which made her laugh because she had no clue about any of their finances. He was an accountant, after all, and just took care of them. When she woke up the next day, although she was still so sad, she felt a calming peace and knew that this was God's message to her that Jason was in Heaven and that everything would be OK.

Lisa remarried a few years ago.

Scott had lost his wife to an extended illness in the days between the death of Jason and the birth of Lynsi. Each has a son and a daughter and are now raising them all together while daily celebrating the lives of the spouses they lost.

God will also talk to you through circumstances in your life. I don’t know what that will look like. But I believe more in “God-incidences” than coincidences. Are you paying attention? Look around…and listen to Him.

Father in heaven, We thank you that you are a God who is present with us. You are active and involved in our lives…not distant and uncaring. 

Lord, open our eyes…open our hearts and our minds to you. Speak to us in ways that you know we will understand and give us the strength to respond to You obediently. Amen

Who Gets the Glory?

Sermon 3
October 21, 2012

How many of you watch NASCAR? In our culture, NASCAR is a big deal right now…and we celebrate the winners. In fact, many people practically worship them. It’s no wonder that pride is such an issue in our culture. But is it a new issue? Not at all. Even the disciples struggled with pride.

Mark 10:35-45 tells us that James and John asked, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” But this is actually (at least) the second time that such an issue came up. Luke 9:46 tells about this conversation among the disciples: An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.

And, this was not the first time that these men, who wanted to be seen as great, had let Jesus down. Remember back in the boat when the storm came up and they were afraid they might drown? After angrily waking Jesus, he calmed that storm. They would also continue to let him down…falling asleep when He had asked them to keep watch at the Garden of Gethsemane and later scattering when he was arrested…even denying him.

Why in the world would they feel that they deserved glory anyway? Well, they probably felt pretty special! After all, Jesus had selected them. They had witnessed miracles and listened to Jesus teach crowds. And Jesus took the time to share with them the meanings of those parables that are complex and difficult to understand.

 Also…they had worked hard. Jesus ministry was not easy. They left their homes. They traveled and stayed with strangers. It was physically demanding. They were even given the power to heal and cast out demons. Is it a wonder that they were so proud?

 This pride is even easier to understand when you consider that it is a condition that people have battled from the beginning. Adam and Eve were easily swayed once Satan appealed to their pride. “If you want to be like God, just eat from the tree.” David, a man after God’s own heart, let his own glory and his riches lead him to sin. And Solomon, with his riches, fame, and wisdom, had everything that prideful people today still seek…but none of it gave him happiness. He admits in Ecclesiastes that “everything is meaningless.”

So how did Jesus respond to the disciples when they were arguing over their “greatness”? Well, in Luke 9:47-48, it says, “But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, ‘Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.’”

Why did he choose a child to make this point? Children were not valued in that culture as they are valued in our culture. By selecting this child, he was telling them to embrace even those who they perceive to have little to no value as a person. He indicated that they…that we should receive those who are “less”…then he went on to say that we should also receive him if we want to receive God. And finally, he made it quite clear that in order to be “great” and receive “glory”, we must humble ourselves.

In Mark, when James and John were seeking places of glory beside Jesus, he said, “You don’t even know what you’re asking.” He asked them, “Can you drink the cup I drink?” Well, what kind of question is that? What was Jesus’ cup? Do you remember these words from Jesus that were uttered that night in the Garden? Take a look at Luke 22:42. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus’ cup was his crucifixion.

 “Can you drink the cup I drink?” And they said, “We can.” And Jesus said, “You will.” And you know what? They did. Each of the disciples died an agonizing death for their faith in Jesus Christ.

 Next Jesus asked them, “Can you be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” What did he mean by that? Wasn’t He baptized in the water just like everyone else? Listen to this testimony from John the Baptist…the man who baptized Jesus. (John 1:29-33): “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’”

The Holy Spirit came down from heaven and remained on him. He was baptized with the Holy Spirit.

“Can you be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” Jesus asked. “We can,” they answered. And Jesus said, “You will.” And, guess what. They did. Do you remember Pentecost? After his resurrection and ascension, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, the Companion, to live within every believer…including James and John.

So, did Jesus grant them the places of glory they requested? Jesus told James and John that these places of honor had been prepared for specific people and he did not reveal who would be at his left and right hand.

But this conversation leaked out. I’m not sure who spilled the beans, but word got out that James and John were politicking for positions. And the other disciples were not happy. So Jesus called them together and compared them to rulers who abuse their power. Then, again, he reiterated the value of humility: “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I began today by asking you about NASCAR. Raise your hand if you’ve heard the name Darrell Waltrip.

In 1981-1982 Waltrip and his team had an amazing two-year period. They won 24 races and 2 championships. They were nearly unbeatable! And Darrell’s pride was out of control. When he would show up at the hotel in the town of the next race and was asked, “Are you here for the show?” Waltrip would answer, “No ma’am, I am the show.” In fact, Richard Petty used to say “That boy might win a lot of races and he may make a lot of money but he’ll never be Nascar’s most popular driver.” The fans hated him and even wore t-shirts that said “Anybody but Waltrip.” 

But in 1983, he hit a wall—figuratively, spiritually, and physically. He was knocked completely out and, although he raced in races and continued life as normal, he has no memory of the next couple of weeks. Then in the third week, he “woke up”. And he started searching for the Lord and soon after accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.

 He was, and is, a changed man. In his video on the “I am Second” website, he says that success can’t be kept for ourselves. Jesus didn’t keep the glory for himself…he gave it to us! And he quotes the Bible when he goes on to say, “You can do all things through Jesus Christ.”

So what reward did Waltrip get for receiving Jesus, receiving God. Well, it wasn’t another championship. But he was voted most popular driver in 1989 and 1990. When he became a servant, he became great. And great was defined differently than he had anticipated. Waltrip’s advice: “Put Him first in everything you do. Give Him the glory and give Him the praise.”

Giving ourselves the glory when we are simply using gifts from God as we go through this life reveals our selfish and prideful nature. I once heard a pastor say, “Either live your life humbly or God will teach you humility the hard way.”

What about me? Who get the glory in my life?

What about you?

I challenge you to embrace someone this week who needs help just as Jesus embraced children, prostitutes, tax collectors, and others that needed help. Without giving yourself the glory, help them. Maybe that means leaving them a gift card, maybe it means mowing their law…it could just mean leaving a pick-me-up note or car wash tokens. Who is someone in your life who is in need of a servant? Then serve them…and leave an anonymous note that gives God (and not you) the glory.