The Biggest "But" In The Bible

A single mom who put herself through college in hopes of providing a better life for her family gets the call from HR after interviewing for her dream job. She hears, “You have amazing strengths and qualifications, BUT we just don’t feel like you’re the right fit for us at this time.” Her disappointment seems crushing!

A 15 year old boy spends all summer training and practicing for for high school football tryouts. He gives 110% and feels confident he’s made the team. Until the coach calls him into his office to say...”You gave a great effort kid, BUT we feel you aren’t quite ready. Keep practicing and try again next year...” It's a massive setback for his hopes of being a high school athlete!

A man who God called to do some seemingly impossible things answers, “you’ve got the wrong guy”, but eventually obeys and becomes the leader of an entire nation. Despite his insecurities and fears, he continues to trust God and faithfully leads His people through all the ups and downs with the hope that they would arrive in the land promised to them. Near the end of his days, God leads him to a mountain and shows him the promised land. The long, difficult journey is over and the hard-earned reward is there for him to enjoy!

Until God says this in Deuteronomy 34: “I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, BUT you will not enter the land.” (There’s that “but” word again bringing with it disappointments and setbacks!)

It’s the biggest “but” in the Bible and I can’t help but be gripped with disappointment for Moses every time I read the story. Can you imagine how he may have felt standing on that mountain? Yet the story ends by saying Moses was the greatest of all the prophets. Moses’s life is a model to us for giving our all to God even when we’re going through all of it.

I hope you’ll join me this weekend as we talk more about living lives of authentic worship to God, even when we’re in the mess of disappointments, setback and failures. I’m praying now that people will find hope and strength as they desire to trust God, while navigating their own life’s troubles. It’s never easy, but it is possible!

Grace and Peace.

Pastor Rex

Becoming Trustworthy One Bike Ride At A Time

I love the hit show, “Stranger Things”. Have you seen it? Great acting, storyline, suspense, mystery and most of all- the setting. Stranger Things takes place in a very familiar time for me. The 80’s!

The story is about a group of boys on a desperate search for their lost friend and if you’re familiar with the characters, you know they spend a lot of time riding their bikes through their neighborhood.

When I think of growing up in the 80’s, I think of riding my BMX bike all over town. It’s how I spent my Saturdays and summers. I also have vivid memories of being out too late, or not coming home on time and being in trouble with my parents. They would talk to me about how freedom and responsibility came with being trustworthy. I learned some hard lessons back then about becoming a trustworthy kid, by simply listening to what instructions my parents gave me and following through on them.

When it comes to trust, we spend a lot of time and energy trying to figure out if God is trustworthy, but have we ever thought...”Does God trust me?”  “Is he looking to find me trustworthy?” These are important questions.

In the book of Numbers, God says this about Moses: “of all my house, he is the one I trust.”. It would appear that God is looking to trust us...

When we see our faith in God through the lens of relationship, I think we understand that trust is a two-way road. Just as it is in all of our human relationships. God tells us in scripture that He can be trusted, but in order for our relationship with God to be fully alive, we need to show ourselves trustworthy to Him. And by striving to be trustworthy, I don’t mean perfect. Grace is central to a healthy relationship with God. Always has been...always will be.

You see, I believe with every ounce of my being that God has great plans for your life. A calling, if you will, to do great things with Him in this world- because you were created with immense purpose!  The question is...are we living in a way to that honors God and shows that we can handle his blessing and favor, even when life gets difficult? Are we listening to His instructions and following through on them? When we do, I know that God sees us has his beloved children who can be trusted.

This Sunday, we’ll be exploring this question of trustworthiness more and I if you’re seeking a deeper, more adventurous relationship with Jesus, I’d love for you to join me on Sunday!

Grace and Peace.

Rex