I saw Sean and Lee Ann Tuehy for the umpteenth time being interviewed the other day. They are the adoptive parents of the amazing and moving story and movie called The Blind Side. It is an incredible story of a happy ending to a tragic beginning. Michael Oher was born into a drug-infested, crime-ridden housing project with no security and no future. Like so many others, he probably would have ended up drug addicted or dead before really reaching adulthood. However, through a bizarre turn of events, he winds up in the comfort and support system of an affluent white suburban family and community. His life goes on to shine as an All-American football player and scholar. Now, he dominates in the National Football League. I really don’t get tired of hearing this story. Here is the real hidden truth behind it all, though. There are Michaels everywhere.
This family has talked about how they weren’t so smart as to make all this happen, but that they were smart enough not to miss the opportunity! Did you hear that? There are opportunities that present themselves to us all the time. Some are small, small on our part of investment and small on the return. However, small things can make a big difference. Others are huge…like Michael’s story. Maybe we walk right past them because they are odd or might cost us something. What about all the other families other than the Tuehy’s? Did they not see this young man in need? Did they not see his potential? I am not saying we should all run out and adopt someone of another race. I am just suggesting that oftentimes uncommon grace shows up in the weirdest of ways and the strangest of fashions. Let’s keep our eyes open. Who knows what might show up!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 07/16/2010
Recently I spoke on a weekend about a topic that I think affects everyone. It is the story recorded in the Bible where the disciples have put out to sea and a storm envelops them. Jesus then walks on water as a means of making His way to them. Now history, I think, has caused many of us to miss the real significance of the story. It is lost in the “hype” of the miracle of what Jesus did. Really, though, this story is recorded to teach us and lead us through some incredible insight. First of all, put yourself in the boat. We have all known the terror of believing that we are not going to make it through some unexpected storm in life. Worry, fear, even sheer terror can paralyze us in the midst of life’s storms. We have no control over when those storms come or when they will end.
Jesus walking on the water is more than one of His miracles. He communicates a number of things through this. One, we may be in the storm, but He walks above it. Two, we may feel abandoned in the storm, but He is there in the storm with us. And maybe most importantly, He shows us the supernatural perspective. Instead of fear, His heart is calm. Instead of scolding the disciples that yet one more time He has to teach them the lesson of faith, He simply models it for them.
For me, the heart of the story is Peter. Peter almost always takes it on the chin for being brash or extravagant. But hey, you gotta hand it to him; as far as I know, he is the only other person than Jesus who ever walked on water (not including Jim Carrey). Yes, he may have started to sink, but he got out of the boat! There it is…most people never get out of the boat. Consequently, they never walk on water! They may live through a storm, but they will never walk above it. The only reason he started to sink was that he took his eyes off Jesus and became enamored again by the size of the storm. Here is my challenge to both you and me. Get out of the boat, walk on the water, and don’t take your eyes off Jesus! If we do that, we’ll be amazed at how the storm just seemed to diminish around us.
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 06/13/2010
Recently, we have been going through The Revelation in our weekend worship celebrations. To say the least, it is a sobering look at what is to come. For those who think God is old or indifferent to the world around us, they need to take a quick look at John’s vision. We are given such mercy and grace in this age, that we take it for granted. When you look at the future and see there is coming a time when there will not be an ounce of mercy, you discover that God is not impotent, just patient and loving…not willing that any should perish. As we have trudged through the death and destruction, the blood and the judgment, you begin to understand why He tells us that fearing God is the beginning place of wisdom.
My salvation has become so much more meaningful to me by taking this refresher course. What God’s love through Christ has spared His followers from is amazing. On Easter Sunday, we will place the crown jewel on the capstone of our worship. Chapters 21-22 reveal glimpses of what Heaven is going to be like. It clearly tells us who is going to be there. And many people may be surprised. It has nothing to do with good or bad people like most believe. There is one requirement for admission. Your name must be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
For me, this is why Easter is so special. It is not the beautiful weather that thaws us from winter’s doldrums. It is not about the big family meal. It is not about the kids and candy. It is not about the new dress or shirt. No, lost in all the cultural baggage of our traditions, Easter is about one thing. Victory! Resurrection! Life! Because Jesus was willing to come into this mess we call our world, suffer the indignation of contradictions, suffer indescribably in His passion, and ultimately blow away the powerful enemy of death…we have life! We are clean and forgiven of our sins; we have a hope and a meaning to this life; and we have an unimaginable future with God for eternity in Heaven. This calls for a celebration!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 03/31/2010
Recently, we have been going through The Revelation on the weekends at The Gathering. It is interesting, fascinating, frightening, and inspiring - all at the same time. I have grown up around church my whole life. God has always been presented as one of two extremes. Either He is the soft and permissive “grandfather” type or He is postured as an angry “fire and brimstone” type. I think the truth is that any time you take attributes of someone’s character and form a stereotype of them, you have missed the mark. While God is gracious, compassionate, and slow to anger, He is not a doddering old man who is too weak to deal with His own kids or deal with a world spinning out of control. Neither does a fair reading of Scripture lead one to see Him as in need of counseling to deal with latent out of control anger issues. He is God! He lacks nothing and has no weakness. The irony is how often He is judged by lesser mortals who are filled with weaknesses. In our flawed way and our flawed world, we ask Him to jump through our hoops till we understand Him.
The end of the story makes it clear… He is filled with compassion, mercy, and patience. I for one have been so blessed in reading the end of the story and being reminded how special and how valuable my salvation is! It also presents the case that there will be a time when enough is enough. This world is not spinning out of control; it is spinning into His plan. I am grateful that God included me in that plan. As someone said to me recently after one of our sessions, “I am glad I am watching this from the balcony and not the front row!” Wow, is that ever true. The King of all kings will make all things as they should be. Trust me, now is the time to make peace with Him. I have read the end of the story. I know the ending. Those who are with Him in Heaven will be overwhelmed with gratitude for His gracious gifts to us! Make sure that you are confident of that relationship!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 02/25/2010
There is no question that we are living in very tough times. Unemployment is at 10% with no foreseeable quick turnaround in sight. Some say it is almost double that with those who want work, but have just given up on a job search. Bankruptcies and foreclosures have exploded. Our own government is having to raise its debt ceiling to avoid defaulting on the trillions in loans that our children now owe. Talk to anyone in business, regardless of the industry, and they will tell you that the ripple effect of the housing market crash and the near collapse of the financial sector have choked back their business. Times are tight and times are tough. In over twenty-five years of pastoring, I have never heard of so many families being pressed to the brink. The pressures have caused financial stress, emotional stress, marital stress, and even spiritual stress.
Now, let’s be clear. There have certainly been previous generations that have faced tougher times. We have known such abundance that any cutback seems like a financial depression. Yet, how do you quantify pain? If it hurts, it hurts. And there are a lot of people who are hurting in these current economic times. If I can, I want to recalibrate our perspective, though. God determines what we go through; we get to determine how we go through it. We can wilt under the stress and depressive effects of where we are, or we can see the opportunities in our circumstances to make a difference. If we turn our eyes inwardly, we will begin to see all the things that are working against us. We can tune up our songs of self-pity and self-loathing. OR we can look outwardly and see the many opportunities to help each other lift burdens and carry them together. Tough times can tear us apart, or they can bind us together. I have found my experiences to be that the more I take my eyes off my problems and help someone else carry their load, that my problems seem to diminish in size. Galatians 6:2 (GW) “Help carry each other's burdens. In this way you will follow Christ's teachings.”
Try it, you will be amazed at God’s math. You bring hope + someone else’s burden = you infuse both people with hope! Not only will this lift your spirits, but this can change the dynamic of your perspective of life. Rather than pouring all your energy into changing your current circumstances, why not let God change you in those circumstances. Remember again, God gets to determine what we go through. We determine how we go through it. A great outlook leads to a better outcome!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 02/02/2010
Ever heard anyone say at this time of year that it is hard to believe another year has come and gone? It happens. And the more it happens, it seems the quicker those years fly by. Before you know it, you turn around and wonder where all the time has gone. String enough of those together, and you will end up wondering, “Where did my life go?” Now is the time to do something about it.
The truth is we really just moved from one month to the next. What makes moving from December to January different from going from June to July? We are simply marking time. Nevertheless, I am grateful for it. January (or the New Year) is always a fresh start. It is a new beginning. And, as people, we need those. In golf, we call it a Mulligan. Sometimes when playing an informal game with friends, you hit a bad shot and they will say, “Hit a Mulligan.” It is another shot…a do-over. It is amazing how much that second chance can really turn things around for you.
Life can be a great deal like that. We often need a do-over. We need a second chance or a new beginning. God graciously grants that to us time and time again. Gratefully, His Mulligans are not ONLY passed out in January. His mercy and His grace are so rich that He offers them to us thousands of times throughout a year. I don’t know about you, but I plan to take advantage of mine right now. I am so grateful that I can put Paul’s motivational thought into practice and this year move toward new and higher heights. Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT) “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
It is your turn now. Make the most of your opportunity. Live your life on purpose this year. Set goals for yourself and make sure they include the priority of God’s Kingdom. If you do…next year you will be glad you did!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 01/07/2010
It is hard to believe, but it is that time of year again. Christmas, more than any other time of the year, brings about change. We officially plunge into winter and our songs begin to be about snow. Retailers count on the holiday Christmas sales to make their year. Clark G. gets out his Christmas lights and decorates the neighborhood with a dazzling nighttime show. Children begin working on their lists for Christmas, and people in general seem to take on a little bit lighter mood. Christmas has its own sights and sounds. All of these factors, as well as a few family traditions thrown in for good measure, all seem to make Christmas a special time of the year.
Yet, year after year we find ourselves fighting against the same confrontation. As wonderful as any or all of these things may be, they all combine to highjack the simple, but real reason for our celebration. These trappings of Christmas may be wonderful, but we cannot allow them to overwhelm us or distract us from seeing Christmas for what it really is - a birthday. And not just any birthday. After all, while yours may be special to you, and mine may be special to me…they happen every day…by the thousands…all across the globe. No, this birthday was special. Because a God who is too big to be contained by the vast expanses of the universe chose to wrap Himself in the confines of human flesh.
Yes, ‘tis the season for shopping and parties and gifts and families getting together. But what if this year we didn’t allow it to happen? What if we didn’t allow these things to distract us at all from the baby born in a manger? What if we paused there long enough to wonder in amazement at the powerful realization of what this means? ‘Tis the season to be thankful, to be amazed, to be reborn, to receive the greatest gift ever given…the ransom of all mankind! Merry Christmas!!!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 12/17/2009
This past Sunday, I dealt with a story out of the life of Jesus that still has me puzzled. It is the story in Luke 17 where Jesus heals ten lepers. One comes back to thank Him, but the other nine were never heard from again. Amazing! How could these nine guys who were so desperate previously, under the sentence of death and unable to experience life, forget to even say something as simple as, “Thank you!” While we know nothing of what they did, where they went, or how they lived after this experience, we do know that even Jesus was amazed at their lack of gratitude.
I was shocked at this until I thought about it for a minute. You see, I saw myself in this. Oh, I see it a lot in other people to be sure. But I saw it in myself nonetheless. I was one of those who had grown comfortable with my now thirty-six-year-old faith. Gratitude is based upon a full realization of not only who I am, but who I was. From diseased to delivered, from certain death to a new beginning in life, from outcast to reconnected, each of these men had been given something special. Isn’t it easier to see your problems than it is to see your provisions? It certainly is easier to gripe than it is to be grateful. It all has to do with your perspective and what you are focused on today.
This Thursday, you will be standing around the kitchen with your family; and no, the two burning questions will not be: 1) “Am I really related to these people?” Or: 2) “Is the turkey done yet?” No, the two important questions for me and you this Thanksgiving are: 1) “Am I seeing things clearly?” And: 2) “Am I truly filled with gratitude?”
Has it been a tough year? It has for me. Tough times, a tough economy, and tough circumstances can overwhelm us. Did you know the Pilgrims dug seven times more graves than they built huts? They were the most impoverished people in American history. Yet, they stopped to thank God Almighty for His benevolent blessings. Wow, I am going to remember that this year as we devour the huge meal. Maybe I shift and become the one guy who went back to say, “Thanks!”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 11/30/2009
Over the month of October, our church has taken on a campaign called, “We Love Dayton.” The general gist of this is to surprise people in uncommon ways with small random acts of kindness that catch them off guard. Buying someone a cup of coffee, taking a dish to a neighbor, or paying a bill for a single mom struggling to get by are just a few of the ways that we have tried to tackle this. What I don’t understand about myself is why it takes a reminder to be sensitive to what is happening around me. God has appointed these divine intersections all around us. It makes me shudder to think how many of them I have missed from simply not paying attention. My own problems, along with a sea of humanity around me, make it easy to get caught up in the “cynical seclusion” mode regarding it all. The strange thing, though, is that the times I do get this right, it is so awesome that I don’t know why I don’t do it more.
Somehow, my problems seem to become diminished when I am focused on helping someone else. Somehow, my own heart is lifted whenever I am able to help someone else lift some type of burden that they carry. Somehow, there is no feeling to compare to that of seeing someone completely blown away by an unexpected act of kindness. While people are used to the ‘ways of this world’, when someone reaches out to them with a ‘no strings attached’ gesture, they don’t really know how to respond. It is such an unusual thing that it sticks out on its own.
Love is such a powerful gift. Recently, my wife, my kids, and I were able to help a struggling young single mom. God just kind of arranged the whole deal. But there she was standing in front of us with nowhere to turn for help. We were able to step in through a small gesture and tie two ends of her life back together. Her words were, “No one has ever done anything like this for me. No one has ever helped me like this.” I know we helped and encouraged her. But you have to understand, the reason I am telling you this is because of what she did for us! I think our family will do more of this…it is just too good not to. Let’s go change somebody’s world today!
Experiencing Grace
John Jackson
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 10/26/2009
This has been a pretty tough year for those of us growing a little older…and refusing to admit it. The eighties were our decade. I remember the emotional blow I felt the first time I heard a radio station talk about the “oldies” and then saying, “We’ll be playing 80 minutes of the 80’s.” Wow…oldies? Yet the reality of life is setting in that time does pass forward. It stops for no one. This year already we have lost such icons as Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and most recently Patrick Swayze. For all of these people who were the envy of a generation for their good looks and good life, life has come to a somewhat tragic end. Michael Jackson was on top of the world as The King of Pop. Time and drug abuse brought his life to a strange and untimely end. Who would have thought that gorgeous Farrah, who sold all those bathing suit posters, would end up tortured and ravaged by cancer? The same goes for Patrick Swayze. He was the male heart-throb of his generation. And yet, he too would dwindle from a chiseled picture of health and muscle to a victim of this terrible disease.
I guess their passing has left me a bit reflective. James 4:14 (NLT) says, “How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone.” I heard tragically this week of a group of teenagers heading home from school when an accident took one of their very young lives. We all know the possibilities of this. We know we are not going to live forever, but we don’t really stop very often to think about it. Most of us don’t live today as though it COULD be our last. Most of us live as though life will go on and on and on. It won’t. So, take a moment to ponder today. Take a minute to reflect on your values and your investments. Are you living as though you will never die, or are you living in such a way so as to welcome death whenever it comes as a champion’s finish line?
Beauty, power, fame, and wealth will all fade away! From my melancholy reflections came a motivational thought. John, you don’t have forever. Get busy! Not busy for busy sake, but busy in the things that last beyond this life!!!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 09/17/2009
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